labbaikAllahumalabbaik

Syukur Alhamdulillah, I already have confirmation on my hajj travel dates. Details:

Reporting at Kelana Jaya : 8 December 2007; 2.30am (I'm reporting there at about 10pm).
Departure : 8 December 2007; 6.30am
Arrival : 19 January 2008
Maktab : KT81

Since my wife is pregnant, I will be performing my hajj with my parents in-law.

To family and friends, I'm starting to collect doa requests. Please feel free to e-mail me your requests at waazainal@talisman-energy.com or call/sms me at 012-331 7210.

If I am not able to see anyone of you personally, I humbly wish to ask for forgiveness for any mistakes or hurt that I have caused. Please pray for my successful return. Wasalam.

(This post will continually stay on top until 8 December 2007)

what do you see?

Look at this guy... what do you see? I snapped this picture while driving to work one morning.

I see that it's hard to make a living for some people - but for some, its easy money. I think if he had options, I'm sure he would have wanted to move the load using a car rather than a motorbike. Though you can't see it in this picture, I could see then that the box was quite heavy due to the difficulty to maneuver the bike. This actually poses a signicant risk to this biker's safety. Kesian.

The 'half full glass' version => Cool! Malaysian kapcai riders can carry big heavy boxes. Malaysia Boleh! ;)

HR birthdays

Happy Birthday Azman, Halim and Zurina. May Allah bless you always. Amin.

Aneesa is 2

Allah selamatkan Aneesa... 3x.

Happy 2nd Birthday Aneesa. For your birthday, we organized a simple family celebration for you. We got you a purple Barney cake.



Your best present was when you received a big red motorbike from Nenek. You kept riding it non-stop all over the house until the batteries almost ran out. Your cousins, Amira, Amir and Sidiq were there too to celebrate. :)




The big red bike... complete with matching helmet. :)




(Hmm... this helmet can come in handy too for me... hehehe)

May Allah always bless you and bestow His love to you. Amin.

civic mindedness

I was hit from the back today! Kurang asem punya driver (stoopid #@%&*!+)

On our way to Mak ChuYah's house in Putrajaya my Civic was hit from behind at a traffic light by a Naza Citra who wasn't paying attention while driving. My car was stationary when it hit my car.

I'm claiming the damages from the owner of car that hit ours.. :(


The car that hit ours (with the *&^%$#@ driver inside)


Rear bumper came off its hinges.


Scratch and crack.


The crack (in detail).


The location of the accident.

mukabuku

Okay, okay. I'm in facebook now. Here's the link to my page...
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=736799524

who let the dogs out?

Me and Yanti were going to have our fill of nasi lemak in Kampung Baru last weekend and saw this 'advertisements' in front of the PAS branch office, which is right next to the nasi lemak store that we like to patron.

Apparently, all the roadside stalls have been torn down and the road unsuprisingly is not congested anymore - I like! However, the sarcasm in these signs is a sure message that some are not happy with the tear down.

In all my heart, I feel for the roadside stall operators - they were trying to make an honest living by being entrepreneurial but I also believe that "everything has a place and things should be in its place"... thus, foodstalls by the roadside is out-of-place. Risks : the food is exposed to the enviroment and unhygenic, its dangerous to the stall patrons, it cloggs the road, the stalls are almost always dirty and disorganized.

I am hoping that DBKL can provide them a nice food court area with reasonable rental to continue and encourage the entrepreneurism amongst the Kg Baru folks as cushion to their 'loss'.

Kesian jugak tapi a must do for the greater good, I think.

thumbs up TH

I think Tabung Haji (TH) Malaysia is the most organized hajj pilgrimage organizer in the world. The entire process of getting a Malaysian pilgrim ready for hajj, fund management, arranging for the travel and accomodation, logistics, communications, etc is fantastic. TH is a world-class organization in my books.

I was at Masjid Negeri, Shah Alam on Saturday and Sunday for the Kursus Haji Perdana. Apart from this state-level kursus haji, there were already an earlier 16-class kursus haji, then followed by another 2-day 'crash course' kursus haji in Kelana Jaya and finally this Kursus Perdana. I have to say, if a bakal haji had attended all the courses, I doubt that they won't understand the rukun and wajib haji.

For the Kursus Haji Perdana TH went all the way to make the setting and environment to be as realistic as possible, complete with a mock Kaabah, which we do the actual 7 rounds tawaf in our ihram, saie, and the symbolic stoning of the devils with the 3 jamrahs.

There were at least 5000 people there and the logistics were well taken care of, food was aplenty, and help from the staff were always there. I was being made to understand that this program is being run in many major states in Malaysia the same time, i.e. in Putrajaya, Penang, Kota Bharu, Johor, etc.

I truly feel that I'm in good hands for the hajj. Bravo and keep up the good work, TH!

Tawaf around the mock Kaabah.

baby check-up 2

A'kum baby-in-the-belly,

How are you in there? We are eagerly waiting for you to grow up and come out to see us in March, Insya Allah. From the scan, we can see that you've grown well and healthy. :)

Abah, Mama, Lyana and Aneesa always speak to you while you're in the belly. We love you, baby.

Bye.

macam setan/alien

Me and Azman goofing around at Toys R us during lunch today with Halloween masks. Guess which one is me? Heheheh...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Assalamulaikum semua,

Kami semua ingin mengucapkan selamat hari raya aidilfitri kepada semua muslimin dan muslimat, terutama ahli keluarga, jiran tetangga dan sahabat handai.

Izinkan kami sekeluarga memohon maaf sekiranya ada salah dan silap, hendaknya. Semoga Allah merahmati dan meredhai kita semua, amin.

Ikhlas dari,

Azad, Yanti, Lyana & Aneesa.

Malaysians in space

I'm proud that Malaysia has come to this... the fact that Malaysia could've used the money for so many more things that needs prioritization but I can close one eye to this because it sets a sense of pride in me.

Bet you didn't know that I once wanted to become an astronaut when I was a in primary school (must be the Space Odysee books and space cartoons' influence). Then I lowered my ambition below the stratosphere to someday become a pilot. The rest, you know what happens larr. Totally never even crossed my mind to do HR.

Anyway, that's not my main point. My main point is, I think that instead of a Malaysian going to space, they will 'suprise' us with both Malaysians going simultaneously on October 10, 2007. Do you think this would be possible? We'll see.

News on the last minute decision...
http://www.angkasawan.com.my/mainatsb/atsb/news20070924.html

Hmm... come to think of it, we should have a back-up plan - don't want to put all your eggs in one basket, innit? Wishing them a safe journey.

start of good things

This Ramadhan has seen many good starts for me and family.

Earlier, after recommendation and referral by Dr. Telal to check (thanks for your help, Telal), I had a major shock when the consultant in UMMC (University Malaya Medical Center) informed me that the pain in my right hip that has been on since July could be that I am suffering from a disease called necrosis, which means death of cells. In this case, it would be the death of bone cells in my femur and hip bones. That is why I couldn't do any strenous physical activities - at times I was even having difficulty to walk - it was so painful.

Finally, after doing the MRI, Prof. Dr. Choon confirmed that the pain was not caused by necrosis because my bone density and structure was still intact. The pain could have eminated from muscles or ligaments that were injured. Alhamdulillah.

From that scare, I've not looked back on taking the step forward in having to take care of my body better. Ever since, I've been exercising at least 3 times a week and helped with the fasting during the day, I've lost 5 kg already (catching up on you, Telal).

On the home front, after going 3 months without help we finally got our maid last Saturday. Her name is Surini from Surabaya and from initial impressions, she is hardworking and well-trained. In just 1 day, she managed to vacuum, sweep and mop the whole house, washed 3 toilets, ironed all our clothes and straigthened-up the kids' room which was in a big mess with toys everywhere.

Lyana and Aneesa have started sleeping on their own in their room since Friday last week - but not without cost. With the change, we had to move the TV and DVD into the room because that's the only way to keep them there to watch their Tellytubiesses, Strawberry Shortcakeses, Mickey Mouses and Barneys video. We also had to fix a new air-con because the kids will perspire so much since the room gets warm (heat from the sun during the day stored in the concrete walls eminate) at night. This change is to train them to be independent of us and also to create space for the new addition that will be coming in March 2008, Insya Allah.

Talking about the baby, he (I'm hoping) is a very active baby. The last we did the ultrasound, we could see that the baby is well grown has all it's physical features grown - tiny little fingers, nose, backbone, etc. Subhanallah. You can see the baby move in the video of the ultrasound scan below...

Finally, after deferring my MBA thesis for 2 semesters, I've mustered enough motivation and time (from work commitments) to start this over. I've changed my prior topic and submitted my research proposal yesterday to OUM and also obtained my supervisor's agreement on the new research topic. Thank you, Prof. Adnan. To keep motiviation up, I will reward myself with something (PS3 maybe) if I graduate next year. :) Sayang, you can start tailoring your new dress for my graduation next year... hehehe... Amin.

So, that's my story. More new things to start, I hope.

alhamdulillah

"Ya Allah, ya tuhan kami; kurniakanlah kami zuriat-zuriat yang soleh dan solehah; ampunilah dosa-dosa kami yang dahulu, kini dan akan datang; dan masukkanlah kami ke dalam syurgaMu, ya Allah."

We pray that Allah will bestow on us a son. Amin.


Assalamualaikum Baby... How are you doing in there?

bukit gasing merdeka challenge

WHOA!! The Bukit Gasing Merdeka Challenge was really a physical challenge to me. The 11.5km run on hilly and sloping roads plus trekking through thick jungle and very-very steep ascents and descents for me who is suffering from a bad back was indeed a challenge.

After the race which took me 4 hours to finish, both my thighs were aching (for the next 3 days) and my backache became worst. But the experience was all worth it!

Before the race.


Finishing after 4 hours of torment.


Completed at last... see the medal. (hehehe)

After the race.

tazkiroh

Daripada Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra katanya, Rasulullah saw bersabda,

"Tidak boleh iri hati selainkan dalam dua perkara iaitu seseorang yang telah dikurniakan Allah harta lalu dihabiskan hartanya itu kejalan yang benar dan orang yang dikurniakan oleh Allah ilmu pengetahuan, lalu ia mengeluarkan sesuatu hukum berpandukan dengan ilmunya (berdasarkan Al-Quran dan Hadis) serta diajarkannya kepada orang lain."

Hadith riwayat Al-Bukhori dan Muslim

romp to Frasers - finally!

Yes! After 2 failed tries to get the HR bikers to ride to Frasers as a group, we finally did it last Saturday (I just noticed that most of my blog entries is about my Saturday activities... I must be living for Saturdays, neh?)

Anway, here's the story. We started out at 7am from Projet in Shah Alam. Then rode through the Guthrie highway. Ruslan tested his bike's power here... blasted past me while I was riding 140km/h. He must be doing around 180km/h. POWER!!

We then rendezvous with Halim who is already waiting at toll exit Bukit Lagong. From there, 3 riders rode to Bukit Beruntung, through Rasa and reached Kuala Kubu Bharu town at about 9am. Had breakfast there - delicious nasi lemak, I must say.

After breakfast, we headed for Frasers. Stopped at the water dam to enjoy the view and then straight up to Frasers. This is my second time riding up Frasers, but the first for Halim and Ruslan, so we rode cautiously - not the lipat leper version.

Once at the peak, we had tea and took some pictures and then rode back down to KL. Stopped again to take pictures at the waterfall and then straight home.

Enough said, let the pictures show how happy we were while on the trip.

(pssstt.... Ruslan, can I tell people about the [tuuutt]? And to both of you (Halim & Ruslan), should I tell people how our b##ts hurt so bad that we had to ride standing?)


Breakfast in KKB.


Picture at the water dam.


Look at them riders!


Success!


After our cup of teh tarik.


At one of the peaks in Frasers Hill.


Creative? We used our helmets to elevate the camera.


Stopped at the waterfall on our way down.

Great ride guys. Where to next?

close encounter with animals

Last Saturday I organized a trip for Talisman Adventure Group to the Elephant Sanctuary and Deerland in Kuala Gandah, Pahang. A total of 25 people participated.

Lyana and Aneesa loved the animals so much, they keep calling the animals. The deers especially, were very tame but it got to the point of being 'scary' when the whole herd came 'attacking' us for food.

We had a chance to go close to the elephants and even ride them. That was a nice experience.


Lyana feeding the ostrich.


The deers were very tame... eating out from our hands.


The elephants bathing. I didn't get to bathe them because there were so many people wanting to do it and that it has started raining.


But we get to ride them.


And feed them.


The baby elephant was using his truck to 'feel' some food on the ground.


At the entrance of the sanctuary.

away day

"All work but no play makes Johnny a dull boy" - or at least that's how I remember it was told to me.

Finally, after 7 months of toiling in 2007, last 26 July the HR team took a break during office hours to go play instead. We left our working brains in the office and didn't even talk about a single work item.

Different from my previous employer, Unilever, where Away Days are still business trips but coupled with some play in between formal programs. In Talisman, Away Day means NO WORK but ALL PLAY!

So, there we were in Genting... playing.

The team - Ruslan, Halim, me, Su, Melati, Ros, Azman, Juliana, Lucy, Eugene.

We rode the ship.

We rode the rollercoasters - this is Corkscrew. Another one is the Rolling Thunder where Halim got motion sickness.

Halim sleeping in the clinic after the injection due to motion sickness.

This ride was THRILLING!!

Last but not least.... Makan.

That was good fun. :)

no maid...

My maid was sent home yesterday night. Why?

Because she absconded at the wee hours (5am said the housing security guard) and then came back to our house at 9am the same day.

She has been acting strangely about 3 months into the job, like:
1. Siting/working in the dark - not switching on the lights when she is in the kitchen or bathroom (very eerie person).
2. Not sleeping in the room we provided her but instead slept on the sofa in the living room. After numerous reminders, she went to sleep in our guest room downstairs. Because that room does not have a bed, she arranged some large pillows on the floor and slept on it (like trying to punish herself). We told her many times to sleep upstairs, which she did but then in the morning we would find her sleeping downstairs again.
3. Seen weeping ever so often.
4. Always apologizing to us by saying that she has been doing sins.
5. Only eating maggi and skipping dinner (again like trying to punish herself).
6. Very seldom speaks or mingle with anyone - like don't mingle with neighbour's maids, my in-law's maid, my parents and in-laws, our home visitors, etc.
7. Left the house without our permission nor informing us to go the shop nearby our house when we went out.
8. Knocking our doors in the middle of the night wanting to 'discuss' with us but when we sat there to listen to her, she went dead silent.
9. Always being self-conscious that she has been making mistakes even though she hasn't, i.e. when we were looking for certain things that couldn't be found and then asked her if she has seen it, she would think that we were blaming her for taking it.

Nevertheless, the kids love her and I don't deny that her work is better than the previous maid but its her eerie and enigmatic attitude is what irks us.

After she came back from her short-lived disappearance, she said that she wanted to go home and not continue working. Immediately I booked a ticket for her and cancelled her work permit at the immigration. She left for Jakarta the same night. Case closed.

Now we are managing by sending the kids to my in-laws in Subang during the day. Still working to getting a replacement maid, though.

Any recommendations?

colleagues in Kg. Paku

Last weekend, I made an open invitation to my office colleagues to visit my parents in Kampung Paku, Melaka.

Since all the guys had their own arrangements and programs, only the ladies came. Mama cooked nasi beriyani for them and they sure were hungry... by the look of the small amount of leftovers. Heheh...


Abah, Eza, Juliana, Su, Melati, Lucy, Mama and Lyana having lunch.

After filling their bellies, the ladies helped themselves to plucking fresh rambutans and manggis from the trees.


Su in action.


Posing baik punya!


Mel was in her prime... she picked buckets of manggis.


Lucy trying her clipping skills.


Kg. Paku's Next Top Models...

Thank you for coming, ladies.