Thursday 30 July 2009

Jamung: On "Paradoxes of Our Times"

A friend of mine send me an e-mail with the message below. At the end of the message he wrote, "If you’re too busy to take the time to send this message to someone you love and you tell yourself you will send it 'one of these days', believe me, 'one of these days', you won’t be here to send it!"
So to all my beloved blog's readers, here's the message:
Today we have bigger houses and smaller families.
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less common sense.
More knowledge, but less judgment.
We have more experts, but more problems.
More medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly;
laugh too little,
drive too fast,
get too angry too quickly,
stay up too late,
read too little,
watch TV too much,
and pray too seldom!
We’ve multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too little, and lie too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We have taller buildings,but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less.
We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbours.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, learn less.
Plan more, but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies, but have less communications.
We are long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
tall men and short characters.
More leisure and less fun;
more kinds of foods, but less nutrition.
two incomes, but more divorces.
fancier houses, but broken homes.
That’s why I suppose that as of today, we don’t keep anything for special occasions,
because every day our live is a special occasion.
Search for knowledge. Read more.
Sit on our front porch and admire the view without paying attention to our needs.
Spend more time with our family and friends.
Eat our favorite foods and visit the places we love.
Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment, not only about survival.
Use our crystal goblets. Don’t save our best perfume, use it every time we feel we want it.
Remove from our vocabulary phrases like 'one of these days' and 'someday'.
Write that letter we’ve thought about writing.
Tell our family and friends how much we love them.
Don’t delay anything that adds laughter and joy to our life.
Every day, every hour, and every minute is special.
We don’t know if it will be our last.
Catatan:
1. Sedikit perubahan telah dibuat terhadap cacatan di atas.
2. Post ini dibuat bukan kerana "you won’t be here to send it!" tetapi kerana bahan tersebut dirasakan amat dekat dengan kehidupan kebanyakan kita.

Wednesday 29 July 2009

Personal: Kak Siti

~ Solehah & Her Kak Siti ~
Sering mendapatkan rawatan untuk Solehah membuat kami sekeluarga mengenali erti hati budi. Ratusan kakitangan hospital kerajaan kami temui & bagi kami, 99.9% mempunyai sifat yang ikhlas & terpuji. Hasilnya, Solehah tidak fobia & very comfortable. Kalau berada di hospital, Solehah akan minta dihantar untuk berjumpa dengan mereka yang pernah merawatnya.
Antaranya ialah Puan Siti Zubaidah (Kak Siti to Solehah) - occupational therapist di Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah. Mula kenal Kak Siti ketika umur Solehah satu minggu - untuk membantu menguatkan daya menghisap susu. Kemudiannya berlanjutan (sehingga kini) untuk membuat splint & membantu Solehah berjalan.
Kekerapan mendapatkan rawatan di Unit Cara Kerja, membawa pula perkenalan dengan staf yang lain seperti Abang Hazlee (suami Kak Siti), Kak Sham, Abang Azhar & lain-lain. Kak Siti, Abang Hazlee & keluarga dah jadi macam keluarga sendiri.
Catatan:
1. Kak Siti & suami kini sedang melanjutkan pengajian (secara sambilan) untuk Ijazah Occupational Therapy. Kini di tahun akhir, kalau tak silap. Semoga berjaya & terbuka hati untuk sambung ke peringkat sarjana pula.
2. Kebahagian & kesejahteraan Kak Siti sekeluarga kami doakan kerana mereka merupakan antara mereka yang pernah berbuat baik kepada Solehah dan famili.
3. Kak Siti sudi memberi 'lab coat' yang beliau sedang pakai kepada Zakwan (Solehah's 2nd. brother) ketika kami mengalami masalah untuk mendapatkan yang sesuai.
4. Bapa Hazlee (Haji Omar - mertua Kak Siti) dah jadi 'geng' borak penulis - kami sudah beberapa kali diundang untuk majlis kenduri.

Sunday 19 July 2009

Tahfifah: On "Kindness"

~ Solehah & Dr. Lim Choo Hau (Mr. Kind) ~
One day Mr. Frog was sitting by a river. Mr. Scorpion came by and said, "Mr. Frog, I would like cross the river. As I cannot swim, would you be so kind to swim across with me on your back?"
Mr. Frog said, "But you are a scorpion and scorpion sting frogs!" "Why would I sting you? I just want to get to the other side", said Mr. Scorpion.
Said Mr. Frog, "OK, climb on my back and I will take you across."
Just about halfway across, Mr. Scorpion stung Mr. Frog. With his last breath and writhing in agony, Mr. Frog said, "Why did you do that? Now we'll both drown!"
"Because I am a scorpion and scorpion stings frogs", said Mr. Scorpion.
KINDNESS is the language that
the dumb CAN SPEAK & the deaf CAN UNDERSTAND
- C.N. Bovee -
Catatan:
1. Foto di atas diambil pada bulan Jun 2009 yang lalu semasa Solehah melawat Wa Ei (kini allahyarham) di Hospital Seberang Jaya. Kami sekali lagi ambil kesempatan untuk berjumpa Dr. Lim di hospital tersebut - that was the second time.
2. Dalam kesibukan, 'that kind doctor' masih ada masa untuk berbual & bertanya tentang perkembangan Solehah. He was very happy to see Solehah & still gave advise/tips to improve Solehah's condition.
3. Dalam pertemuan tersebut, Dr. Lim turut bertanya tentang mama Solehah yang tidak ikut serta - mama Solehah tidak tahu tentang pertemuan tersebut.
4. Agaknya, bolehkah kita mendapat layanan seumpamanya daripada doktor hospital swasta???

Personal: al-Fatihah

~ Allahyarham Wa Ei ~
Solehah’s uncle Wa Ei (Tuan Hj Ismail bin Ahmad) passed away three days ago – 5.00am Thursday, 16th. July 2009) at the age of 72. Wa Ei was (forever will be) very close to Solehah & the family. We surely miss him.
Catatan:
1. Wa Ei & wife (Wa Siah) selalu ambil berat tentang Solehah (juga terhadap semua ahli keluarga). Kedua-duanya akan bertandang atau sekurang-kurangnya telefon untuk bertanya khabar.
2. Setiap kali bertandang, tak pernah tidak menghulurkan ‘duit raya’ kepada Solehah – Wa Ei bagi, Wa Siah pun bagi.
3. Semasa Solehah dimasukkan ke ICU (for the 5th. operation), Wa Ei (dalam keadaan tak kuat & berkerusi roda) masih datang (dengan anaknya, abang Zam) untuk ziarah Solehah. Malangnya tak dapat tengok kerana hanya mama & ayah Solehah sahaja dibenarkan melawat semasa di ICU.
4. Salam takziah kepada seluruh keluarga Wa Ei - semoga rohnya ditempatkan di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman.

Monday 6 July 2009

Personal: Hadiah

~ Hadiah Yang Amat Berharga ~
Selepas menghantar Solehah ke kelas tution Sabtu lepas (04/07/09), penulis & isteri singgah di sebuah super market - saja-saja buang masa. Kami singgah di sebuah gerai buku. Hajat nak beli buku untuk diri sendiri sempena ulang tahun kelahiran.
Belek-belek, terjumpa buku "Makkah al-Mukarramah: Kelebihan & Sejarah" penulisan Dr. Abdul Basit Hj. Abdul Rahman. Penulis pernah memiliki buku seumpamanya dan sebuah lagi mengenai Madinah - rasanya oleh penulis yang sama. Buku-buku tersebut dibeli semasa berkursus haji beberapa tahun lalu sebagai persiapan menjadi tetamu Allah dan dibawa ke Tanah Suci semasa menunaikan haji. Buku-buku tersebut telah memberi penghayatan yang mendalam kepada penulis semasa menunaikan ibadat haji.
Kini kedua-dua buku tersebut tiada dalam simpanan - entah tersalah letak @ dipinjam rakan yang hendak menunaikan fardhu haji. Namun, buku baru ini lebih cantik & kemas untuk dijadikan koleksi.
Semasa hendak membayar, isteri menunjukkan sebuah buku berjudul "Kembara Atiq Wazif Satu Anugerah" ditulus oleh Hasan Suyut. Melihat saja tajuk & kulit buku tersebut secara sepintas lalu saja penulis bersetuju membelinya. Walau pun penulis membayar, penulis anggap sebagai 'hadiah' daripada isteri (sebab beliau yang menjumpai buku tersebut). Penulis meminta isteri membuat catatan & menurunkan tandatangan pada buku tersebut.
Catatan:
Penulis sudah habis membaca "Kembara Atiq Wazif Satu Anugerah". Selesai membaca, penulis mendapati:
1. Intipati ceritanya hampir sama dengan cerita kami membesarkan Solehah.
2. Pandangan & pengalaman Sdr. Hasan Suyut (penulis buku tersebut - ayah Atiq Wazif) & familinya terhadap orang 'istimewa' dalam keluarga amat sama dengan kami.
3. Penulis rasa amat dekat dengan Sdr. Hasan - rasanya pernah bertemu & berbual. Satu ketika kami juga pernah menjadi 'penghuni' HKL - para suami sering berborak di hadapan Institut Pediatrik pada waktu malam selepas selesai urusan terhadap anak & isteri.
4. Kepada Sdr. Hasan dan famili, kami sekeluarga doakan terus dikurniakan kesejahteraan, kerahmatan, kekuatan & kebahagiaan.
5. 'Hadiah' isteri merupakan pemberian hari ulang tahun terbaik setakat ini.

Personal: Mid Term Exam

~ Solehah's Report Card & Classmates ~
On the 27th. June 2009 (Saturday) Solehah's school invited parents to meet the class teachers to discuss about the academic performance of their children. We went & met Puan Fuziana bt Ramali (Solehah's Class Teacher) who told us about Solehah's academic performance and later gave us Solehah's Mid Term Exam result. We took the opportunity to thanks all the teachers for teaching Solehah.
Following are the results:
Bahasa Melayu (Pemahaman) = 95 - Grade A
Bahasa Melayu (Penulisan) = 99 - Grade A
Bahasa Inggeris = 83 - Grade A
Matematik = 81 - A
Science = 88 - Grade A
Pendidikan Islam = 100 - Grade A
Bahasa Arab = 76 - Grade B
Pendidikan Seni = Grade A
Muzik = 84 - Grade A
Ejaan = 100 - Grade A
Spelling = 96 - Grade A
JUMLAH : 546
PERATUS: 91.0%
KEDUDUKAN: 14/43
Catatan:
1. Kami tetap bersyukur & berbangga dengan keputusan tersebut kerana kini Solehah berada di kelas 'cream'.
2. Walaupun nombor 14 dari 43 orang murid amat membanggakan, mama Solehah mahukan 'top ten'.
3. Meneliti kertas jawapan, kami yakin Solehah boleh mendapat keputusan yang lebih baik sekiranya dia tidak 'careless'.

Friday 3 July 2009

Tahfifah: On 'Ending @ Beginning'

~ A 'Graduate' From Taska Anugrah ASFA : 2007 ~
Solehah is very happy lately as his eldest brother (Adi) is at home. Adi has just completed his practicum (industrial training) in KL and insyaAllah he will graduated soon.
Very soon (by next week - Monday, 06/07/06) his second brother (Zakwan) will also be at home. As for Zakwan, it is his semester-break.
As Adi will be the first in the family, the whole family are really looking forward for his graduation day. Anyway, for me LEARNING HAS NO END!
According to Winston Churchill:
GRADUATION!
It is NOT the end
It is NOT EVEN the beginning of the end
but, perhaps it is
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
Catatan:
Dalam Islam: Ilmu harus dituntut dari buaian hingga ke liang lahad.