2016G |
Apr-Jun |
Sekelip Mata |
Picking Up Where It was | Dated 2016G Apr 5 Tue 27 J-Akhir 1437H |
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With the trip done, it's time to move on. In a new phase or some sort of, as depicted by the img et seq in which the previous years s.q. had gone into the next step. The price I meant. And routine returning to TGG is always in the agenda. This img is an alert to that. 
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NA returned to TGG since Mar 26 Sat on MH via KBR, being longed very much by Mok, for a reason to happen later in three weeks that followed. I stayed in SG MERAB, resuscitating from the heat of the HARAMAIN, but alas, only a bit dryer than at home, of which signs were showing that it was equally rainless through out our leave. NA popped-in KUL on Mar 29 Tue, day returned by FY via SZB, during which in SZB, with CB, I stumbled with Dr Nordin, being with a buddy, said he needed other session for the updates of UNIZA. My 'mission' return to TGG was on Apr 5 Tue, with CB, in Nissan. A lot of things to be done in TGG. The primary is the W-Tengah house, which was left rather unattended. I could finish it off if I could get a helper or two. I know exactly what to do, and what it takes. The height, and the loads prevent from me doing it alone, unlike the plumbing and the doors and windows, even the tiling of all the stairs. 
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A Divine Return | Dated 2016G Apr 15 Fri 7 Rejab 1437H |
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My return to TGG on Apr 5 Tue, with CB, was timely divined. The day Mok was transferred from Jerteh to KTrg hospital. It was the last journey for her. 
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Mok passed away Apr 12 Tue, on the very start of return journey from KTrg to Jerteh, ca 745 pm. CB and I were then in Temerloh, half way DRVKUL, u-turned for the funeral. The minute on arrival in Tok Jembal for a break, NA hp-ed that her immediate elder brother, abg Ariff, followed Mok, ca 1155 pm in Jerteh hospital where he was admitted since in the morning, unconcious. Since solemnised to NA, I have seen him only once, in his home, while he was asleep, unwilling to wake him up in order not to disturb his comfort. He didn't even attend our day of 2015 Sep 26 because he was too unwell. Thus Apr 13 Wed was a double funeral in Jerteh. Rubaini, Zidni, Alyani, and Asri joined Syarbini and I in Jerteh for the sad moment, a deja vu to us. A lost of love one means a new phase in the trial of life. 
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Ostensibly, FPB staff were among the visitors who came to pay the last respect. More, they were just about half an hr drive from their campus in Tembila. They remembered me very well. One even posted as I have intended. 
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Two Parents With Love | Dated 2016G Apr 18 Mon 10 Rejab 1437H |
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TGG was very dry, as was reportedly in KUL. The heat wave was piercing. However, a small promising clouds appeared on Apr 15 Fri afternoon, just before the jumaat, with a cooling winds, strong enough to make the coconut leaves waving in shore song. And it rained, alas, just for the small creatures insects, and the grasses on the dry soil to quench. I returned to Sg Merab with NA on the Fri evening by land, arriving in the middle of the night. Her double loss was inconcealable. I knew what losing love ones meant. I lost my father in 1972 when I was merely 21 and still struggling to graduate, and my mother in 1989, I was away on both occasions. And I lost Azizah in 2010. 
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Into Sixty-Sixth | Dated 2016G Apr 22 Fri 14 Rejab 1437H |
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NA, in TGG since Apr 17 Sun, tag-posted on her wall my B-Day expose, perhaps to parallel her recent Mar 6 Sun. As always, being a bona fide post, she attracted a stream of supportive and encouraging ticks among her acquaintances, and mine were weaved in between. However, the close ones, opened on the wall respectively. Alya followed suit, on the same day, as she anually does, but late in the evening. She was not around in the vicinity of the hr. 
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Of late, friendship was invoked. It's a touch our ancestors had enjoyed for so long that we lost it on the way to modernisation. 
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Thanking those who texted on the wall. Wished to do the same to those who ticked, but no means to collect apart from c&p each name which are hundreds in number. On scanning through the tickers, noted that some had been missing. Perhaps they have forgotten, or perhaps it didn't matter any more as the time had passed any way. And time never return back. 
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KL Had Already Been Showered While TRG is Still Very Hot | Dated 2016G Apr 30 Sat 19 Rejab 1437H |
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It's been dry spell for the past months. The heat was piercing and humid, the covering grasses had hardened, and were dying. And the spell eventually ended by a torrential downpour Apr 24 Sun, thunderous, and lightening. And at last the KL-rain returned. 
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Apr 26 Tue was a TGG break - Sultan's B-day. Many opted on leave for the following Wed and Thu, and thus adding May 1 Sun M-sia May-day, the people in TGG (and states of the same break pattern) enjoyed a 6-days break. A rare luxury. Taking advantage of the same break, May 2 Mon in SEL, DRVTGG 3-beranak with CB and ASRI. The 2-beradik would take AK on the morning of May 2 Mon, while I would stay in TGG accompanying NA for a while more. 
KL traffic wasn't yet in the holiday mode for the Mon replacement of Sun May-day. In LPT1 too. But in Temerloh RR many motorists stopped for a break, including a refreshment. LPT2 was rather busier than its usual day. It's apparent. And its non-highway class road was glaringly visible when the sun set. The cars beam traces the non-flat contour of the road. It's very dangerous road indeed for high speed, especially at night. Just discovered, Paka-Exit to Paka-town is actually a short distance, perhaps the shortest among all exits in LPT2 to the coastal road. It took only ca 10 min. And the connecting road is not all B-class, a large stretch is A-class with many facilities. Perhaps its the best resort for a refuelling emergency on LPT2. Currently. |
Petron-as-ing TGG | Dated 2016G May 12 Thu 5 Shakban 1437H |
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TGG used to be known for its beach life with instances of rendezvous with the hinterland life. Produces from both were interchanged and blended, from which products like keropok, ketupat sutung, were born. 
TGG remained very hot and very dry in May beginning week. It had been so for the past many weeks. The smell of haze. Signs of undergrowth on fire, and even the burning smoke in the distance. The grasses were die-ing. The forest and the woods appeared thinning. Fortunately the fire didn't reach any home, nor utility apparatuses. Indeed the plants missed the water so much. |
A different blend of beach-hinterland life in a beach. A rendezvous from various elements. Metropolitan, social strata, and purposes. No longer the produces of their origins. NA and I had been here before, Mar 8 Tue. May 1 Sun, I took CB and Asri for a taste. Like us, both made up. The first and the last. Very inefficient, total unprofessional. Very expensive. Another appropriate term perhaps, 'ala-kadar'. Daylight view of the place reminded one in Kuala Lumpur of the Chowkit set up. One would not digest well the contrast between the glittering night and the shanty day, during the time Kuala Lumpur was alive at night, and sleepy during the day. 
I was wondering for the past few months why PETRONAS didn't allow the retailers to dispense the blank gas tank. I needed two of them to furnish the house in W-Tengah. The only place one could get was in its DEPOT of the agent, and that was the green smaller tank, not the red-top bigger tank. WHY? I anticipated the red-top would evolved to whole red, then by slashing AS evolves to PETRON. 
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SHAKBAN is a warning that RAMADAN 1437 is arriving, calculated to be Jun 6 Mon. It'll be about in the middle of the school break May 28 Sat - Jun 12 Sun. And SHAWAL this year 1437 may be a bit a detour off from the past six times. 
May 11 Wed, night, I handed over a CV. The significant of it was from many POV. It would be very interesting. But I could not anticipate more than that every move and happening are planned in my destiny. It was clearly shown all along, especially the detrimental events, since my retirement in 2007 Apr. I was in TGG to May 12 accompany-ing NA while she was very hectic with her works, weaving with putting some efforts in maintaining the rapport in the home in W-Tengah, making sure that the neighbours were aware that I was around. And in the evening, we drove to Kuantan for an overnight in MS GARDEN for a case in Kuantan CT the next day May 13 Fri, then en route to KUL after Jumaat, after a rather long two weeks of home absence in Sg Merab. 
This is my 3-rd time in MS GARDEN, Kuantan, and the first time overnight. The 1-st time was 1997 Dec 4, presenting the KITOSAN to the public, in the RALLY NATIONWIDE VISION of CERAMAH PERDANA series. The 2-nd time was 2009 Feb 28 Sat, attending the KPT's Academic TNC C/Tee 25-th Meeting, representing A&A TNC of Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia. The hotel is rather colonial in it's structure, therefore the room is rather large for two even though the b-fast is rather in budget size. |
Claiming the Promise of an Offer | Dated 2016G May 25 Wed 18 Shakban 1437H |
HOME in SG MERAB on May 13 Fri with ank2. They were gathering for a quick reminding of the birth-days of those in late Apr and May. 
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Rohaizad post-tagged on his wall the progress of the baby-durian that I sneaked-planted in Pasir Akar Farm, Mar 9. He said it's doing fine, after slightly more than 2 months. 
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MH offered to re-upgrade to gold my down-graded membership if in May I make a return trip, domestic or international. I took the challenge and took off on May 18 Wed, MH 1336 1440 KUL-TGG, taken to the airport by CB. And May 24 Tue MH 1327 0850 return. Will the promise be honoured? Noted that while in the air, on a rare ex-sea landing, the beach of Tok Jembal is in the heavy re-construction. It was badly erroded by the shore current, perturbed since the construction of the off-shore airstrip. Nonetheless, UMT is undeniably, doing very well with its Marina, perhaps since under its relevant new NC, while its neighbour, only recently tried to follow the foot-step, appears dormant in the img. With the recent dry spell that almost killed all the grasses, the creatures in the campus adopted a savannah approach for survival. 
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LPT2 Emergency Lane, narrow, and may impose a danger to other motorists. In this particular incident, otw back from Dungun, it's on a straight stretch, visibility was deep, and it was daylight. Imagine the contrary instances, at a bend, and during night time. Imagine in these unpromised safety, in not too distance future, motorists are paying to pass through. 
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In Waiting for Ramadan 1437 | Dated 2016G Jun 5 Sun 29 Shakban 1437H |
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I was HOME in SG MERAB when I posted this img, captured inflight MHTGGKUL the day before, Tue. The beach view of Kuala Terengganu was smoked by the morning mist, without which in the afternoon, was very calm, and imbibing to the sea-goers. 
A short break in AJIL RR of LPT2, for the first time since LPT2 was opened, and some refreshment kiosks were opened. This one sells roti-canai only. The teh-O-limau was from the neighbouring kiosk. The Ramadan wish nonetheless was rather too early. 
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But the school mid-year break commenced on May 28 Sat for 2 weeks. I thus set out for TGG again May 30 Mon, this time tagging CB and ASRI along. And in WIRA in view of taking WFV to KUL for some rejuvenation with WIRA would backup for the stand by in TGG. WFV had been staying in TGG for many years already, perhaps it's missed KUL. 
Jun 5 Sun, DRVTGGKUL, taking Merc WFV, leaving WIRA behind to back-up in TGG. It was the eve of Ramadan 1437. The weather was fine, rainless blue sky, even in the heart of KUL. Nonetheless, approaching KUL was rather congested, starting with passing through the Bentong toll, perhaps by then all school-holiday makers were converging homewards even though the school will reopen only next week Jun 13 Mon. Those days, the h-way responded rapidly to the congestion by opening one of the opposite lane to make 3-lane (leaving 1-lane opposite). Today perhaps the rakyat inconvenience is not a variable in the toll collection. |
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On leaving TGG, I visited some non-municipal fish stalls. And was un-excited to find out the fish prices. The sellers brave themselves for the supposedly freshness, but most of all, the buyers were all 'foreigners'. As I have contended on many occasions, TGG is losing its charm of traditional values, even to its own diaspora. In other places, local produces were of the similar trends. The delicatessen, the farm produces, as well as the hand-crafts. 
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Ramadan 1437 | Dated 2016G Jun 10 Fri 5 Ramadan 1437H |
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Ramadan started Jun 6 Mon. This was the 7-th without Azizah. A different from the previous six though, that this Ramadan was the 1-st with Rosnah after about nine months since soon after Zulhijjah last year. 
Pasar Ramadan Jln-6 Shell. It's not as merry as it used to. Very much less stalls, and thus very small goers. Things have changed a lot over the past ten years in BBB. Every inch of land was developed into money-making entities. Many places were opened for selling things like these, and thus even though more people have come here, they have many places to choose to go to. And that was encouraged as almost the similar things were available in every sites. And perhaps cost of living is so biting that eating the foods cooked at home is the 'reasonable' solution. 
The housing next to ARMA is named TAMAN DESA UTAMA, it was started several years ago. This year the community managed to build a SURAU, and even though not completely done, this RAMADAN it started the SOLAT, and the maiden was last Mon Ramadan-1. Since moving to Sg Merab in 1987, we always did our TARAWEH at home, among children. Of late, with a full board gathering, the children's children, the living area covers just for every one. 
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In the while the fish every where had made themselves increasingly 'golden' in price. How much the lowest income earns a day to bring home a kilo of the fish to their family? 
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Remembering June 18 | Dated 2016G Jun 20 Mon 15 Ramadan 1437H |
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An img from the archive. Shrinking palm of one of the children after a prolonged dipping in the pool in Concorde KLIA in 2014 where it used to be one of my loci during KPM MATRICULATION time. It reminded me of mine when I was at their age in fun time being in the river Nerus in frolic in mess most the free time among the children like we were the fish of the river. 
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The prices of daily sundries kept on menacing the consumers. And they strike in the right season. This one is the dates in Ramadan. This one is CA-born, trying to razor the traditional ME-born. This outlet was notorious for this tech-tic, as though they really studied in a deliberated decision to strike during seasons in which the price of certain central items are usually taken as bona fide by the consumers. The dates in Ramadan is the favourite. Other items during festive times include chilly sauce, bottled drinks, imported raw produces such as potatoes, even rice. A small bite, but over a large volume. That would make a big smile when they strike. The minds of them is that after so many decades the minds of the rakyat are worsening, and thus the opportunity of taking advantage is getting wider and wider in years to come. The worse keeps on coming with the non-stop arrival of low-level replacement creatures. |
On the same date in TGG, NA hosted her annual BAR IFTAR with DARUL AKHYAR in Batu Rakit, till then she had not been at home in Sg Merab yet for the Ramadan. 
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Caught while waiting for WFV to get rejuvenated, a revived BEETLE VW. In 1960-70, BEETLE was perhaps the most prestigious ordinary car. Most secondary school teachers could afford it. The engine position was located in the rear, 'direct-drive' and air-cooled. The lugage compartment was at the front. A spare wheel included. It was a unique VW technology that had survived quite a long period of time, especially in Latin-America. 
Jun 18 was a date to remember. A sad day in 2010. The day Azizah left us. And on the same date 2015, I had another Jun Syndrome, similar to one in 2010 Jun 25 Fri night, both landed me in ED of Putrajaya, fortunately just for the night. On this very date, RUBY hosted her annual MAAHAD REUNION IFTAR. It's interesting to see how Ruby and her sec-sch-mates developed since they first started in F1 in 1991 in SMKA Kajang, then F4 in Maahad Hamidiah. That was since 25 years ago. I noted some of them. All had grown up to become men and women of the nation. On the other hand, not many of them remembered me when I was the closed to them because the time was when they were the smallest. 
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Get Set | Dated 2016G Jun 30 Thu 25 Ramadan 1437H |
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NA's Ramadan in Sg Merab home was squeezed from Jun 21 Tue for five days for the children to get together in Nuzul-Quran break of Ramadan 17 through to the weekend. In her presence every one was making up for what they have missed. 
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NA returned to TGG again Jun 25 Sat to get all her matters done, especially for the staff in her office, to catch the Shawal in Sg Merab, which would be the first time for her, perhaps for the first time outside her native home in P-Panjang. On reflection, the sequence of events that had taken place for the past twelve months undeniably was the predetermined path to the destiny, be it that it has yet to reach. I went home to TGG on Jun 28 Tue by MH to accompany her DRVKUL on Jul 4 Mon for the eventual Shawal on Jul 6 Wed at home in Sg Merab. |
Last two Jun days of 29-30 were in Tok Jembal. Tidy-ed around the house, exposing some vege plants as well as shaving for the shawal which will come soon. For the last many weeks, rain had fallen rather often, bathing all the dying earth cover. And they quickly sprang into greens. 
July would lead Shawal, just like Jun was to Ramadan. Every one was looking forward to a Shawal they want to remember differently from those of previous. But not every one looked at it as on the path to their own destiny. |
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2016G |
Apr-Jun |
Sekelip Mata |