Photoshoot

Yesterday, I was busy working on some daily work when someone from the Product & Marketing Dept. (PMD) guy came near to me. I took no attention as I thought he was just meeting some of the staff in my section. With him was another young guy holding a camera.

Suddenly this PMD guy came nearer to me shaking my hand. Being a nice guy I greeted him as well as I had know him for sometimes now.

With him smiling to me he said, " En. Azam. Boleh ambik gambar tak?".
I was curious but being straight forward, I asked him. "Buat apa?".
"Kita orang nak carik talent for photo shoot untuk launching "Exora" nanti." He said.
(Exora is PROTON latest model to be launched next month).
I humbly said, "Alah..carik orang lain lah yang lagi hensem. Buat apa ambik I pulak?".

What he was going to say makes me felt funny and a bit insulted also?

"Tak, kita orang nak cari orang yang tua sikit yang macam family man". He said.

My lady executive who sat besides me started laughing already. So is the guy next to her. And these people give more "nasi tambah" saying this and that. "Oi tak orang lagi tua ke?" "Orang yang hensem kan banyak lagi"etc.etc.

Dalam hati "kurang asam betul. Ada kah aku ni dah tua sangat?"
"Eh you ingat I ni tua sangat ke? heheh..

But he pacify me.... "Kereta Exora kan untuk family. Jadi nak tunjukkan orang yang ada family lah???? Macam En. Azam.."

To cut the story short, the other young guy who was holding the camera started taking my pics with several pose. After that they left and I didn't think of it at all. I just comply to him so that he can go elsewhere to find some other talent.

That was yesterday. Today I was busy as ever with more things to be done especially the monthly reports. Then about 5.40 p.m. someone called my handphone. The number is peculiar to me but he introduced himself to me.

"Hello En. Azam. This is ..... from Marketing and Comm., EDAR".
I kindly said. " Yes, anything I can help you?"
He : "Are you free tomorrow?"
Me : "For what?" I go straight to the point.
He : "Can you come for photoshoot?"
Me : "What photoshoot?" (I didn't remember about yesterday talent search).
He : "Oh.. you are selected for the photoshoot for the Exora launch. So can you come"
Me : ...thinking and felt funny..ha.. aku nak jadik model.. tak payah... but I still don't want to disappoint him.
"Hmm... I have a meeting in the morning but I will be around this building. So what time you want to take?"
He : "How about in the afternoon?"
Me : "I have another meeting form 2.30pm til 5.30 pm. How long does the photoshoot take?"
He : "The whole day"
Me : "The whole day? Apa lama sangat? Malas lah."
He : "Alah tolong lah!"
Me : "Sorry lah. I'll be busy the whole tomorrow. Kalau weekened boleh lah."
He : "Tak boleh lah. Kene esok jugak".
Me : "Kalau macam tu, tak payah lah. Carik lah orang lain." I apologatically told him. Habis lah peluang nak jadi pelakon terkenal hahahaa...

Demand pulak I ni. But suddenly I thought, the photo shoot will take so long and it's very damn boring. I had once experience before when I took my daughter, Mimi for a photo shoot. It took almost the whole day andI have to wait for her. Letih betul. So it's ok for me. I'm not "gila glamour" and I don't intent to be a model anyway. So if you see the Exora commercial later, always remember that the "family man" guy in that commercial should have been me heheheee...

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.

Happy Birthday Sayang

This song by Adam Ahmad have been coming into my ears lately especially when Ky's birthday is coming. Probably it also mean something to me especially when I now felt the lost or probably needed her at this point of time in my life.




It's 26 October 2008. It could have been Ky's 48th birthday. I remember it well. Why shouldn't I? We have been celebrating it for the last 18 years together. But this year is different. We aren't celebrating her birthday. Not as much as we wanted to. But I personally felt that it's a day to remember her. She has left us almost 10 months now. So on Saturday 25 October 2008, after Maghrib each one of us read Surah Yassin at home dedicated to her. Knowing her, she had once told me that she don't one any of us to read Yassin nor doing tahlil at her grave. So by read Yassin at thome, I guess that is the most precious gift the kids and I could give her.

I have also planned to make the resting place a bit better. Initially it was just an ordinary grave that looks the below.


Ky's resting place - just as simple grave with wooden plank
curbing the area with 2 red leave plant as marking.

So I have planned to have a simple yet lovely kubur for her. So during the Ramadan, I have requested somebody to do a "one tier" kubur without any frills. I have choosen white tiling as I guess it would look clean and simple as well.I already got 2 large size river stone to put as her "batu nisan" but I haven't got the time to put some engraving to it yet.

I've also decided to plant small "Japanese roses" in the middle of her grave with Red English Rose on the top and "button flower" plant at the bottom.

Actually the kids and I had planned to get pebbles from the river to put on top of her grave. However, due to the fasting month and Raya month, till now we could get it done. Thus I decided to use the littel white and black pebbles that I bought from the nursery.

English Red roses plant instead of a bouquet of red roses for my love one.

At the end, it came out to be a simple but yet nice grave that I guess would be my birthday present for her. I was quite please of the outcome.

So on Sunday I took the kids to the grave so that they could recite Al Fatihah for their mom at her resting place. Nowadays, it not easy to get the kids together at one time. Fortunately today, we got together to spend sometime at the grave.

Along, Angah, Acik (hidden) and Mimi reciting Al-Fatihah her their mom.

I even told the kids that if I'm not around anymore, I would want them to visit me and remember me during my birthday. Of course reciting Surah Yassin is more precious to me than anything else.


The simple grave. White tile border. White and black pebbles.
English rose, Japanese roses and button flower plant as accessories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAYANG!! MAY YOU REST IN PEACE AND IN THE PLACE CHOSEN BY ALLAH.

Surprise ... Surprise

I was so busy yesterday that I couldn't blog much. Dari pagi sampai lah ke petang tak sempat nak relax sikit. Meeting lah, presentation lah...

Wednesday 13 February 2007

Mimi called me using her Mak's handphone. "Ayah bila nak balik ni? Cepat lah sikit". I answered back; "eh.. kan Ayah cakap malam ni Ayah ada Business Preview. Ayah balik pukul 11.00 malam tau. Awak jangan tunggu ayah. Awak tidur dulu ok". That's was at 7.00 pm.

At about 10.30 pm, Acik pulak call. "Ayah bila nak balik ni?" Me without thinking, I said; " Mengapa? Awak takut tidur sorang ya? Awak ajak lah Mimi tidur dulu kalau awak takut tidur sorang."

Then at 10.45 pm, another call from home. "Ayah, ayah kat mana ni ayah?" Acik again called. " Ayah tengah driving nak balik ni lah! Awak tidur lah dulu." I answered. "Cepat lah sikit Yah!"

Again about 11.00 pm, Mimi called again. "Ayah kat mana ni Yah?" "Ayah dah sampai Giant ni. Kejap lagi buka gate untuk Ayah ok."

I was so ignorant and didn't expect anything. All I think was Acik and Mimi is waiting for me so that I can accompany them to sleep as usual. Until I got into the house....

"SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Ayah! Happy Birthday to you!......... and Mimi presented me a chocolate birthday cake with 5 litted candles.

I was really caught off guard. That was the last thing I can think of. My kids planned a surprise birthday. I was really touched with their gesture. Mimi was the one who got so excited about it.

"Ayah surprise tak yah!" Mimi asked me. "Mesti lah Ayah surprise. Patut lah awak call ayah banyak kali. Ayah ingat kan awak takut nak tidur sorang-sorang. Anyway thank you semua anak-anak ayah". I answered with a bit of tears of happiness in my eyes. Terharu beb.. anak-anak buat surprise party.

I immediately asked Along to get the camera and get Bibik to snap our pics. Nanti I post it here later.

I was really touched that my kids took the trouble to buy a birthday cake for me. Mimi said that she gave Along RM10.00 to buy the cake but Along bagi RM6 saja. Hot adik dia. But to me it's not about the cake. It's about my kids took the trouble to give a me a surprise. It's about them still remember my birthday. It's about caring. It's about love. And it's about everything being a father.

I love my kids. Thank you kiddo.

As Time Goes By - add another year to the age.

How do you feel when it's your birthday today? I have a mixed feeling. Yes today I'm 48 years old.

Some people wish me luck and some people wish me long live. My niece Emma from Holland said that I've got 2 more years before turning 50 and I've 2 more years to enjoy. Hey .. hey .. as if after 50 I got no more life to live.

Well some says it's just a number. Yeah when you are 25 you can say that. But when your age is double than them, then it makes you think. Alamak I'm so old huh!

Some says that it is what in your mind? If you think you are young, then you'll be young. If you think you are old, then you'll be old. I tried that. I was always thinking that I'm still young. But then again, when I had in many occasion having joint pain (where most old people do), I think am I that young?

My hair is almost all white - so who can I convince that I'm still young. But I always joke with them, "I'm not old, I just dyed my hair white!". That's gave a few sarcastic smile to some people.

With my kids growing up in sizes and in height, doesn't that me feel that I'm older. Along for instance, is much taller than me now. Angah's size is as big as I am or if not bigger. Except for Acik (bila lah nak tinggi Acik ni - dia belum mimpi lagi kot!!), Mimi had grown as tall as Acik now. And in no time, she'll gets her period. So what that signifies???

Yeah 48 is a good number. But when you are now single (cewah tengah single lagi), probably your market value is not as high as when you were 25! Yeah you might said that "age is like wine. the more older it gets, the better you'll be". But then again I don't take wine. Doesn't wine taste sour. So I don't want to taste sour when I get older. Cheh!

When you gets above 45, you don't want people to remind you, do you? Yeah people wishes you all the best lah, good health lah, may God bless you lah, many happy returns lah, etc. But actually why? Because when you age digit is changing faster than the speed of light, you need to have all that. You need all the luck you can, you need a better health when you walk slower than before and sexually you need many more happy returns hehehee.

Well I'll always think like this.. take one thing at a time. Take one day at a time.

I've read somewhere a joke when can you signifies that you are getting older:

1. when you find out that you have lesser hair on your head but more hair on your back and in your ears.
2. when you heart want to have sex but you organ can't do that hehehee.
3. when it takes more time for you to climb the stairs than you usually do (and it's the same stairs) and you are gasping for more oxygen.
   
4. when the sales girl at the counter address you as "Pakcik" instead of Abang. oh I miss that already. worst still they call you "Atok". that kills man.
5. when suddenly your nieces and nephews who got married and have many childrens and they call you "Atok".
6. when you drive slower than the traffic flow and worst still they honk you for being slow.
7. you in a company of old people and suddenly you talk like them already. and you having so much fun with them. alamak.
   
8. your kids try to go to the shopping mall on their own instead of you accompanying them.
   
9. your kids talks language that you don't understand. and it's the same malay language that you speak. and they make fun of you as well. aduih!
   

I think there are more but then again I don't want to feel old. I feel like I'm 25 macam dulu dulu lagi. Lagi pun saham kena lah jaga sebab masih single kan cheh!