Just Keep TRI-ing

I did not get to sleep last night. My mind was active thinking of what my future is going to be like. Tired of tossing and turning, I got out bed and joined Along and Om watching Champions League Final on tele. I went to bed again after the game, and only managed to get some two hours of uninterrupted sleep. At 8.30am, my entourage was ready with all the ‘hantaran’ (Gifts for the bride) and we arrived at my now parents in law’s house just before 9.00 am. I tried to hide my apprehension. I believe all my trainings and participations in debates and acting were paid off. I managed to put on a game face and acted cool even though my hands were actually trembling and my heart was pounding as fast as a steam engine on a locomotive. I took my place on a specially made mattress for the groom opposite the Kadi. The rather long ceremony started off with a sermon and recitals of all sort of vows etc2. I was still maintaining my composure and did not really pay attention to what was going on aro...

Diam tak dia dah nak masuk 6 bulan aku berkelana di Qatar ni. Masa mula-mula datang dulu macam-macam yang aku tak suka tentang Qatar ni. Ada saja yang tak kena pada aku. Tapi bila dah lama sikit, bila dah boleh menyesuaikan diri dan kawan pun dah bertambah, aku jadi suka pulak. Suka maybe a little underrated, aku boleh kata aku dah mula menganggap Qatar sebagai rumah kedua aku. Dengan peluang dan rezeki yang ada di sini dapat aku membantu keluarga kalau tak banyak pun sedikit.

London 13 May 2009 Flight aku pagi, macam biasa Kaduk hantar aku ke airport. Aku bawak satu beg kabin je tapi punyalah berat dan padat, yelah pasal aku akan terus balik kahwin lepas tu. Bila sampai Heathrow, aku terkenang saat-saat masa first time datang London tahun 2007. Masa tu aku pergi berenam, ada Arwah Suffian, Sam, Che Noni, Kak Long ngn Farid. Senyum2 aku teringat Sam kena tengking ngn immigration officer masa tu, pada hal belum sampai turn dia. Masa dia waiting in line tu, officer tu (bukan mat saleh pun) dengan kiurang ajarnya tunjuk kat Sam, lepas tu jerit kuat-kuat ”You, You’ What you do?” Terkujat Sam sambil terketar-ketar jawab ”I am an architect”. Kali ni aku masuk UK tak ada masalah, pegawai immigresen tu punya lah budiman (Org putih) siap sempat borak2 lagi ngn aku.. pasal aku kata aku nak shopping untuk wedding aku kat London. Lepas semua clear, aku gi tempat hisap rokok kat luar terminal tu. Kat situlah dulu aku hisap rokok ngn Arwah sampai-sampai je kat London. ...

Manchester Sampai2 je kat Stesen Manchester Picaddily, kitorang terus simpan bag kat keep luggage service dan ambil teksi terus ke Old Trafford. Keadaan sekitar stadium masatu dah penuh dengan penyokong2 Man Utd. Penyokong Arsenal aku tak nampak. Yang ramai2 satu train tadi aku tak tahu diorang kemana. Maybe diorang semua dah ada special arrangement kut. Aku yang pakai jersey Arsenal ni siap cover2 dengan jaket yang aku pinjam dari Da’a. Da’a was so excited akhirnya dapat menjejakkan kaki ke Old Trafford, pulak tu di hari yang mana Man Utd berkemungkinan akan celebrate kemenangan diorang season ni. Aku pun melayankan aja lah. Enroute to Old Trafford Sir Matt Busby Way Selepas bergambar di luar stadium, kitorang masuk ke Megastore. Aku dipaksa oleh Da’a untuk membeli jersey Man Utd. Dalam terpaksa, aku pun belilah satu jersey Man Utd yang lengan panjang tu. Bila nak bayar tu, aku suruh the cashier to remove all the tags, pasal aku nak pakai sekarang, and dia ternampak jersey Arsenal ak...

It's really happening. In two weeks I will say good bye to my bachelorhood. Off course I am a little nervous, but I guess I am ready. All the preparation are well underway. Thanks a lot to my family and my dedicated wedding planner, Sam and his team. I hope everything will go according to plan. Tomorrow will be my last day at work, before going off for 3 weeks leave. I am so looking forward to get away from work for a while. I will make a detour to London and Manchester for 4 days before heading home. A little break with some of my good friends from Shell, Da'a, Zaitun and Christy. It will be fun, since I do not know when will I get the chance to go on holidays with them again. After the wedding, I will take my beautiful wife for a little honeymoon in London, Brussels and Paris before heading back to Doha. I am so excited about coming home and to become someone new. But now, I better start packing...

Lama kita terpisah ya. Aku rasa dah hampir 10 tahun. Last sekali aku jumpa kau sebelum aku fly ke Australia tahun 1999 dulu. Sejak dari itu kita lost contact. Banyak pengalaman suka duka yang kita lalui masa sama-sama belajar kat UTM dulu kan. Kau memang seorang sahabat yang baik dan perihatin. Kau ingat tak hari aku nak sit for ujian bertulis lesen memandu, kau siap datang jumpa aku pagi2 kat Kolej Resak dari Taman Universiti semata2 nak wish aku good luck. Padahal bukan big deal pun. Lepas tu kita banyak berkongsi cerita suka duka dan rahsia. Tapi aku memang respect kat kau. Kau adalah seorang yang tabah. Riak muka kau tak pernah menunjukkan apa yang terpendam dalam diri kau. Kau sentiasa senyum dan happy depan kawan2 walaupun kau ketika itu melalui masa2 yang amat getir dalam hidup kau. Kalau aku lah.. rasanya masa tu aku dah lari gi planet lain. Hmm lama  aku tak berbual panjang dengan kau. Cepat betul masa berlalu.  Kau tau, ni kali kedua kau hilang, aku harap lepas ni kau simpan ...

A good friend of mine had just lost her father a couple of days ago. I know exactly how she feels right now. It is hard enough to let go of someone that you love very dearly, let alone parents. I suddenly miss my own father or Encik as we affectionately called him. It has been 23 years since he's gone, but the void that he left was never filled. Parents are irreplaceable. Their love for you are so great You will never love them as much no matter how many I love Yous you said to them.  Mama I Love you... Encik I Miss you Adik I first wrote this note for my late father in 2006. 20 years after he was gone, then it was first published here in 2007 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Encik.. itu adalah panggilan aku dan adik beradik terhadap ayah kami. Sebagai anak yang bongsu sudah tentunya aku amat manja dengan Encik. Kini sudah 21 tahun Encik pergi. Kenapa tiba2 saja aku amat rindu pada Encik. Mungkin sudah terlalu lama aku tidak menyedek...