Bad Luck In Disguise

Yesterday, I was driving back home from shopping for ration with my wife and kids. I was driving on the left lane casually. When I just about to reach a junction going in to my house, there was this Police Patrol car on the right lane. Then the officer sitting on the left seat were showing me a hand signal to stop. Then I realized that I am not wearing a seat belt. Neither do my wife. Hahaha! Of all the day I'm wearing it, only today that I forgot to fasten it, I got busted! S#%^@&!

My Wife : Hahah! Of all the day, now you kenak!

Me : Yup... how interesting can it be.

My Wife : The funny thing is that you are not the kind of a person who will not fasten the seat belt if driving! Hahaha

Me : Yeah, things happen. Sure kenak Saman this time. My bad anyway.

Then this officer went out from his patrol car and walked towards my car and asked me where I am heading to. Then he went to check my roadtax. While checking my roadtax on my windscreen, I can see the officer's face were a bit shock. On haste, he walked past by my door and remind me to fasten my seat belt. Next thing you know, he just drove away and I was like... WHAT THE HECK??? 

I am about to take out my driving license and about to admit that its my fault for not having my seat belt fastened! But this guy just took off!!!?? Then I realized that we are only like one week to go for Hari Gawai festive and definitely this guy just wanna get his "chance" to have an "extra" income for the festival. But having my Council's sticker on my windscreen, I think, he probably thought that he will be screwed if he try his "stunt" on me.

Frankly speaking, even if he tried, he will be okay because I believe in giving him such it will somehow stimulant our economy back to a good shape. Well, at least I have a good intention...

Anganku!

Semalam aku bermimpi tiba-tiba saja sahabat baik aku yang aku panggil Garf telah menjadi Kaya & Raya. Berapa kaya? Itu aku pun tak berapa pasti. Cumanya, semalam semasa aku bermimpi, aku tengah jalan-jalan kat sebuah kawasan apartment (entah aku pun tak tahu dekat mana) dan tiba-tiba Garf lalu dengan memandu kereta Camry berwarna biru muda Metallic. Dia memberhentikan kenderaannya dan memanggil aku duduk bersamanya. Dengan tiba-tiba dia serahkan sekeping cek yang bernilai RM285,000-00 atas nama aku. Mata aku terbeliak dan tanganku terketar-ketar. Aku ada tanya kat dia, kenapa nak berikan aku cek ni. Dia cakap "Rezeki Allah bagi, jadi ni aku sedekahkan". 

Because of this dream, when I woke up this morning, it makes me thinking on how should I spent such RM285K cash if such situation do happen? Few things on my list so far :-

1. Pay RM100K for buying a new dream house and balance by way of mortgage
2. Pay all any other or misc loan commitment
3. Redeem the balance loan facilities of my Dad and my Dad in law's house
4. Furnish the new dream house with IKEA stuffs
5. Do proper landscaping for the exterior and compound of the house
6. Extend the house.
7. Buy myself a new laptop.

other than those listed, I am still thinking.....

So guys, if it happen to you, what will you do?

Paraniod?

I don't know about you guys, but am a bit of skeptical over "Tuition" thingy for an extra education for kids nowadays. During my time, I never heard about it, never attend any of it and couldnt care less about it. However, parents now are so typical. They tend to sent their kids for a tuition after school. Last time, they just sent for the purpose of UPSR, PMR or SPM. But now, they even sent them for some kind of center to train the kids how to do arithmetic at lighting speed. I am sure we all have heard about these.

I can understand that all parents wants their kid to be excel in their studies. Hearing that their friends sent their kids for a tuition, they also want the same thing thinking that without it, their kids will be left behind in terms of studies. Paranoid I supposed!!! To me, like some of other that might agree with me, this kind of tuition center or self-proclaimed genius training center is merely a business that couldnt careless about our kids education. All they want is our money and the outcome is "confused" kids. No one ever cares how fast you can solve a difficult maths problems. All you need is for kids to understand things. No matter how fast are they in solving maths equations or not, but in the end, to understand the purpose of doing so is more important than doing it.

Am not good in Maths. I fairly passed my Maths during major examinations. I failed Maths most of all semesters school exams. But it did not make me an idiot. I still can solve problems and in fact, I am so good at it as my nature of business now is solving others' problems. So, kids will not become smart if they are stuffed-in with all kinds of tuitions for a genius training center or what-not and they are still useless if they are not able to understand things in life, common sense and manners. As some would say, manners, common sense and religious education are the most important things than "speed reading" or "flash Math solving".

Maybe after all these, parents become more paranoid to sent their kids for a "tuition" in a "manners and common sense" academy. Who knows, GOOD BUSINESS MA!!!

Its Not About Me Anymore

Before I got married, I sometimes thought that having my own kid is the one thing I can't comprehend with. Not because I do not want to have it, but thinking of the responsibilities and commitment that I need to focus on them on 24/7 basis makes me a bit of less motivated to have even one.

Alhamdulillah, on the 24th day of January, 2006, my lovely wife safely delivered our first child, a girl, the first grandchild for both my parent and my parent in-law side. During the labour, I was inside the labour room with my wife and I even had the opportunity to witness the birth of my first baby, live in front of me. Waiting for the time to come is the most painfull stage, as my wife had to bear the pain of her contractions under inducement procedure.

It took us about 7 hours plus for her to bear all the pain and only 16 minutes past 9pm, our Elisa Ayuni was born. All these are my first experience and during labour, I had this ackward feelings that says I am about to be a father. All kinds of question clinging into my mind at that time. How to be a father? How to handle my very first child? What should I do next? What to call her? What will be her name? How does she looks like? Seriously, I have no idea of a feeling being a father at all. All these while, I am guessing that everything is exactly like others told me or just merely my assumption based on how my father brought me up.

A few second after my first baby was born, I had these all kind of feelings inside of me and it is a bit hard for me to explain or describe it. It feels good and it is so good until there is no words can ever explain how good it is. It is surely feels better than passing my SPM. Better than having graduated from University. Better than most things. A year before that, my friend told me about this feeling he had exactly about the same situation. No matter how hard he tried to explained it, still I can't figure it out or even imagine how does it feel. When my turn comes, I do agree with him, its really hard to described it.

The moment I have my own baby, I automatically had the fatherly instinct growing up inside of me. Babies clothing and attire in Parkson Grand are now attracts my attention. Baby toys and accessories are always be my objective during outing. The feeling of looking forward to go back home early to meet my baby is always haunting me everyday. Though am not the best father in the world, but atleast, everything I do, I've always think about my children.

Before got married, all that we cares about is our attire, impression, appearances and our convenience. The moment I become a father, such self-centred attitude were gone. Everything or anything, its all about my children. There is nothing I want more in this world than a smile and a happy face of my children. No matter how difficult our life is, their smile can make me forget all about it.

Thus make me wonders, why there are so many cases of people leaving their own babies in toilets, garbage and so forth? I couldnt stand leaving my child for a work, let alone ditching them into such places! If they dont want them, just give them to me. I will raise them like my own. No matter how hard or difficult in raising a kid, I've always thought that, we as an adult, can atleast give them a bit of a chance to live their life as much as we did. Our days left are depreciating, but their life had just begun.

Life sometimes hard and harsh. But having a child waiting in excitement for your return home daily after work... PRICELESS!!!!

Long Journey

It has been awhile since I last travel outside Kuching. Been thinking of traveling to somewhere further other than Kuching area by car. The only thing that troubles me is that I dont want to travel alone. Of course, by all means, I want to bring my whole family too or otherwise the journey is not worth going.

Am thinking of traveling from Kuching straight to Merapok - the most northern village of Sarawak few metres from Sarawak - Sabah's border. Merapok is my mom's home town or village and it has been on my wish list to travel by my own car and park it under my grandmom's house. All these while, I only travel by plane or by boat from Limbang. Am not sure how far is Merapok from Kuching. But from Kuching to Miri alone, it takes more than 1000km.

From Kuching to Sarikei is about 350km. From Sarikei to Sibu is about 100km. From Sibu to Bintulu is about 200 plus km. from Bintulu to Miri is nearly 400km. Now you guys can do the math. But that just Kuching to Miri. Still we have Miri to Brunei, Brunei to Limbang, Limbang to Brunei and Brunei to Lawas. Then only after Lawas we have about 60km to go to Merapok.

I know! You guys must be thinking that I am crazy! But hey, thats the whole fun of it. JOURNEY! Time to see Sarawak from land view.  I dont know why, I just love to travel by car. If I can go to KL by car, I would do it definitely.

The longest journey Ive done using my current car is from Kuching to Miri in one shot. I only stop for pee and refueling. I took off from Kuching at 9am arrived at about 6.30pm in Miri (9 hour and 30 minutes of journey). For record, Sarawak does not have highway like in Semenanjung. Imagine old Rawang road all the way from Kuching to Miri! Imagine no rest station. 80℅ of the journey is jungle and a bit here and there, a sight of rumah panjang.

The rules of rest while balik kampung journey like in TV ads does not actually applies to Sarawak due to the fact that there are no proper rest station except non-halal kedai makan or just merely petrol station. As for journey from Kuching to Miri, its always the best to fuel-up the tank to full from Kuching, refuel either in Sarikei or Sibu then lastly in Tatau, small town 80km from Bintulu. Dont think about looking for petrol station from Bintulu to Miri as for the next 250km, there is none!

Sound interesting and adventurous ek! When I was in KL, 4 hours driving is considered as hardcore. Here in Sarawak, most drivers are capable of high endurance and long journey. Long means they can cope with more than 5 hours driving without rest. To be honest, driving from KL to JB is just merely uses 10℅ of my endurance capabilities. The road condition over in peninsular is 10 times better than here. I guess, 60 laps on F1 Grand Prix is just a joke. Though I will come last, but I believe I can make it under 2 hours without a single rest at all.

The old saying "slowly but surely" is also does not apply if driving from Kuching straight to Miri. The slower you drive, it will definitely taxing. You dont want to drive in rural road when night comes as it will expose you to night chase robbery or something to the same scenario. Furthermore, the longer it takes you to drive, the more tired you become. So, the best motto is "drive faster but be more extra carefull" as you do not want to hit people who lives in the rural area while they crossing the road out from nowhere.

The best speed for this journey is somewhere from 90kmph to 130kmph. Anything more than that, you will be dead as the curves, bumps, holes, the road conditions and the trafic is all in mess. Anything slower than that you will end up covers only about half of the journey for the whole day effort. The journey really sound harsh and taxing. But for me, this is what I called true adventures.

So, traveling by car from Kuching to the most southern place in Sarawak does not only requires money for fuel, but also needs high endurance capabilities, determination, strategies and of course little bit of courage.