Abah will be 77 this August...

"For what are night, day, moon, stars, without love and those you love around you?..."

I was not at all surprised when my sister sms to inform that my abah was very sick. We skipped class and drove straight to Southern Hospital. Hubby called to inform his ustaz, I don't bother to call mine. He must have drove top speed that night. We met mak, my three sisters at the hospital. The rest of the kids were already there to be with their beloved atok abah. Abah didn't look good at all. The nurse gave him sedative or something but I know abah will never complain unless he is really in pain. Abah has been telling us about his stomach ache since I don't know when, and has been refusing to see the specialist. As far as I could remember, abah was never really sick before. But looking at his condition and my initial diagnosis, they have to operate on him soonest.

Tomorrow, the doctor will do some more tests on abah. Then only we know the extent of the operation. Abah is not young anymore. This coming August he will be 77. We talked to abah for a while and when he started to doze off, said goodbye to mak and the rest. We drove back and reached KL at 1.30 a.m. Feeling sad we held each other tightly and finally slept around 3.00 a.m.

I love my abah so dearly...

If it makes you happy...

"Same old shit, different day..."

So much things to do, so much more to reflect.....

Today is the 3rd and last session for me to be in the interview panel. I thought it was going to be an easy task but i was wrong. Being an independent interviewer puts you into a situation where you have to judge a person's knowledge, skills and behaviour within 30 minutes or so during the interview. The last two sessions were better than today. The HR department should have done a better selection process. A thorough one and not having to rely on the scoring of the PRIME and the Innerview Test. All those craps could easily be manipulated. Can't be having any tom, dick and harry to attend these interviews.

Read through e-mails and came across this article on 'Global Equity Strategy'. Sounds heavy eh? The article says if you are after specific investment advice, this is not it. It is about happiness.

• Don’t equate happiness with money. People adapt to income shifts relatively quickly, the long lasting benefits are essentially zero.
• Exercise regularly. Taking regular exercise generates further energy, and stimulates the mind and the body.
• Have sex (preferably with someone you love). Sex is consistently rated as among the highest generators of happiness. So what are you waiting for?
• Devote time and effort to close relationships. Close relationships require work and effort, but pay vast rewards in terms of happiness.
• Pause for reflection, meditate on the good things in life. Simple reflection on the good aspects of life helps prevent hedonic adaptation.
• Seek work that engages your skills, look to enjoy your job. It makes sense to do something you enjoy. This in turn is likely to allow you to flourish at your job, creating a pleasant feedback loop.
• Give your body the sleep it needs 
• Don’t pursue happiness for its own sake, Enjoy the moment. Faulty perceptions of what makes you happy, may lead to the wrong pursuits. Additionally, activities may become a means to an end, rather than something to be enjoyed, defeating the purpose in the first place.
• Take control of your life, set yourself achievable goals.
• Remember to follow all the rules.

I wandered Lonely As A Cloud...

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends..."

'That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed... and gazed... but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

(William Wordsworth)

I travel quite a lot. A lot more compared to others. Mind you, I am not comparing with those who travel because of their jobs but my benchmark is my colleagues and close friends. In my early days most of the overseas travels coincide with my attending courses, seminars or conferences. Back then, the boss insisted that I need the training to improve my competencies and skills, to perform better in my job! Till now I still wonder whether those courses and seminars have make significant impact to my job performance... ha.. ha..

I am not complaining. The company is paying for the travel and why not, I always take the opportunity to extend a few days to enjoy and explore new places. I love travelling and my journey continues...

My Overseas Travelogue: munmus.blogspot.com

Steal A Star For Me...

'"I always hated good dreams. I couldn't take the disappointment of waking up..."

'

Reach up and steal a star for me
and place it in my eyes
Kneel down and unfold your arms
for a place where I can hide

Command the winds to move the clouds
so the sun can glisten down
Make the ocean turn their tides
to take away this frown

But if you can't succeed at these
to make my dreams come true
Then all I ask is one more thing
please whisper "I love you"

'

~~author unknown~~

Sadness within the darkness...

"Relationships are like bubbles - they're fragile..."

I wish you were here...

It was 4:46 a.m. in Makkah when hubby sms.

"Assalamualaikum yang. How r u yang. I ada kat depan kaabah yang. Baru solat subuh. I dah doa utk kita sekeluarga. I doa kita jadi org yg soleh solehah yang. Pagini nak buat umrah kat Hudaibiah. Gi pas b’fast nanti. I sayang u so v much tau yang. Miss u. Nanti pas umrah I sms lagi ya yang. Kiss! Kiss!"

There are times the sea is sullen rage,
And all the wind can carry is despair.
The morning barely brightens the dark air,
And life is what no comfort can assuage.

There is pain too pure for any sage,
When breath is what precisely is not fair,
And hope seems hopelessly beyond repair,
Unlikely to recover much with age.

Reflections

'
I have not done justice to my blog. I have left it far too long unattended.
'