RS3: The Art of Fixing Curtain

Someone once said 'Learning, is lifetime journey'. Perhaps its true, as each new day brings a new experience and new subjects to be learned. Sometimes though, the subject or matter maybe too minor or perhaps insignificant to one's life, that they are shrugged off without further thought, only to be remembered years later as one's pace of life grow slower. But by then, one may no longer have the ability to learn. Alhamdulillah, I don't think I have reached that stage and pray hard I will not.

Someone also mentioned to me that the best time to learn is by doing it with a subconscious mind. Initially I found that hard to believe. I mean, come on, the only period of subconscious mind I know is when I am asleep. Pray tell then, how can any knowledge worthy of learning be learned when one snore noisier than the actual sound of a log being sawn? I just could not buy it then. However, many many years later I found that my view on the matter have been proven wrong.

Sometime back, a story was circulated in the Internet about the Wonder Boy from Iran who, at the age of 6, became a Hafiz who memorise the entire 114 chapters of the Noble Quran (read here), where many children of that age can barely read or memorise a simple nursery rhyme. When the Iranian Government learned of the boy's story, they purportedly subjected the boy to a series of test. And when the boy passed all the test given, the boy, Mahya Hussein Pur, was announced as a National Treasure of the Republic. The story of how Mahya became a Hafiz at the age of 6 is quite fascinating and I would like share it with my friends here. I have tried googling for the story but could not find it, thus will be writing solely from memory and in hope that it will be corrected by anyone who knows it better.

Before his parents were married, they each made a vow to the the other to become a Hafiz, agreeing to marry each other only after they become one. The story did not give any time frame, but the couple did become a Hafiz and were later married. And about a year later, Mahya was born.

Without a maid to look after her son, Mahya's mother would often bring him to her class where she taught the Quran to University student. Otherwise, she would just leave Mahya at a friends place. When Mayha is in the classroom, the mother would place him in his basket and at the back of the class. This went on for quite sometime till one day, the whole class keep hearing the mother's words being echoed from the back of the class. Upon closer inspection, they found Mahya to be repeating Quranic verses which he must have picked up in earlier classes*. The mother went home and told her husband the story and they both agreed that from that day onwards, she must bring Mahya to her classes everyday. At the same time, they keep reading Quranic verses to him, singing it just as a parent would with a nursery rhyme. And when Mahya was old enough, they sent him to proper reading classes, where upon learning to read and write Arabic text, his memory and understanding of the verses improved further.
*(Children, have been found to have the capacity to learn multiple language during their subconscious years. In many villages in Malaysia, one may find Indians speaking fluently in Tamil, Malay, and at least 1 Chinese dialect. Similarly with some Chinese, and in places like Tanjung Karang, they can even talk in Javanese, something which that half blooded Javanese writer of this blog can't!)


Back home, I've come to learn that when one do something out of sheer love, it develops into an art by itself. And when someone else study one's method of doing things, it becomes a science. Does sound somewhat complicated, I admit. But I guess if there is an example I can give, then it is the art of fixing curtains. But before that, there's this something I have just learned.

It seems, the Sarkas religion is introducing newer and newer things by the day. I picked up the picture below at a cousin's place and was initially shocked looking at it. The shock soon turned to a big laugh when I showed it to those present.
If one were to look closely at the coloured printed material shown on the left of the picture, one might just notice the words "100% Halal". My, my...are there any such thing as 90% or below Halal then? I mean once something is Halal, should it not be plain Halal? After all, does not a 1% lesser Halal automatically demotes a product to non-Halal? But perhaps not to that Ali guy from Melaka. Truly, the Sarkas religion amazes me.

Now, to the curtains...

It has become almost a tradition for most people to decorate their home for an approaching celebration. And one of the most important thing to put up or change, would be the curtains covering the windows of one's house. I have to admit though, changing the curtains is definitely not one of my favourite chores, if you can call it that. Simply, it is something you do only once a year. Off course, the fact that I am not steeplejack to be climbing ladders is a different matter. But anyway...

The process of fixing new curtains would begin with Emak hunting the right fabric and colours to match. Once fully satisfied, she will bring it home and sew the lace or whatever that needs to be sown onto the curtain. Before putting it up, she'll inspect from afar the condition of the curtain railings. After all, some fabrics can be more than a trifle heavy for the railings to hold. If needed, the Wak Kromo of the house would then be asked to put up new railings. That, was exactly what he did some Raya back.

While that Wak Kromo was about to start, Emak went out with Wak's elder brother. Left alone at home, the Wak went about doing the chore he was entrusted with. After having measured the length and drilled the spots to fix the railing, he took the new curtains which Emak had lovingly ironed earlier. Then, he counted the number of rings need for the curtain hooks, making sure there would be more rings needed. When he put up the curtains, he would skip every other ring so that should a ring be broken at a later date due to wear and tear, the sagging hook and curtain can easily be hooked onto the spare. Soon as everything's done, he was feeling proud of himself for having done a good job and went out to have a look from the outside. But something was terribly amiss!

Standing at the garden, he felt something was not right; could he have used the wrong curtain set? Instead of the green colour he should be looking at, he saw nothing but the inside of the house and can see each and every little thing which one ought not see had the curtain been hung. In other words, there were no curtains at all covering the windows! But he definitely remember fixing the railings and hanging the curtain hooks onto the rings. Hmm...definitely a mystery in the making, he thought to himself. Thus, he went back in to investigate and found the curtains was indeed hanging from the railing. The fact that is was flowing long to the floor is not his fault. Perhaps, Emak measured it wrong. So he went out again to the garden to have another look, and still saw no curtains. "Alamak!" Wak thought and feeling the creeps already, "could I have stepped into a Twilligh Zone?"

He went in again and still found the curtain where he thought it should be. Thinking like a Not SureLooks Holmes - that's the opposite of Sherlock Holmes - he soon solved the mystery. "The curtain railings," Wak deduced "ought to be fixed above the top of the window and not below it!".


ps. The subconcious learning method does not apply to sleeping or sleepy politicians.

RS2: Something About Lamb

On the last few days of Ramadhan, I was as usual, like almost everyone else, at a Ramadhan Bazaar to buy some delicacies. I was standing besides a group of young people who, like I was, waiting to cross the busy street running parallel to the bazaar when a taxi stopped not 20 meters away from us. Alighting first from the taxi was an elderly man wearing dark glasses. As he stepped out, he reached for the rear door and opened it where a lady about the same age as he was, had some minor difficulties putting her foot out. I initially did not give it much thought till a girl from the group of young people mentioned aloud "Ai! Pemuzik buta pun naik teksi gak!", referring to the couple whom when I looked in their direction, found them to be one of those blind musicians who busk on the streets. Still, I did not give them much thought till another girl from the same group said "Abeh! Camna derang nak bawak alat muzik derang? Naik bas?". It made me feel guilty then, it makes me feeling guilty even now as I write this.

In another scene, a friend tells me of a 'buka puasa' buffet he attended in a hotel. The spread, he mentioned, was simply superb. Apart from more than 20 main dishes to chose from which include a whole lamb and a turkey, there were a large variety of appetisers and desserts. It was, in his own words 'almost a sin'. And he pointed out 2 other points which could really make it a sin being there.

First, he overheard 2 well dressed ladies complaining about their maids whom they brought along for the buffet. The maids it seem, partook only a fraction worth of the buffet which the ladies were quoted to have said "It almost a sin to bring them along!". However, the maids were brought along not on the kind-heartedness of the ladies solely, as they had to look after their masters' children. Coming from a poor family, was it their fault that they have never seen such a lavish buffet and could not eat more than the single plate of serving they had?

Another thing my friend pointed out almost made me laugh and cry at the same time. Though it seem to be petty to many, he questioned the fact that many of the hotel's staff attending to the needs of the customers were Muslims who, like many other Muslims, had also fasted during the day. But these Muslim staff can only enjoy a simple breaking of fast, sometimes with just a glass of water as they need to get back on the floor soonest. Interestingly enough, he mentioned the fact that many of the customers were in fact, people who did not fast during the day. Perhaps, he voiced out, the authorities in JAKIM should look into this matter. A valid point there he has, I believe.

Now, a confession of my own: for the past 30 days or so, I too have my share of guilt as I have been wolfing down more lambs than I can ever imagine before. Like in the picture above, the satay like thing is actually grilled lamb meat sold at one of the stalls in Section 6 Bazaar Ramadhan, while the drumstick-like piece is a piece of lamb shank sold at Section 18 in Subang Jaya, along with the white roll which is a kebab. Of the 3, I've been eating the skewered lamb everyday since the stall is quite near my house.

When I think back about what the elderly blind couple as well as what my friend mentioned, I really do feel guilty deep inside. Perhaps, the only excuse I can offer is that, ready cooked lamb meat - other than the mamak's shop - are not readily available during other months. And I'm missing Ramadhan already.

RS1: Kiss Kiss, Hug Hug

It is now 10pm. The sun has set and there's nothing but silence all around...literally. Most of the neighbours here have either gone back to their kampung or, for the non-Muslims, are away for a very long weekend. If ever an astronaut is looking at this planet - this housing area where I am, in particular - I figure it would be almost to akin to us looking at the stars, where those empty houses are the dark patches of the space in between. Hmm...kind of reverse astronomy; Earthonomy, perhaps? Better still, make it Malconomy, short for Malaysian Economy in shambles due to mismanagement by the Sarkas and Palah (read here).

Alhamdulillah, for the first since we moved here, the house received quite a number of guests for Raya. I have to admit though, I now make a poor host. Not for anything, but running between serving the dishes and chatting with guests, one sometimes miss out on the hints where a guest would prefer the company of the host rather than the food. Not that I consider myself perfectly adorable, but foods aplenty in any house one goes to. But a host being a host, a guest should be well treated with whatever food is available. The company, will have to take second place in between the running. It is for the same reason I have restricted myself from visiting friends, not wanting to let Emak run herself to the ground serving any guests that drops by. Emak being Emak, will never sit easy if a guest is not served well. Knowing that well now, I no longer extend invitations to friends to drop by - I feel guilty watching Emak working in the kitchen, something no one can ask her not to; Emak after all, will be 76 this November. Thus, to any friends reading this, please forgive me in not inviting you, and kindly understand the situation. Still, that does not mean one cannot drop by. Please do.

This year too marked a first for the family when Din brought over his IT stuff and had Aiman, his son, fix a temporary wireless router so that we can do video conferencing with Din's two daughters as well as Ana and family. But of Din's daughters, only Hanis vidcam was working while Ana was not at home. Still, it was nice to see and talk to Hanis as the last she came back was 4 years back. She is, Emak's first grandchild.

Another first is when a neighbour, Encik Mohamed, brought his daughters along for Raya. Now, the eldest daughter, Akmar, will be graduating soon and this is the first time I meet her. And wow, is she a beauty! Thus, as with front neighbour Halim's daughters visit earlier in the morning, I thought of doing a 'Salam Raya' with Akmar as well - one with the kiss kiss, hug hug - but had second thoughts. I mean Halim and I are quite close and know when each is merely playing around, but not with Mohamed. Not only is he a religious guy, but he is also the Khariat Kematian representative for this street. By chance should Akmar think I was serious and decide to 'Salam Raya' with me...aiyai yai! Tomorrow's headline might then read either "Cakapaje in shotgun marriage!', or 'Cakapaje shotgunned!". Certainly not a delightful 2nd Raya Day reading, but certainly better than this next part.

TV3 Raya greetings this year showed 2 cat burglars about to be caught by the husband-wife residents of a house. I quite like the greeting but only up to the part where one of the burglars replied to the husband's challenge, admitting that they were cats. Though not original, I thought the greeting was funny. But when the other burglar put his hand to the mouth and supposedly replied 'Baru habis puasa, jangan tambah dosa', I wonder who the message is intended for or to. Perhaps on a glance, one could say the message was well meant for the public not to commit crimes or sins. But since it supposedly came from one of the burglars and directed to the residents of the house, I really do wonder. Could it perhaps, actually be meant for Malaysians not to defend their properties and rights in the face of wrongdoings by the supposedly leaders of this country? A bit far fetched, I admit. Then again, consider these:

1. Seen throughout the nation, RTM1 had some Sarkas leaders leading the Takbir congegration. Again, perhaps one might not think much about it, I admit. But when I read LanH's column in the English Section of Harakah 29 Sept - 5 October, where a delegation of MCA leaders visited Harakah and asked the difference between Sarkas's Islam and PAS Islam, I see a link there somewhere, and that somewhere is as below.

Now, I don't know about the rest of the Sarkas leaders leading the Takbir but certainly saw that one guy from Bagan, in Perak, and the other guy from Selangor who fancies himself as a Mike Tyson. When you consider that in Islam, there are several criteria to be met before electing any person as an imam in prayers, and that the person's credentials must be distinctly clear of any vice or misdemeanour which is unbecoming of a leader, he two goon mentioned would fail misreably. Wasn't it reported that the Bagan guy physically whacked a young man just because he does not like the guy approaching his daughter? Even if he is being protective towards his daughter, punching the daylights out of the young man leaves lots of questions on this guy's credibility as a leader, and more certainly especially in leading a congregation.

Then there's that guy who fancies himself as Mike Tyson, wasn't he the guy who eloped with a princess, and they later married without the consent of the princess's wali, inviting the wrath of her father? If so, how could this guy be leading a congegration of people in singing praises to Allah s.w.t., when clearly, up to this date, there have been no admission nor signs of him - and the Bagan guy - regretting their actions? Well, in so far as I know, I have read none about it. As such then, it would especially interest non-Muslims to note that the types of these 2 goons will never be accepted as a leader within PAS or Islam, unless he shows clear signs of regret or repent. And simply by their continuing their association with the Sarkas, it shows they have not. And I have not a doubt in mind that Palah and that Bijan guy too would lead a congegration of their own.

2. For the past 20 years or more - since mid Madey's time - the Sarkas leaders have been giving Raya speeches. But as I remember prior to this, the speech was given by the King. I cannot remember about Merdeka Day speeches, but I would think it be so as well. But, if the Raya or Eidul Fitri is an Islamic celebration, how is it we have the Sarkas leaders giving speeches, seeing that it is they who espoused the separation of politics from Islam, which by the way, is what PAS is against as PAS would like to see Malaysia administered according to Islamic Principles? Should not the Raya speech be delivered by the King only, as he or his office is above politics? Because, I certainly do hate the Raya speech by the Sarkas leadership where their current leader has not absolved himself of nepotism and corruption, while another is seen by many as an accomplice to a murder; both, are certainly a no-no to leading a congregation of Muslims in prayers.

*3. Another thing, the sarkas through its tv stations, seem to propagate a different practice of Islam. For instance, during Ramadhan, they would show some religious programs which include tazkirah and Jejal Rasul series. But no sooner had Ramadhan come to an end, they begin broadcasting endless entertainment shows where where opposite genders mix freely and shake hands unbridled whereas in Islam, they are not supposed to. This does not come as a surprise since their top imam does exactly the same with a famous actress in a dinner party late last year. So, is there a diffence between Sarkas and PAS Islam? Plenty! There's just too many to be mentioned here.


Back to TV3 Raya greeting, this, is how I now view it: to manipulate and brainwash the minds of unwary young Malaysians into surrendering their just rights as a citizen to a nation rich not only in natural resources, but also the diversity of religion, race, and political belief. The TV3 Raya greeting, do not deserve the airtime, and I will certainly not give them any kiss kiss, hug hug...the sarkas leadership, most especially.


* Added 2/10/08. Almost forgot about it.

ps. Just in case a reader wonder quietly. No, I'm no firebrand preacher. In fact, I'm not fit to be even a preacher. Just someone with a thinking different from Sarkas.