Your Best Year Yet!

It now February 2009. Have you ever asked yourself what resolution have you made for this year? Have your resolution for the year before been achieved? Or that you will do all over again since your resolution were never achieved years after years.

Well you maybe surprise that you have not done anything to achieve whatever you wanted for that year until the very last minute. Only on 31st December you suddenly think that " ah...my resolution....???" or you might be thinking "well...why not do it all over again". There's another year to go.

For those who are very melancholy and didn't achieved whatever you want, don't despair. Be cool. There is a chance to achieve your best year yet.

I recently attended a workshop that teaches us how not to despair despite that we haven't achieved everything that we wanted. It because sometimes we do not actually focus on what we want.

The speaker mentioned that for a start we should focus on the positive things that we have achieved. Even though it a small achievements, it is still an achievement. Because to trigger our mind and to motivate ourselves, we should focus on positive things first. If we start being negatives there you are.... you have let yourself to develop a blockage and negative imaginations of yourself.

So the speaker asked each of us to list down 10 positive things that you have achieved. And I did this exercise as well just to remind me that... hey I did achieved something over the last year;

1. I survive my singlehood as a father for a year now.
2. I can take care of my kids. They are healthy and well taken care of.
3. I was promoted to higher grade.
4. I still have family that cares for me and my kids.
5. I still friends that still cares for my well being.
6. I still have a job.
7. I managed to enroll my first son to a University.
8. I am still healthy.
9. I clear off my credit cards every month and no outstanding.
10. I did my first own seminar overseas after years of not doing it.
    

So when you start with something positive, you can continue to do positive things instead of regretting what we have not achieved.

So you silent readers, why not do the same exercise? Who knows that you have achieved more things that you can imagine by simply start with a simple positive achievements.

And as for me. I will continue to write down what I wan to achieve for this year. And for that I will not reveal here. It's for me to know and for you to find out.

Mayumi Itsuwa - Ribaibaru "Revival"-

I was driving home from work last Friday. After a long day work and meeting after meetings, at last I'm going home for the weekends. Friday is a day you to look for - you are heading for weekends. It the rest days for you right? No boss, no meetings, no work - for a couple of days.

So while I was driving somewhere in USJ, while listing to one of the radio station, this song was tuned in. A melodious Japanese number. I had heard it many time before but couldn't figure out how to get this song.

And now with the internet thingy, you can get any songs you want. And I got this one from youtube. For those of you who are the "jiwang-jiwang" type, I'm sure you would love this song by Mayumi Itsuwa. Happy listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWtkBf7eI8

A birthday wish from Mimi

Mimi insisted that I post this picture in this blog. She did some editing using some technique she got from the net. I didn't know that she did it but it turned quite well.

It's something that she did for wishing me "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to me. Thank you mybaby.

This picture was taken in a wedding somewhere.

Friday the 13th....Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!

Selamat Ulang Tahun Sayang - Imran Ajmain

It's Friday the 13th. To some superstitious people, it's a omen day. To some it's an unlucky number 13. But to those who are very very superstitious, there's a one word for you ... " Who cares". It my Birthday dude. If I'm unlucky, would I have stayed alive still now. If I'm unlucky, would I have many people who still loves me as what I am and what I have become. If I'm unlucky, would I have survived 3 economic recessions already hahahaa.. now you know my age hehehe...

Or should I just upturn the word unlucky to very lucky. Maybe I can list down some of my personal achievements that I have gotten over many years even thought I born on the "13th". For a start I want to list at least 10 of them.

1. I was the first in my family to pursue my study in a university. What more if it an American University.
2. I was the first to get an MBA. That's my greatest educational achievement.
3. I was married to someone I love very much and we were blessed with 4 kids.
4. I now have 4 growing up teenagers. Some people unfortunately don't have children. I pity them.
5. Health wise, I'm still ok. Sugar and cholesterol level still within the normal range. But of course I'm taking precaution about my health.
6. I still have good job with great people around me.
   
7. I still have family who still cares about me.
8. I still have lots of friends who still calls me once awhile to know my well being. And there are still people who reads my blog right?
   
9. I still have my networking friends who build the business together with me.
10. I'm still alive and I love my life.
    

So who still say that 13 is unlucky. What more if 13 February is just a day before the Valentine's day. But I'm not going to elaborate on Valentine's Day. Because I heard the Khatib at the Khutbah yesterday, said that it's not proper for Muslim to celeberate Valentines day because it's a day for rememberance of Saint. Valentine. What he is trying to say that it's haram... fullstop!

Anyway last week, we had a family gathering at my mom's place. The initial reason was to have a doa selamat for Azura@Jua as she is leaving to pursue her studies in Australia. Since we are congregating, we might as well have a bacaan yassin for our family members who had left us. And the third reasons is celebrating those birthday in February. So of course lah... they include me as well. Not that I insisted but when people want to celebrate your birthday, you wouldn't want to disappoint them right?



My sister Ina wanted to buy a cake and asked me what kind of cake do I want...
Not that I insisted, but I told her a chocolate cheese is good... and she bought one
from Secret Recipe.. sedap kau.. sambil jilat sudu..Thank you Ina.


February birthday : Nazar, Niki, Zie and Me.
But since Nazar is not around, Hidayat represents him.


My Mak... at 84 she still can celeberate with me.
That's more important to me than anything else.

Mimi basuh kasut sendiri

Dulu masa kecik-kecik, kita lah yg basuh kasut sekolah sendiri. Takde siapa yg nak tolong basuh kasut kita. Kalau tak basuh sendiri, alamat nyer.. hari Isnin pergi sekolah pakai kasut yg tak basuh tu. Dah lah tu, kasut ada sepasang jer.

Tak macam budak sekolah sekarang. Kurang-kurang nya 2 pasang seorang. Kalau dia orang pergi sekolah kebangsaan pada pagi dan sekolah agama pada petang nya.. mungkin lebih lagi kasut dia.

Mimi anak pompuan I sorang ni, ada empat pasang kasut. 2 untuk sekolah pagi dan 2 untuk sekolah Agama petang. Dah lah tu, sebab dia jadi pengawas pusat sumber, so kena pakai kasut hitam. Tapi sekolah agama pulak, dia pakai kasut putih pulak. So terpaksa lah sediakan 4 pasang kasut. Just in case kalau hujan dan kasut basah. So ada spare kasut.

Tapi yang jadi masaalah nya ialah, lagi banyak kasut yang dia ada, bukan dia ambil hal nak cuci kan nya every weekened. Bibik ler lah jadi tukang cuci kasut dia. Bukan nya kita tak bising suruh dia belajar cuci kasut, tapi dua buat dek jer.

Lagi pun kalau Saturday and Sunday, selagi tak kena kejut, tak bangun lah dia ni. Kadang-kadang sampai tengah hari baru buka mata. So bibik lah nak tak nak kena basuh kasut dia.

So petang tadi Mimi tiba-tiba tanya saya bagaimana nak belajar cuci kasut sendiri. Betul ke apa yang saya dengar ni? Dalam hati saya, elok lah jugak kalau dia nak basuh kasut sendiri. Kurang-kurang nya dia ada initiative nak belajar.

So dia tanya macam mana nak basuh kasut. Yang pertama sekali saya cakap.. nak basuh kasut, kena lah cari kasut tu kan. Pas tu rendam supaya kasut tu basah dan senang nak berus dengan sabun.

Pastu tu dia tanya lagi, pakai sabun apa? Saya cakap, cari lah sabun yang ada kast bilik air tu. Tapi saya terfikir juga, kalau dia ambil sabun mandi pulak kang lain lak cerita nya.

Tapi dia tanya lagi, nak pakai berus apa. So saya jumpa ada 3 berus. Satu berus sabut, 2 berus plastik. So dia tanya lagi.. macam mana nak berus. Jadi saya tunjukkan kan lah dia cara-cara memberus kasut dengan sabun buku. Baru lah dia faham.

So bila dia tengah basuh tu, saya pun relax nak tengok TV. Tiba-tiba dia jerit lagi, "Ayah nak tukar berus boleh tak?". Saya jawab lah..."boleh...janji kasut tu bersih."

Anyway at the end, bersih jugak lah dia cuci kasut dia. Tapi sebelum tu, saya jaar jugak dia teknik-teknik nak jemur kasut tu. Kasut tu kena lah tunggangkan dulu supaya air nya keluar dulu sebelum dijemur. Kalau tidak, mencecehlah air tu keluar.

Anyway, I'm glad that Mimi is learning how to scrub her own shoes. Tapi kasut yang hitam tu dia kata..."Takpayah lah ayah.. kasut hitam tak payah cuci sebab dia dah hitam!!!" Ha ialah tu????

Mula-mula kalau nak basuh kasut..mesti lah cari kasut tu kan?
Jangan cari bende lain pulak????


Pastu, basahkan kasut dan berus dengan sabun...tapi
bukan dengan dengan sabun mandi tau!


Berus betul-betul supaya semua nya bersih, ok...

My Girl is Growing Up

Sometimes is quite challenging for me to bring up my 4 growing up teenagers. Mimi now 11 going 12 this May, Acik just got 13 last 12th December. Angah is now becoming a handsome young man 16 going 17 by next month and Along my eldest 18 going 19 by this August.

Each of these kids have their own character. Not counting their kerenah and temperamental "angin". But I love them all but sometimes I also wonder, why they become my kids because they don't act the way I did when I was their age before.

Anyway amongst them, Mimi is the one whom I had to pay extra attention. Not only that she is the only girl but she need the most attention. Kadang-kadang kesian juga tengok dia. I don't alway give her the permission to go out alone even during the day light.

She always complain. "Ayah ni selalu tak bagi Mimi keluar. Acik tu takpe." And my usual answer was, "Mimi kan kecik lagi. Mimi lah anak perempuan ayah sorang. Kalau apa-apa hal kan Mimi jugak susah."

Anyway last night was the night before she goes to bed, she ask me questions that actually only "a mother" should be the one who answer all her questions. Guess what? This is the moment that I was afraid if she ask. But I have prepared myself all the answers because I know the time will come.

Here the question goes:
Mimi : Ayah kalau perempuan datang period, dia tak boleh sentuh lelaki ke?

Ayah : (pening kepala juga pikirkan .. macamana lak pulak budak ni tiba-tiba tanya soalan cepumas???) Anyway my answer was : Kalau adik beradik atau ayah boleh sentuh.

Mimi : Tapi Ustazah kata tak boleh.

Ayah : Itu kalau dia dah kahwin, memang dia tak boleh bersama dengan suami dia.

Mimi : Sebab apa?

Ayah : Sebab masa period, dia keluar darah kotor dia.

Mimi : Abis tu mengapa pulak dia kotor. Ada bau ya?

Ayah : (Lagi pening kepala nak jawab. Tapi kalau tak jawab nanti lagi dia confuse). Ya lah darah yang keluar tu darah yang kotor . Sebab tu dia kena keluar dari badan perempuan.

Mimi : Abis tu kalau dia
dah kahwin, apa salahnya dia tidur dengan suami dia.

Ayah : (Help me.. help me!!!! Tapi terpakse jugak berterus terang). Boleh tapi takut kalau dia bersetubuh dengan suami dia. (Nasib baik dia tak tanya soalan yg paling cepumas... apa bersetubuh tu ayah.. pengsan ayah dia nak jawab hehehe..)
Mimi : Berapa lama orang tu datang haid yah?Ayah : Dalam 5 hari atau 7 hari kot.
Ayah : (Tukat topic cepat-cepat.) Kawan Mimi ada tak yang dah datang haid?

Mimi : Dah ada dah.

Ayah : Mimi tanya lah dia macamana pengalaman dia. Mimi nak kena spare tuala wanita dalam beg sekolah tau. Just in case kalau Mimi datang period kat sekolah. Mimi kena belajar macamana nak cuci bende tu dan jangan buang merata-rata. Lepas cuci bungkus dalam kertas dan baru buang tau. Belajar kat bibik macamana nak cuci bende tu.

Mimi : Ok.
Mimi : Ayah...apa nama nya kalau orang tu sakir perut bila dia datang haid yah?
Ayah : Sengugut..(or something sounds like that).
Mimi : Abis tu macamana? Kena makan ubat ke?
Ayah : Ya lah.. makan lah panadol ke? (Agak nya lah kan.. mana gue tahu). Ok lah Mimi. Ayah dah ngantuk ni. Mimi tidur dulu. Nanti tanya lah Teh ke, Anjang ke, Ustazah Mimi ke ok?
Mimi : Ok
Ayah : (dalam hati .. lega sikit aku????)

But I'm very sure she will ask some more. Especially during the first time when she'll have it.

But sometimes terpikir jugak.. alangkah baik nya kalau ada seorang wanita disisi aku supaya dia tolong jawab soalan-soalan cepumas ni kan???? kan??? Tapi buka selalu pun dia akan tanya kan?. So why hurry to get a wife hehehee.. I will survive .... for now. Bak macam Gloria Gaynor kata.....

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor