Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Memukat

Pernah gi memukat tak? Aku tak pernah gi memukat kat laut sebelum ni, pergi mencandat sotong pernahlah. Last week before pergi Janda Baik malam tu Azam ajak pergi memukat kat jalan pergi Kuantan Port. Habis semua di ajak nya. Anak2 yang kecik pun bawak. Siap dengan bekal lagi. Aku tolong sibuk jer lah. Hubby aku ikut Mat Azam meredah laut dalam gelap-gelap tu. Aku ingat dia cuak gak mulanya, tapi bila tengok ikan lekat kat pukat tu hilanglah cuak dia. Dia sorang jer pakai lifejacket. Nampak sangat tak biasa. Abang jangan marah aaaa..... Ala, memukat tepi pantai ajer. Banyak juga dapat ikan. Udang harimau pun ada, pari pun ada. Tapi paling banyak dapat ikan gelama. Balik kol 12.00 malam. So mari layan gambar2 nih...







Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Halatuju anak-anak kita

Sakit kepala dah pun hilang. Alhamdulillah hilang sakit selepas telan panadol 2 biji. Bukan panadol yang menyembuhkan tapi Allah. Jangan kita terlepas pandang hal kekuasaan Allah di atas segala sesuatu. Kita cuma berusaha, selebihnya kita serahkan pada Allah. Bukankah, hidupku matiku untuk tuhan sekalian alam.

Tidur lewat kat Janda Baik bukan gossiping apa2 pun cuma bertukar2 fikiran dengan kakak-kakak aku yang dah melalui kerenah anak2 sewaktu memilih halatuju selepas peperiksaan SPM. Begitulah hakikatnya bila anak2 dah mula membesar. Cerita2 kita semakin berubah. Anak aku yang sulung dah pun berada didalam tingkatan 5. Pejam celik dia akan menduduki SPM hujung tahun ini. "Apa cita2 kakak?" aku tanya Afifah."Ntahlah emak, kakak jadi surirumah jer boleh tak?" Aduh....sabar jer lah ngan anak aku ni!

Kata Yang Cho biasalah tu. Anak2nya pun macam tu juga. Kebanyakkan nya tidak tahu apa peluang yang ada. Cuma dia kata aku dah buat perkara yang betul kerana awal2 lagi membuat survey tentang IPTA/IPTS yang ada kat negara ini. Bukan apa, tak mahu terkial2 bila result SPM keluar nanti. Mana sempat nak buat semua2 tu. Sekurang2nya Afifah boleh buat target dia SPM nanti. Shoot for the moon, if you fail you will land amongst the stars!

Bila sembang2 tu barulah aku tahu punyalah banyak IPTA/IPTS kat Malaysia ni. Bukan macam aku 20 tahun dulu...huhuhuhu...dah tuanya aku! Cuma aku pening yang mana dah government certified, yang mana belum. Kata anak buah aku MQA adalah satu badan yang bertanggungjawab hal2 akreditasi ni. So, find the one with MQA certified and indeed MQA is reliable. Itu belum cerita tentang jurusan2 yang ditawarkan. Kena pilih jurusan yang betul dan di institusi yang betul. Bottom line, bila graduate anak akan mudah dapat kerja. Yang selalu menjadi masalah IPTA selalu tawar jurusan yang bukan 1st choice anak2, itu sebab ramai budak2 masuk IPTS. Keluarlah nama2 institusi yang tak pernah aku dengar sebelum nih , Kuito lah, IMU lah, Manipal lah dan ntah apa2 lagi.

Bila masuk IPTS emak bapak pening kepala nak cari pinjaman. Nasib baik aku ni dah beli insuran pendidikan utk anak2 awal2 lagi. Tapi rasanya kalau setakat nak masuk first year tu bolehlah cover lagi. Tapi setiap semester mana nak korek beb???? Kalau result Afifah bagus Petronas bolehlah kasi biasiswa sebab anak Petronas, tapi result sekurang2nya 9A2....boleh ker kakak????? Nampaknya emak kena buat solat hajat banyak2 utk kakak ler....kepada Allah kita berserah!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Taman Hana Wadi Hussein, Janda Baik




Aduh...sakit kepala hari ni. Tak cukup tidur le tu. Ntah kol berapa tidur duk gossiping kat Taman Hana di Janda Baik. Anyway, thanks to Pak Habib coz bagi we all wat kenduri kat situ. Tak sempat ambil gambar sebab sibuk nak memasak dan tengok2kan anak mandi manda kat sungai. Memang Pak Habib sediakan tempat memasak kat situ siap dengan dapur, periuk, pingan dsbnya. Bateri kamera lak kong. Malas nak cari bateri kat bawah tu. So, cilok lah gambar kat blog Pak Habib.
Baik betul Pak Habib tu. Dah lah free jer tinggal kat chalet dia (FYI, memang dia tak charge apa2 pun kalau orang datang bermalam kat situ) Dia bagi kita orang masak sekor kambing malam tu utk family we all makan. Dia pun join ngan anak2 dia skali. Utk aqiqah esoknya sekor kambing lagi. Everybody is free to come and go in Taman Hana. Ada juga manusia yang macam tu. Walaupun kaya raya, tak lokek pulak. Dijemputnya anak2 yatim dan budak2 tahfiz utk turut sama majlis tahlil dan aqiqah.
Sedap betul mandi kat situ, malam nyer sejuk giler. Sampai ketulang hitam rasanya. Bawak selimut sehelai jer, bagi kat Amirah. Nasib baik bawak kain batik...hentam jerlah buat selimut. Thanks to my dearest hubby sebab ambil cuti sehari utk bawak aku gi meraikan majlis aqiqah Nik Kayra Eliza binti Nik Ezar.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Good day, Bad Day...

Have you ever experienced a good day and a bad day in your lives? I think this is common. Sometimes you will ever wonder,"What did I do to deserve this?" Mind you, this must be a law of attraction in progress!

I have a bad day yesterday. Hangin satu badan...wakaka. Let me tell you in this way;

Story 1 :
I missed a Nationwide delivery just a few minutes after sending my house cleaner back home. Bingo! in my letter box a note with "Nationwide Express Missed U!" Huh, I missed U 2 I guess....Later, I called the Nationwide Kuantan so that the lorry can redeliver the consignment. Well, they are unable to give me the lorry driver contact number for certain reasons, (I don't know why, last time I have the lorry driver's number!). Keep on changing a new driver. They advised me that they will contact the driver and ask him to redeliver the consignment. Mind you, after waiting for so long...still no delivery. Call again & again. Menyakitkan hati. At the end of the day...still NO DELIVERY! Belum cerita pasal consignment yang I tunggu tu. I've been waiting since last week. Asked Nationwide to collect from my supplier in Singapore on previous Monday lagi. Faxed them a collection letter, tak follow up rupanya! At last, I contacted Nationwide Singapore myself on Wednesday. Singapore office collected the goods on Thursday but unfortunately my supplier did not enclose any invoice. He...geram betul lah pulak. Things settled later but they informed me that the goods can only be delivered on Tuesday. Bad news is, this order is overdue to my customer by one week. Got the picture! I'm still waiting for the delivery until now.

Story 2 :
Got the order for capstan wire,18mm x 40mtr last Saturday. Placed the order immediately considering my customer is looking for 2~3days delivery. The order clearly stated thimble eye on both ends. A day before they called and informed that they have made a mistake. They need one thimble eye end and one soft eye end. Well, customer is always right! Called my supplier to change one end and luckily they accepted. Delivery time yesterday, opps...both soft eye ends! It is already noon. Pity them, after changing the ends first time, it became second time. I was not sure whether they can make it including delivery to Kemaman on the same day! How am I going to tell my customer? Sorry, I'm dead? Come on Nik...you have a better reason than that! Or keep silence? Silence is golden. What a relief when I called later in the evening to confirm if they managed to change and deliver, they said it is done.I love this supplier!

Story 3 :
Afifah (my eldest) called late afternoon to tell me that she still couldn't find the RM50.00 she lost it earlier. It was her Chemistry class money. She must be lost or misplaced it. I said, "Fine, you must replace it with your own money!" She was upset since she only had RM50 that I gave for her pocket money before went back to school (hostel). I asked her to borrow from her friends for a while before I come to see her. Then she started to argue....bla bla bla. End of discussion. Later, she called again and apologies.

Story 4 :
My fax/telephone rang at 11pm. I was already in bed. Went out and picked it up. Nobody at the other end. Then my mobile rang, "Sorry we would like to fax you! Please turn on your fax machine." What! at this hour and "that guy" is still working...is he crazy or what? Oh....another PO for me but....partial order! Such a bad news! Is this a really GOOD NIGHT to me? PLEASE......

Well, what a day! It was really pinching my heart. Anyway, looking back...I choose not to upset or angry about it. I constantly telling myself "I cannot control everything in my life. What I can control is me. I choose to take thing easy and everything is going to be OK. Have a good laugh at it! Lets law of attraction doing the rest of the jobs. Welcome to the real world!". Need I to tell you more?

Monday, April 20, 2009

Andai Ku Tahu

Something to remember every day in our lives!




Andai ku tahu
Kapan tiba ajalku
Ku akan memohon tuhan tolong panjangkan umurku

Andai ku tahu
Kapan tiba masaku
Ku akan memohon tuhan jangan kau ambil nyawaku
Aku takut akan semua dosa dosaku
Aku takut dosa yg terus membayangiku

Andai ku tahu
Malaikatmu kan menjemputku
Izinkan aku mengucap kata taubat padamu
Aku takut akan semua dosa dosaku
Aku takut dosa yg terus membayangiku
Ampuni aku dari segala dosa dosaku
Ampuni aku menangis ku bertaubat padamu
Aku manusia yang takut neraka
Namun aku juga tak pantas disurga

Andai ku tahu
Kapan tiba ajalku
Izinkan aku mengucap kata taubat padamu
Aku takut akan semua dosa dosaku
Aku takut dosa yg terus membayangiku
Ampuni aku dari segala dosa dosaku
Ampuni aku menangis ku bertaubat padamu

Song by : UNGU

Happy Birthday Ery!






Today is Ery's 11th Birthday. Semoga panjang umur, dimurahkan rezeki dan di kurniakan kesihatan yang baik.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Antara Kematian dan Kecurangan

Semalam aku pergi ke surau sebab ada majlis tahlil. Sekali-sekala memang ada majlis begitu malam2 Jumaat. Jemaah perempuan memang tak ramai pun. Seusai bacaan yassin , tahlil dan solat Isyak memang ada sedikit juadah. Aku pun mengambil sepinggan nasi dagang dan berkongsi dengan Amirah yang tengah dok bising, " Mak, cepatlah...Mirah dah lapar ni!"

Aku pun duduk ngan sorang kakak tu ...nak panggil makcik, umur nya mungkin lewat 50an, aku ni pun dah jadi kategori makcik dah kalau pergi mana2, perasan jer muda...muahaha. Rupa2nya majlis tahlil tu untuk anak lelakinya yang baru meninggal kemalangan jalanraya 2 bulan sudah. Aku ni menadah telinga mendengar ceritanya. Alkisah kemalangan kerana keretanya terbabas merempuh lori yang parking tepi jalan. Huish, ngerinyer.... Biasalah budak muda 23 tahun pantang orang usha ajak race. Mendidihlah keegoaannya. Keretanya terperosok bawah lori. Beliau meninggal di hospital tapi akak tu tak sempat berjumpa dengan anaknya. Sambil bercerita menitiklah airmatanya. Maklumlah anak bongsu lelaki . Akak tu pun mulalah berkalau-kalau. Cuma aku kata tak baik kita ni berkalau2, kerana syaitan akan suka mengambil alih keimanan kita jika kita berkalau. Jadi macam tak redholah pulak kita ni. Dah sampai ajal nya.....kita ni pun kalau dah sampai ajal, keluar dari pintu surau ni pun boleh jatuh tergolek mati. Kita ini pinjam-pinjaman jer.

Konon2nya nak alihkan perhatian akak tu aku pun tanyalah samada suami nya masih ada. Dia kata suaminya tak lah menangis macam dia. Dalam dua bulan ni dia akan menangis bila teringat anak bujangnya tu. Jadi aku kata, orang lelaki ni tak menangis macam orang pompuan. Dia orang simpan dalam hati. Sekurang2nya orang pompuan boleh luahkan perasaan dengan airmata. Tiba2 dia kata, "Alah ...laki akak tu ada pompuan lain!" Alamak...kantoilah pulak aku ni. Tak boleh jadi pakar motivasi betul. Salah soalan nih! Pastu dia sambung lagi kata...dia boleh tahan pasal tu, tapi dia tak boleh tahan bila anak dia meninggal. In other words, biar suami curang jangan anak mati!

Aduh....macam-macam hal manusia ni. Satu masalah tu pada mulanya memang nampak besar, tapi bila ditimpa masalah lagi besar...masalah yang mula tu dah nampak kecil. Betul lah kita ni ada "Hierarchy of worry". Kecil atau besar sesuatu masalah itu sebenarnya adalah persepsinya sahaja. Bagaimana hati , perasaan, fikiran, keadaan dan paradigma memandang terhadap permasalah tersebut. Life is how you see it not what it offers you. Berfalsafah lah pulak aku ni.Tak kena kat aku...pandai ler cakap. Muahaha...

Tak per lah akak, anak akak tu muda lagi. Dosanya pun tak banyak. Bukan macam kita ni,umur pun dah banyak dosa pun banyak. Semoga anak akak tu mendapat rahmat dan keampunanNya yang paling baik! Amin.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

We Love Kuantan

Welcome to Kuantan! Tahun ni dah masuk 10 tahun tinggal kat Kuantan ni. Best tinggal kat sini.
Kalau boring2 boleh pergi jenjalan kat pantai. Minggu ni hubby ambik cuti. Tak larat katanya kerja dah 4 bulan tak ambik cuti lagi. Nanti hujung tahun berlambak lah cuti pulak. Bulan 6, plant shutdown. Confirm kena kerja 7 days a week, 7am ~ 7 pm! Kesian dia.... jom kita gi Batu Hitam, sepelaung jer dari rumah!

Beautiful day...

Air tengah pasang...ombak besar sket...

Bercanda ngan anak2 yang tinggal 2 orang tu...Tom & Jerry!

Kena langgar ngan ombak. Tergolek2...

Inilah sebabnya orang panggil pantai Batu Hitam.

Close up sket...

Bersantai2 dalam air

Santai lagi

Kutip siput ler tu...apa lagi.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Merancang Kewangan Sendiri

Hari tu gatal2 komen kat blog orang lain bab merancang kewangan ni. So, ada yang kata tulislah dalam blog sendiri. Bukan apa, malulah jugak...kita ni pun bukannya financial planner ke atau yang sama waktu dengannya. Cuma knowledge tu dapat dari beberapa buku dan magazines serta pengalaman sendiri. Komen saya begini;

Salam,

Tumpang lalu. Nak share pengalaman sikit.
1) Jika kita dah beli rumah, cuba kita check balik % interest yang dibayar setiap tahun. Kita boleh refinance rumah dengan mencari bank yang lebih rendah interestnya.
2) Islamic rate nampak tinggi tapi fixed dan tidak fluctuate based on BLR. Dan tempoh pembayaran tetap ikut jadual sampai akhir tidak seperti conventional.
3) Dump duit KWSP utk bayar rumah to minimise the interest. Anyway bergantung byk mana duit dalam KWSP tu. I have saved 70~80K on the interest. InsyaAllah, this month will be my last payment for my house. It takes us less than 10 years to pay for our house.
4) Jangan pakai kredit kad if possible. Kalau pakai make sure pay in full. Kalau tak mampu bayar in full maknanya kita tak layak pakai kredit kad. Hanya orang yang berdisiplin saja yang layak pakai kredit kad ni. No offense.
5)For my case, I tak pakai kredit kad cuma my hubby yang pakai. He did some travelling so banyak guna isi minyak and also we use for monthly groceries. We use the accumulated points to redeem some goods and voucher. Kad Mesra kita boleh dapat Petronas voucher dan siap boleh beli beras dan minyak masak lagi. Jimatkan!
6) Buy something a notch below than what you can afford. Analogi nya ; kalau gaji kita maksimum boleh beli WAJA kita cuma beli kancil, sebagai contoh. Satu lagi, kereta bukan satu investment. Bukan macam rumah.
7) Save first, then spend. Tapi yang ini bergantung pulak ngan gaji kan...kalau setakat cukup makan, tak payahlah kita cakap banyak. Ye dak?
8)Last but not least, bersederhana dalam segala hal. Itu lebih baik.

My 2 cents worth of opinion.

P/S : Semalam pergi bank nak check final balance duit rumah. Alhamdulillah, tinggal dalam seratus dua jer . Fuh...lega dah satu hal. Tapi hutang kereta buruk tu tinggal setahun jer lagi. Beribu jugak, not worth kalau dump duit. Lebih baik invest the cash somewhere else. Bank Rakyat punya dividen memang bagus, tapi Q panjang kalau nak masuk duit dalam koperasi nya. Trust fund....memang saya kurang pandai bab ini. Ada orang kata OK. Anyway, kalau kita rasa tak sesak duit bolehlah invest kat tempat2 camtu sebab kalau nak keluar balik memang ambil masa. Make sure tempat nak invest tu halal dari segi syarak. Kalau ada cash berlebihan boleh beli tanah. Carilah tanah orang yang nak lelong atau orang yang sesak (tak baik ambik kesempatan...hehehe) Itu pun investment jugak. Satu lagi barang2 kemas. Ini sebenarnya bagus kalau negara tengah berperang, sebab duit kita dah tak laku masa tu. Kalau ada sikit barang kemas pun dah OK. Boleh digunakan jugak during "rainy days" bak kata omputih. Satu lagi kalau tak tahu mana nak invest duit...invest jer dalam business saya...hahaha; just kidding! Kita hidup ni bukan nak kaya. Tapi kalau kaya pun..apalah salahnya. Boleh tolong orang lain. Ye dak? One way of helping the poor is not becoming one!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

A Very Happy Birthday!


Happy birthday to me...Happy birthday to me...Happy birthday to me! Yang ke berapa yer.... well it doesn't matter. It's just a number. Alhamdulillah kerana Allah masih memberi aku peluang utk hidup di muka bumi ini. Untuk mengira2 kekayaan dan rahmatNya keatas ku dan seluruh umat manusia. Semoga aku termasuk kedalam orang2 yang diberi rahmat dan keampunanNya.

Friday, April 10, 2009

BERIBADAH KERANA FADHILAT ADALAH ROSAK

Renung-renungkanlah....adakah kita ikhlas bila beribadat.
***************************************************

Sejak 700 tahun terakhir ini, umat Islam sudah tidak dididik dengan dikenalkan kepada Tuhan dahulu. Padahal mereka kononnya ingin ikut Al Quran dan Sunnah Rasulullah SAW. Rasulullah menyebutkan bahawa awal-awal agama adalah mengenal Allah . Inilah yang Rasulullah buat.

Cuba baca sejarah Rasulullah, Baginda menggunakan masa selama 13 tahun untuk menanamkan iman dan tauhid, untuk mengenalkan Tuhan yang Esa. Dengan kata lain Tuhan yang Esa itu diperkenalkan terlebih dahulu kepada umat Arab jahiliah. Sedangkan syariat yang beribu-ribu itu Rasulullah kenalkan kepada umat Islam selama 10 tahun setelah memperkenalkan Tuhan dahulu sehingga Tuhan dikenal, dicintai dan ditakuti. Apabila kita mengenalkan syariat lebih dahulu, orang menerima Islam tidak secara sukarela tetapi dengan terpaksa, sebab sudah diikat dengan peraturan: ini halal, ini haram dan seterusnya.

Oleh kerana syariat dikenalkan lebih dahulu, maka umat Islam membuat hal-hal yang diperintahkan Allah dengan tujuan untuk mendapat pahala atau masuk Syurga dan meninggalkan larangan-larangan Allah, kerana takut berdosa dan takut dimasukkan ke dalam Neraka. Mereka beramal kerana fadhilat. Sekarang ini kita lihat rata-rata umat Islam walaupun mengerjakan solat, tapi hatinya masih penuh dengan mazmumah.

Pergi haji atau umrah sudah 10 kali tetapi masih hasad dengki, sombong, ego, pemarah dan lain-lain. Padahal yang wajib itu sekali, yang lainnya sunat. Tetapi kebanyakan umat Islam bangga kalau dapat mengerjakan haji atau umrah berulang kali dengan belanja yang mahal. Padahal wang tersebut dapat digunakan membangunkan berbagai projek kebaikan untuk membantu orang-orang miskin dan tidak berharta.

Inilah akibatnya bila beribadah kerana mengejar fadhilat, untuk mendapat pahala, masuk Syurga atau kerana takut Neraka. Akhirnya ibadah menjadi ideologi, sebab tidak dikaitkan dengan Tuhan. Walau ibadah meriah, masjid penuh, tetapi kebanyakan masyarakat masih jahat, yang beribadah masih jahat, yang tidak beribadah juga jahat. Kita mesti membezakan antara orang yang beribadah dengan tujuan mencari fadhilat dengan orang yang beribadah atas dasar ubudiah mencari redha dan cinta Tuhan.

Orang yang beribadah atas dasar ubudiah kerana Zat Allah, walaupun ibadahnya sedikit tetapi sangat berkesan pada hati. Dia akan terdorong untuk membuat perubahan pada hatinya, membuang berbagai sifat mazmumah (jahat) dari dalam hati dan berusaha menyuburkan sifat-sifat baik seperti pemurah, pemaaf, kasih sayang, tawaduk, bertolong bantu dan lain-lain. Dia akan menjaga hubungan hatinya dengan Allah agar tidak cacat.

Rabiatul Adawiyah ditanya orang, "Kalau engkau dimasukkan Tuhan dalam Neraka bagaimana?"

Beliau menjawab, "Kalau dimasukkan ke Neraka dengan redha Tuhan, tidak mengapa."

Tetapi yang beribadah atas dasar selain itu walaupun banyak, ibadahnya tidak akan memberi kesan pada hati. Misalnya masih pemarah, ego, tidak timbang rasa, tidak pemaaf, tidak ada kerja sama. Mereka mudah terjebak ke dalam maksiat lahir dan maksiat batin. Sebab itu di hari ini seluruh dunia umat Islam sibuk membangun masjid, tetapi makin banyak masjid makin rosak umat Islam. Masjid jadi tempat berpolitik, tempat mengumpat, tempat berkelahi, tempat membuat fitnah, tempat cari makan, tempat berebut kuasa.

Orang yang beribadah kerana fadhilat akhirnya rosak dan akan merosakkan orang lain. Rasulullah pernah menyebut, cukup dua rakaat solat sunat tetapi memberi kesan pada hati daripada ribuan rakaat tapi tidak memberi kesan.

Ada orang yang salah faham. Mereka lebih mengutamakan solat sunat (dan juga wajib) yang banyak walau tidak khusyuk daripada mengusahakan khusyuk. Mereka anggap kalau dua rakaat yang khusyuk dapat nilai 20, maka kalau mereka buat 10 rakaat tidak khusyuk, tentu akan dapat pahala yang lebih banyak walaupun dengan nilai yang tidak sempurna katalah 60. Sebenarnya mereka sudah kurang ajar dengan Tuhan. Sebab seolah mereka sudah membezakan Tuhan yang mereka sembah ketika solat sunat dan solat wajib. Apakah ini perkara kecil?

Watch Your Character.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Tigger ATAU Eeyore




Semua orang kenal Tigger dan Eeyore. Terutamanya kanak2 yang suka pada Winnie the Pooh with his 100 acres wood. Dua watak yang berbeza sekali. Satu yang begitu "lively" dan satu lagi yang begitu "pathetic"

Isunya, dalam hidup ini kita ada pilihan sama ada menjadi Tigger atau menjadi Eeyore. Mungkin ada orang kata, hidup saya tidak seperti si polan si polan atau awak tidak faham keadaan saya. Kita boleh beri apa2 sahaja alasan untuk menjustifikasikan hidup kita sekarang. Siapa peduli alasan kita? Kegembiraan itu ada dalam tangan kita, bukan di tangan orang lain. Bila kita bangun pagi kita mesti membuat keputusan samada ingin bergembira hari ini atau pun bersedih. It is a daily decision! Kita tidak tahu sama ada kita;

- boleh bangun pagi lagi esok
- boleh bermain dengan anak2 kita lagi atau tidak
- sempat berhari raya lagi tahun ini
- sempat pergi haji atau tidak
- sempat bayar habis duit rumah sebelum pencen
- sempat pergi "holiday of the dreams"
- sempat "debt free" life
- sempat ucapkan "I love you" kepada sesiapa yang berkenaan
- atau sempat jolly duit KWSP kita atau tidak!

Jadi, kita perlu hidup sepenuhnya. Bersyukur dengan apa yang kita ada dan berusaha untuk apa yang kita tiada. Cuma jangan lupa, firman Allah; "Tidak Aku jadikan jin & manusia melainkan utk beribadat kepadaKu." Selamat menjalani hidup!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

~EIGHT LIES OF A MOTHER~


Something to share...

1.The story began when I was a child;
I was born as a son of a poor family.
Even for eating, we often got lack of food.
Whenever the time for eating, mother often gave me her portion of rice.
While she was removing her rice into my bowl,
she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry".
That was Mother's First Lie


2.When I was getting to grow up,
the persevering mother gave her spare time for fishing in a river near our house,
she hoped that from the fishes she got,
she could gave me a little bit nutritious food for my growth.
After fishing, she would cook the fishes to be a fresh fish soup,
which raised my appetite. While I was eating the soup,
mother would sit beside me and eat the rest meat of fish,
which was still on the bone of the fish I ate.
My heart was touched when I saw it.
I then used my chopstick and gave the other fish to her.
But she immediately refused it and said "Eat this fish, son.
I don't really like fish."
That was Mother's Second Lie.

3.Then, when I was in Junior High School,
to fund my study,
mother went to an economic enterprise to bring some used-matches boxes that would be stuck in.
It gave her some money for covering our needs.
As the winter came,
I woke up from my sleep and looked at my mother who was still awoke,
supported by a little candlelight and within her perseverance she continued
the work of sticking some used-matches box.
I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late,
tomorrow morning you still have to go for work.
" Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep,
dear. I'm not tired."
That was Mother's Third Lie.

4.At the time of final term,
mother asked for a leave from her work in order to accompany me.
While the daytime was coming and the heat of the sun was starting to shine,
the strong and persevering mother
waited for me under the heat of the sun's shine for several hours.
As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished,
mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a glass of tea
that she had prepared before in a cold bottle.
The very thick tea was not as thick as my mother's love,
which was much thicker. Seeing my mother covering with perspiration,
I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too.
Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty!".
That was Mother's Fourth Lie.

5.After the death of my father because of illness,
my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent.
By held on her former job, she had to fund our needs alone.
Our family's life was more complicated. No days without sufferance.
Seeing our family's condition that was getting worse,
there was a nice uncle who lived near my house came to help us,
either in a big problem and a small problem.
Our other neighbors who lived next to us saw that our family's life was so unfortunate,
they often advised my mother to marry again. But mother,
who was stubborn, didn't care to their advice,
she said "I don't need love."
That was Mother's Fifth Lie.

6.After I had finished my study and then got a job,
it was the time for my old mother to retire.
But she didn't want to; she was sincere to go to the marketplace every morning,
just to sell some vegetable for fulfilling her needs.
I, who worked in the other city, often sent her some money to help her in fulfilling her needs,
but she was stubborn for not accepting the money.
She even sent the money back to me.
She said "I have enough money."
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

7.After graduated from Bachelor Degree,
I then continued my study to Master Degree.
I took the degree, which was funded by a company through a scholarship program,
from a famous University in America .
I finally worked in the company. Within a quite high salary,
I intended to take my mother to enjoy her life in America .
But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son,
she said to me "I'm not used to."
That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

8.After entering her old age,
mother got a flank cancer and had to be hospitalized.
I, who lived in miles away and across the ocean,
directly went home to visit my dearest mother.
She lied down in weakness on her bed after having an operation.
Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep yearn.
She tried to spread her smile on her face;
even it looked so stiff because of the disease she held out.
It was clear enough to see how the disease broke my mother's body,
thus she looked so weak and thin.
I stared at my mother within tears flowing on my face.
My heart was hurt, so hurt, seeing my mother on that condition.
But mother, with her strength, said "Don't cry, my dear.
I'm not in pain."
That was Mother's Eight Lie.


After saying her eighth lie, She closed her eyes forever!

Monday, April 6, 2009

The Daffodil Principle

I love daffodils. Still remember when I was in the middle of daffodils meadow in one of the park near the Management Center I was studying. Can't remember the park's name , am getting older I guess. Anyway, that is not the issue but I got some stories to share and to remember. This principle can be applied in our daily lives. Things always look big but if we make it a small fraction a day, it will become big later. One more thing, istiqamah is another point to remember. Here the story goes....

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come and see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. Going and coming took most of a day - and I honestly did not have a free day until the following week.

"I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove the length of Route 91, continued on I-215, and finally turned onto Route 18 and began to drive up the mountain highway. The tops of the mountains were sheathed in clouds, and I had gone only a few miles when the road was completely covered with a wet, gray blanket of fog. I slowed to a crawl, my heart pounding. The road becomes narrow and winding toward the top of the mountain.

As I executed the hazardous turns at a snail's pace, I was praying to reach the turnoff at Blue Jay that would signify I had arrived. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these darling children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears - and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. The mechanic just called, and they've finished repairing the engine," she answered.

"How far will we have to drive?" I asked cautiously.

"Just a few blocks,"Carolyn said cheerfully.

So we buckled up the children and went out to my car. "I'll drive," Carolyn offered. "I'm used to this." We got into the car, and she began driving.

In a few minutes I was aware that we were back on the Rim-of-the-World Road heading over the top of the mountain. "Where are we going?" I exclaimed, distressed to be back on the mountain road in the fog. "This isn't the way to the garage!"

"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."

"Carolyn, I said sternly, trying to sound as if I was still the mother and in charge of the situation, "please turn around. There is nothing in the world that I want to see enough to drive on this road in this weather."

"It's all right, Mother," She replied with a knowing grin. "I know what I'm doing. I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

And so my sweet, darling daughter who had never given me a minute of difficulty in her whole life was suddenly in charge - and she was kidnapping me! I couldn't believe it. Like it or not, I was on the way to see some ridiculous daffodils - driving through the thick, gray silence of the mist-wrapped mountaintop at what I thought was risk to life and limb.

I muttered all the way. After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road that branched down into an oak-filled hollow on the side of the mountain. The fog had lifted a little, but the sky was lowering, gray and heavy with clouds.

We parked in a small parking lot adjoining a little stone church. From our vantage point at the top of the mountain we could see beyond us, in the mist, the crests of the San Bernardino range like the dark, humped backs of a herd of elephants. Far below us the fog-shrouded valleys, hills, and flatlands stretched away to the desert.

On the far side of the church I saw a pine-needle-covered path, with towering evergreens and manzanita bushes and an inconspicuous, lettered sign "Daffodil Garden."

We each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path as it wound through the trees. The mountain sloped away from the side of the path in irregular dips, folds, and valleys, like a deeply creased skirt.

Live oaks, mountain laurel, shrubs, and bushes clustered in the folds, and in the gray, drizzling air, the green foliage looked dark and monochromatic. I shivered. Then we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight, unexpectedly and completely splendid. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes where it had run into every crevice and over every rise. Even in the mist-filled air, the mountainside was radiant, clothed in massive drifts and waterfalls of daffodils. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.

Each different-colored variety (I learned later that there were more than thirty-five varieties of daffodils in the vast display) was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

In the center of this incredible and dazzling display of gold, a great cascade of purple grape hyacinth flowed down like a waterfall of blossoms framed in its own rock-lined basin, weaving through the brilliant daffodils. A charming path wound throughout the garden. There were several resting stations, paved with stone and furnished with Victorian wooden benches and great tubs of coral and carmine tulips. As though this were not magnificent enough, Mother Nature had to add her own grace note - above the daffodils, a bevy of western bluebirds flitted and darted, flashing their brilliance. These charming little birds are the color of sapphires with breasts of magenta red. As they dance in the air, their colors are truly like jewels above the blowing, glowing daffodils. The effect was spectacular.

It did not matter that the sun was not shining. The brilliance of the daffodils was like the glow of the brightest sunlit day. Words, wonderful as they are, simply cannot describe the incredible beauty of that flower-bedecked mountain top.

Five acres of flowers! (This too I discovered later when some of my questions were answered.) "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. I was overflowing with gratitude that she brought me - even against my will. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Who?" I asked again, almost speechless with wonder, "And how, and why, and when?"

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house, my mind buzzing with questions. On the patio we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman, two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was. The Daffodil Principle.

For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. One bulb at a time.

There was no other way to do it. One bulb at a time. No shortcuts - simply loving the slow process of planting. Loving the work as it unfolded.

Loving an achievement that grew so slowly and that bloomed for only three weeks of each year. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.

This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principle of celebration: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time - learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"Carolyn," I said that morning on the top of the mountain as we left the haven of daffodils, our minds and hearts still bathed and bemused by the splendors we had seen, "it's as though that remarkable woman has needle-pointed the earth! Decorated it. Just think of it, she planted every single bulb for more than thirty years. One bulb at a time! And that's the only way this garden could be created. Every individual bulb had to be planted. There was no way of short-circuiting that process. Five acres of blooms. That magnificent cascade of hyacinth! All, just one bulb at a time."

The thought of it filled my mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of what I had seen. "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My wise daughter put the car into gear and summed up the message of the day in her direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said with the same knowing smile she had worn for most of the morning. Oh, profound wisdom!

It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use tomorrow?"


By :Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

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