Kathmandu, Kathmandu...

"Don't miss the magic of the moment by focusing on what's to come..."

(Peace Not War)

Kathmandu

I think I'm going to Kathmandu,

that's really, really where I'm going to.

If I ever get out of here,

that's what I'm gonna do.

I'm tired of looking at the TV news.

I'm tired of driving hard and paying dues.

I figure, I've got nothing to lose,

I'm tired of being blue.

That's why I'm going to Kathmandu,

up to the mountains where I'm going to.

If I ever get out of here,

that's what I'm gonna do.

(Bob Seger)

My Overseas Travelogue: munmus.blogspot.com

Into a high gear...

"We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them..."

(In the middle of Putrajaya main street)

I thought I’ll do my errands later. Tomorrow is a public holiday, I thought I would have ample time to do my packing and change some foreign currencies. But when I saw the urgent message from Apau in the e-mail, I knew that I am in deep trouble. The Royal Nepal Airlines cancelled the flight on 28th and brought forward our flight to the 27th. I’m forced to take leave on Friday despite my packed schedule on that day.

I’ll be very busy today. Linda needs to apply for my leave, postpone Friday’s meetings and cancel my lunch appointment with the gang. I need Linda to run other errands too. Order walnut carrot cakes from Suanson for Iwan’s MIL and SIL, call the money changer to change some currencies and look for someone to replace me in the disciplinary panel.

The TPEC meeting finished very late. I stayed back to prepare some briefing notes for the boss. By the time I had completed and e-mailed the documents, it was almost 10 o’clock. Hubby was already at home and waiting for me to have dinner together.

I was tired and hubby was too. He almost, always fall sound asleep, while talking and reflecting. Sometimes, even when I wasn’t asleep I pretended to be, just to feel his arms around me.

Tonight I dreamt of us, walking hand-in-hand along the hippie trail, a guitar slung over his shoulder and flowers in our hair…

One dream is enough...

"Something that you do in an instant, can give you heartache for life..."

(Berkelah Waterfalls)

.

Lost in confusion and total self bliss

I've found the relation between dream and wish

A dream is a fantasy lived only while asleep

But a wish has a compass vast, far and deep..

A dream can bring true the wish never thought

As the mind wanders aimlessly and feelings are sought.

But a wish is a simple, momentous undertaking

A grasping of things while still in the making..

Now my understanding of wish and of dreams

Have broadened my scope - or so it would seem

But still I'm confused and nothing is clear

Because the future is a wish, yet a dream so dear..

Sadly enough my dreams cause confusion

For all their purpose are meager illusion…

.

(Author unknown)

.

Sometimes one dream is enough to light up the whole sky

Summons to a witness...

“Keep in mind that people change, but the past doesn't…” - Becca Fitzpatrick

'

In the mid-eighties, when I was still a junior officer in my old department, I was often called to the court to be the expert witness on exchange rates. I was frequented by officers from the police department and sometimes, from the Jabatan Kastam to get a statement from me by virtue of my position as the officer in-charge. My boss then, being quite a man of the nation now, in his own manner and candor would pass all cases to me.

‘ you’re the expert in foreign exchange, mesti boleh jawab soalan2 lawyer tu. Kalau tak boleh jawab, kelentong je… he he…’

The first time I stood in the ‘kandang saksi’ I was shivering from head to toes and couldn’t comprehend what had been asked. I mumbled my answers and all I heard towards the end of my testimonial was, ‘Puan telah dibebaskan dari menjadi saksi….’ I was overladen with gratitude, as if I was the accused being freed of all charges, and muttering expression of thanks in at least several languages to the judge.

The story did not just end there. In my present department I was often subpoenaed as an expert witness – incidentally, nothing to do with exchange rates any more. The past two weeks in a row, I have been traveling up and down the hi-way, sometimes to Bentong and at times to Kuala Kubu Baru to attend the court cases. And just now my officer handed me the familiar blue slip of paper and cheekily said:

‘Puan telah disaman supaya hadir di hadapan Mahkamah Majistret di Tapah pada sekian-sekian haribulan he he…’

Such is the not so straightforward nature of the physical and psychological make-up of my job.

Old and fragile…

"My best friend and I, can do anything or nothing and still have a good time..."

After we kissed goodbye, I drove back to Melaka alone as hubby need to go to office for a meeting with his project team. The kids didn’t follow me as they have made plans earlier. Sara is joining her goonies to cheer for her friend Ninie, one of the participants in the Nescafe Kick-Start competition. Iwan and Ella are going to the PC fair.

Earlier this morning, I had a missed call from my mak’s handphone. I thought I would call her later but when my sister called, I know something is not right.

‘Kak, mak sakit. Dah seminggu dia terbaring. Makan pun tak lalu.Dia asyik sebut nama kau je. Balik lah kak…’

I drove very fast in the hot Saturday afternoon. I miss my mak. It’s been a while since I visited her. When I reached our kampung house, it was deserted and the door was ajar. I shouted my salam but no one answered. I walked in and went straight to my mak’s room. For almost 5 minutes I stood at the door and watched my mak slept, wrapped in the blanket up to her chin with my abah sleeping next to her, his hand holding my mak from behind.

I shed some tears watching them like this….