ramadhan's emo

Come back at least once before Ramadan, she said. And don't forget to ask Din to bring his water pressure thingy, my drains need serious scrubbing, she continued. While we were there, Din cleaned her porch and her drains while I lazed in her room watching the telly. During the not many conversations we had, I ended up knowing that she needed a pin cushion and a new sewing basket. So among the many things I got from the 100 yen shop, I got her a set of pin cushions, a scissors and a sewing basket. Before leaving for Dubai, I asked her what colour material she would prefer. Anything but red only if you have enough money, she said.

On the way back to the hotel, a colleague asked if the material in Dubai is worth buying.
"I don't know" I said. "With the Nilai 3 and what not I really can't tell".
"Then why did I see you buying a few materials?" he asked
"Just feel like buying something for mother. Its a nice feeling to get a gift y'know." He just smiled and probably thought it was stupid.

She told me to post the material to her. It's cheaper than having to drive down to Melaka, she suggested. And so, we did. I told her that she might get the parcel tomorrow and that I've also posted the pin cushions and the sewing basket. With a surprised expression she said "you did???? You have bought me all of those?"
Annoyed, I said "Yeah, I bought it at the 100 yen shop I was telling you about..."

Then there was a pause. A long one... After my third calling of "MAK!" she struggled to finish her sentence "thank you... thank you child... you are a very kind and thoughtful daughter!"

Dubai material RM 55
Pin cushion RM 3
Sewing basket RM 3
Scissors RM 3
Postage RM 18

mother's tears.... Priceless.....

the experience

When I decided to take up Japanese instead Arabic, my late father wasn’t pleased. Suffered from stroke which made speech difficult, I only saw it in his eyes. As a child, my dad often told me stories during the Japanese occupation. He was clearly not at all impress with them. That explained the reason why he only befriended our Australian neighbour and not the Japanese. Though I only love the food he loved, love to wear pants as he did, the Japanese however really impress me.

It all began when my Japanese teacher came to class with fascinating gadgets like a chalk holder which was conveniently hung around her neck.

Fortunately for me, my work requires me to travel. Though the 5 years lesson of Japanese did not benefit me much, I enjoy watching the TV programs. Everything about them and the products they produce are effective and efficient.

So when I am required to make a trip to Japan, my biggest suitcase will come with me. The 100 yen shop which sells items for only 100 yen each (approx. rm3) is my shopping haven. They seemed to have thought of every single thing from an angled broom to deodorant specially formulated for cabinets underneath the sink. From onion bags to cats temperature card. From self watering plant device to portable ashtrays and the list goes on and on.

The food, the gadgets in the hotels’ rooms, the bus systems, the people, etc,etc,etc left me with my jaw hanging to my chest.

In short, Japan is an awesome experience for me. However, if a job opportunity arises for me in Japan, I’ll pass. I don’t think I can cope with the efficient, service orientated, well disciplined people I admire.

Being home will always be my number 1 favorite experience..

EVERYDAY IS A LEARNING PROCESS

When I told my sister how a wreck Din was, she laughed and said "memang lah...." Emmmm... Wait a minute, how did she know?? She probably heard me saying it to myself when she continued "that's why God chose us women to give birth".

She couldn't have explained it better. So I continued telling her the whole version of my "adventure" the day Din was a wreck.... Which interest my other sister who was busy browsing through some magazines. From where she was seated, she acted out the scene when she had to get a glass of water for her husband just after she had her back operation.

I find it hilarious. No, not the scene my sister acted out but the fact that women's toleration towards pain is greater than the great men. Which actually got me remembering an incident.

I was 9, my sister was 10 and my brother was 12. Twelve was the age when all of us had our BCG vaccination. The day he got it, he explained how the skin will be stretched slightly and the vaccine injected just under the skin and that the needle was visible under the skin as the injection was given. He described it painfully and we believed him. He took care of his blanched bleb well. In fact if my sister and I accidentally touched him on his blanched bleb he would place his ring with embossed letters "F" and "T" on our arms, pressed the ring hard into our skin and make a full round circle with it. That was irritating and painful but somehow we thought we deserved it because he too was in pain.

The day my sister got hers and when I finally got mine, we were unfortunate to have our brother in a boarding school. We had a bigger ring to poke him with. Just for the torture he put us through believing that the vaccination was painfully painful...

We always reminded him of the silly incident and up until an hour ago, I cannot recall him saying sorry nor can I recall him laughing with us.

So, that was it was. HE WAS TRULY IN PAIN. How can he say sorry when he was actually in pain....and to tell your two younger sisters that felt no pain during the vaccination must be something stupid.


Anyway, during our discussion, our husbands did not utter a word to defend themselves.....
Well didn't they say EVERYDAY IS A LEARNING PROCESS? I learned a good funny lesson indeed.

my sisters with their family on my brother's birthday last 30th August 2006