Portraits

Ahhhh, the folly of youth, real fun and laughter. Yo middle agers perhaps we should get back to this once in a while. Let go of the burden of life (is it really aburden ?) and get in touch with the time that has passed and seems so distant....

When I see a ghost...

... I will recite "Allah hummarabbanna..." doa makan (prayer before eating) says a nephew with all the seriousness that could be mustered by a 4 year old.

Huh ? Why ?

Well, the ghost will run away because it will think that I am going to eat it !!!

Ahhhhh. Can't argue with that logic. I think I will do the same from now on. Not just for ghosts but also for the idiots and annoying creatures that we are bound to meet as we navigate through life heh heh.

I have horns...

I have always thought as myself as one whom babies and kids can be comfortable with. I enjoy their company and assumed they do mine. Most of them anyway...

Except for this particular niece, ever since she was a baby she would cry if I so much as came near. Its been a couple of years and we met again. She has grown and can now talk. This is what she told her mommy.... ;)

"Mommy please don't ask Pak Long (that's me) to come over, he has horns, green and three of them..." in earnest.

Maybe I do and only she can see them heh heh heh...

Seasick !

I am not one to easily succumb to motion sickness, be it on land, air or sea. However, a recent "mencandat sotong" or squid fishing trip proves my gullibility to this problem. It started out well enough. I was excited as this is a first for me. We left the serene waters of Pulau Kapas under a beautiful sky. Gliding on the moonlit shimmering seas. Smells and sounds of the seas is really soothing and therapeutic. As the occasional spray of salty drops hits our skin we feel refreshed. Until we hit open waters and the boats starts to move in rhythm with the swells. It starts to roll and pitch. A small boat trying to keep up with the long slow swell. It was just swells. It wasn't even breaking. Yet the motion of the boat, which I am told later is common because of its stiff characteristic. It rolls one way and before you could sway with it, jerks the opposite way. Salty sprays turns to salty showers as the bow ploughs into the sea.

It was fun. Reminded me of those times on real ships going through Bay of Biscay. Even then I rarely if ever got seasick.

My seasickness starts when nature calls. Once in the bathroom, the putrid smell in an enclosed space just drove my senses over the edge. It forced me to remember what seasick felt like. It was horrible. I ended up lying on a bench, holding onto the railings and just let the boat rock me however it wanted to. The boys had fun squid fishing while I was silently praying for them to have had enough and head back back to the steady shores. So, now I can really appreciate what Jag felt like when we were in Tioman. Lets do it again Jag.

Mask

Which mask shall I put on today ?
Sometimes none will be necessary for they can see what they wish to see.
Someday it is mandatory as they can see only what I want them to see.
For I have learned you see, that deep inside, beneath the skin its all for me.

Then there are times when a mask alone will not be enough.
As I trudge trough trying to survive.
Then, only then a crutch will ease the pain as I hobbled along the darkened plain.
The crutch will help me stand and I will beat the skein.
Till it goes cowering back to the hole and be blind.

Or, I may dress with baubles and blings to avert the eyes away from my grimace.
Gritting my teeth and jingling my blings so they don't see the real thing.

What's in a name ?

Mangkuk Dara - Virgin Bowl, what do you make of that ? Food is not bad but a tad pricey for the place.

On leave but doing harder work !!!

My mother in law went to Umrah last Saturday. The maid ran away some time ago. My father in law is alone with the kids ranging from 2 - 12 years old. There are seven of them, three of which are mine. Imagine the havoc.

We have to take turns to take leave to make sure that those schooling are ready, fed and delivered. Today and tomorrow is my turn. I thought I can have some time to write stories for my blog - no way - too busy chasing these kids around. Tried to sit down and turn on the laptop, before it even booted, someone wants to pee pee, then someone wants milk, someone wants a toy that someone else hijacked.... Arrggghhh, just shut down the laptop. Put the thing away and no one wants any attention.

Have just done bathing and clothing them and am getting a bit of break as my wife came back from office.

How not to....

... wear a wireless headphone...... he he he....

Sorry, Din, just my wicked sense of humour coming into play.

.... and how it should be worn.

The transmitter/receiver portion of the headphones should be hanging in front of you - to give better control of volume and channel instead of wearing it on your head like a turban.

Excellent meeting facilities here in Istanbul. Very high tech. Top notch a/v system. However, the more top notch it is the more gullible it is. Imagine 500 wireless headphones each using button batteries, going off one after another in the heat of negotiations. Apart from that, kudos to the Turkish Government for providing such excellent fcilities.