Tuesday 31 March 2009

Misused and Abused

Tajuk entry ni takde kena mengena dengan wanita2 yg auntie bantu dalam kerja amal auntie. Au contraire (betul ke ejaan ni?), it refers to AH's feelings about being married to auntie. This is evidence in this phone conversation:

Kringg! Kringg!


Mamachupan: Hello.

AH: Mamachupan, can I talk to you now?

Mamachupan: Yes, apa dia AH?

AH: Ni, I nak mengadu pasai bini I ni.

Mamachupan: Kenapa?

AH: Tadi dia balik rumah, duduk atas katil pastu k-r-k hidung dia dan membuat cubaan memegang I dengan tangan dia yg bekas t-h- hidung tu. Bila I tanya dia, sape ajar buat benda camni ni, dia kata MAMACHUPAN! Pastu dia cabar I suruh call you to verify. Hidup I sungguh lah stress sekarang.

Mamachupan: Kekekekeke (auntie tak dengar exactly apa mamachupan cakap). Of course I tak suruh dia buat tu.

AH: Memang la I tau. Tapi sbb dia cabar I, I kena call la you jugak. Macam ni singkatlah hidup I. Asyik kena seksa dengan bini. Dah lah I dok stress dengan krisis negara dan dunia. Pastu kena deal pulak ngan bini yg samseng. Semuanya nak menjawab.

Mamachupan: Tu la, AH. Sape suruh pi kawin ngan pompuan yg cerdik pandai! (Hehehe. Ni auntie agak jek apa mamachupan kata).

Auntie kata:
Bang, ni phone no teledera: 1 800 88 3040.

Saturday 28 March 2009

What were you up to when the lights were out?

Auntie thinks most people auntie knows managed to observe the 'let's turn the lights off for an hour' call tonight as part of the Earth Hour Campaign. Although there are a few people who are skeptical about the campaign eg questioning about how fleeting this observation is and whether it could significantly contributed to saving the earth if people then forget about it and continue their merry way with wasting energy. Auntie agrees with this argument to a certain extent. Hopefully people don't just take this earth hour call as a sort of fun and game only or worse, just to clear their conscience for all possible wastage they have committed. Let's hope this is a beginning or a continuous effort in our strive to help reduce the world's wastage and to guard our earth against impending destruction due to mindless usage and wastage.

Well, anyway, how did you observe earth hour? Auntie and AH decided (well, mostly auntie decided and AH gamely followed) that we should turn all the lights in the bedroom off as well as the TV and computers. But we did have the air-cond on coz both of us would have been suffocated without it (you would understand this if you ever had the privilege of seeing out room (but not likely in the near future). At the moment we do not have control over the rest of the house because we have the title-owners living with us (AH's parents, of course). But AHs's mom thought that the lights off was a government injunction, so she had followed through with it while asking to be excused (from no one in particular) from switching the alley and toilet lights because she may need to use the loo in that hour or so. AH's Tok Umi called at 7.00pm today to remind us about the lights-off, which, auntie suspects, what gave the idea to Mak that this is something that all government-fearing citizens must do. In any case, Tok Umi might have thought the same thing, which is why she promptly called all persons on her phone list to remind them about the lights off. You must also know that Tok Umi has not been able to see for a few decades now, so lights off may not really mean any change to her world but we must admire her diligence and consciousness about these things.

So, what did you do to while away the dark hour? Auntie knows of at least one person who blogs. Tak aci! Computer still emits lights! (Hehe, AH did put on the torch light from time to time to suluh auntie, just in case we crushed each other on the bed- no dirty thoughts, you folks!). Also, AH keeps whining why we have to do this while other people do not seem to be observing it (because we could still see lights coming into our room from outside). Why only now he wants to do what other people do, auntie wants to ask?!

Anyway, while the lights are out, auntie was thinking of this song (or part of it):

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
Learn how to pretend


Romantic je bunyi nya. But of course nothing of the sort happens for us. Other things that DID NOT happen with us during the lights out are:

1. Baby making. Hehehe. At our age, and with our dispositions, we don't think we can attempt this in an hour. Too much pressure. Kalau nak tau, our mukaddimamah ie AH having to 'risik2' and auntie having to decide whether to agree to the act may take half of that hour. (Ok, sape tak nak dengar or imagine tak tentu arah or nak termuntah, sila switch ke blog mamachupan, or better still, blog shasha yg berkapang tu)

2. A quickie? (Hehe. Same as above).

3. Talked about our life plans. We ended up mostly talking about politics (and mostly about how it sucks).

4. Make plans about what to cook tomorrow. Although we did come to an agreement that we may have breakfast at Pak Wan's in the morning.

5. Sleep. No, despite a lack of passionately romantic activities, we did do our version of romancing the spouse. Bini urut laki, laki urut bini.

Shall we attempt another lights off next Saturday? Definitely, maybe!

Good night, everyone. May Allah bless you with His wisdom and peace in times of darkness.

Friday 27 March 2009

The Upper Hand

Most of the time AH could stand auntie's many antiques (according to him!). But at times, auntie thinks certain things auntie does drive him up the wall...



...such that it may have triggered this conversation:

Bini: Bang, kenapa kalau abang nak kata 'pisang' abang mesti tunjuk tangan camtu, takleh ke tunjuk jari camni jek [PS: pisang is a euphemism, ok?]

Laki: Boleh tak kalau tak question setiap statement/ benda yg abang buat?

Bini: Kenapa pulak tak boleh, bang? Kan kalau macam weird je, mesti la bini boleh tegur?

Laki: Tu, tu, tengok tu! Ada jek nak jawab. Nanti abang jatuh mati, pun mesti 'auntida' [bukan nama sebenar] akan tanya, " eh, kenapa ni bang? Kenapa abg baring atas lantai ni? Abg mati ke?" Eee geramnya, aku! Kalau tanya macam tu, abang akan bangun semula dari mati dan cekik 'auntida' [bukan nama sebenar]!

Bini: [ketawa tak makan saman]



Most of the time, though, we have good, peaceful times like these...



Of course, AH prefers if auntie drives and he sits back and enjoys.



This is our family potrait. All chummy. It may all be a facade!



Night, night. May Allah bless you and yours.

Wednesday 11 March 2009

20 minutes to four-zero

By the time auntie log in the blog and write the title entry, it's 18 minutes to four-zero. Well, not exactly coz auntie vaguely remembered the numbers 8.50 p.m. on auntie's birth cert, so technically, it is still about 16 hours to four-zero (in this economically declining climate, you want to stretch what you can, kan?).

So, what are auntie's last thoughts and wishes while still being 30-something? Let me see...

1) If with God's blessing auntie get to live beyond 8.50pm tomorrow, auntie thank Almighty Allah for his rahmah. Even if auntie didn't, auntie still have the same prayers.

2) Auntie's thoughts are with Auntie's friend Rosmaria, who did not get to be with the rest of auntie's school batchmates celebrating our 40th year, Insya Allah. Maria passed on May last year. Alfatihah.

3) Auntie hope in the last 30 plus years of auntie's lives auntie had not caused hurt to people around auntie. But that's not realistic. Of course, auntie have hurt people. And auntie seek forgiveness for that. Auntie hope auntie would do better in the next 40 years or so.

4) Auntie hope auntie will be a more patient person as auntie gets to be 40 (so auntie still have 7 minutes to be impatient!)

5) Auntie pray that Allah continues to grant auntie good health, wealth (not only material-wise) and wisdom (which is sometimes solely lacking)

(5 minutes to go ni...)

6) Auntie prays aunties parents live to see many more birthdays of their children and grandchildren

7) Auntie prays that if Allah grants auntie and AH long life, we will not be a burden to anyone.

8) Auntie prays for peace on earth.

9) Auntie wishes thank you to AH and aunties families and friends for what they have meant to auntie in the last 30 odd years. Looking forward to more meaningful lives together.

10) Thank you Allah.


Amin Amin Ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Wassalam

12.00 am, 12 March 2009

Tuesday 10 March 2009

Women and men celebrating women for humankind

Ok, ok, title entry auntie ni a bit garbled, but as auntie is prone to say, there is method to the madness of anything auntie might say even when madness itself can be the method (more garbles, garbles).

Anyways, in this entry auntie nak cerita tentang keistimewaan bulan March. First, of course, there are many birthdays of loved ones in March (hehehehe plus someone really, really close to this blog, hint! hint!). The advent of March hari tu was Shills aka Badak President's birthday. Prezzie nanti dulu ya Shills (got one..., don't worry, although abang hensem dah boikot lu punya besday kerana menuduh lelaki suci bersekongkol dengan Casper mengacau rumah auntie, lu better say sorry to him!).

Then, 3rd of March was Ajmal-cutie-pie's besday. Ajmal yg semakin berisi dan keletah (pics in bro1's blog). Auntie was lucky enough to be in KL when Ajmal had his party. Ajmal was all excited masa maksu and auntie sampai rumah and dia dok sebut "Ada cake!!!!" Sekuat hati. Tapi bila time nak ambik gambar and nyanyi happy besday Ajmal malu pulak and menyorok bawah meja. Like Shasha, Ajmal also hates goodbyes, so bila auntie nak say goodbye, dia lari pi nyorok pulak. Anyways, hope Ajmal knows that it is always 'au revoir' with auntie and never goodbye!



Of a more global importance, March also is the month to celebrate the International Women's Day (IWD). 8th March to be exact. This year is the first time that Malaysia celebrates the International Women's Day because in the past it has always decided to celebrate only the national women's day which falls on the 25th August (after some significant event of some political party). Well, better late than never auntie would say. So, hopefully, Malaysia will continue to celebrate this day the same date as the rest of the world so that takde la rasa macam passe jek when we celebrate it in August. This year's IWD theme is Women and men uniting to end violence against women and girls. In auntie's university, the theme is modified a bit to be "Sharing the caring: Towards a sustainable future". Both these themes are close to auntie's heart because auntie's research and voluntary work is about the issue of violence against women and girls and how to eradicate it. Auntie has been working on this issue since 1993 (starting with auntie's postgrad studies) but things are not getting any better. Every year in the last 10 years about 3000 women are being abused by their husbands in the homes in Malaysia. In auntie's research work, auntie have seen reports about all forms of abuse that might be unimaginable to many of us. But these experiences are real and grievous. Auntie had also come across cases of young girls been sexually abused by family members and people they trust. Sometimes this abuse last until their adulthood when they were able to seek help independently. Auntie prays that children close to auntie had not had to go through all this. More importantly auntie prays earnestly also that none of auntie's loved ones and those close to auntie are perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Women and girls also face violence in the public sphere. Women are being sexually harassed in their workplace and young women and girls in their places of education. Women and girls are constant victims of harassment and rape in public places. Rapes of women and girls also occur in the homes either independently or as part of the commission of other crimes (like buglary and break-ins). In auntie's favourite quote 'the risk factor [of being victim of violence] is being female'. It goes without saying that the majority of the perpetrators of violence against women/ girls are men. And take it from auntie (so that you guys do not have to go read all the literature about this issue), one of the main reasons for this is because women is seen as the weaker sex, not deserving of respect and thus easy victims of an expression of power by men. Which is why, we must change society's perception about this. As mamachupan wrote, we must teach our children that both women and men are deserving of the same dignity and respect to prosper as human beings. When boys respect their sisters [in more sense than just biological] as equals, they will grow up to treat them as fellow human beings and will not think that the female sex deserve to be violated if they don't conform to their perceived roles. So, auntie hopes that everyone who reads this blog can see the IWD as pertinent to all of us from now on (if they had not already been) and not think it as just a Western-based idea that has no relevance to our lives.

OK, enough serious thoughts.

Now to the remaining event in March. Of course you know what's coming! Yes, there is no.1 and no.2 in it and it will come in a day or two. Pada awalnya auntie nak buat cool dan see whether AH will remember. Tapi auntie tak tahan la so kena jugak tanya if he remembers. Nasib baik ingat. Kalau tak harus auntie terus pi meeting 2-3 minggu kat KL and tak balik. Anyways, auntie dah beritau AH auntie's wish list, so kalau ada yang need ideas (hehehehehe, perasan ni!), tolong la bercalling-calling ngan AH yek?

Happy IWD everyone. Semoga Allah mengurniakan kesejahteraan kepada kita semua dan melimpahkan kita dengan sifat-Nya yang kasih mengasihani sesama umat manusia. Wassalam.