Labels: cekmi's true colours

Labels: cekmi's nauseous worries

It was not easy walking and searching for the museum’s entrance. When I asked a local makcik for direction, she said, “Don’t know-lah adik. Never been there.” Well, that was very much expected from a local, wasn’t it? I don’t want to go through this anymore.

So I just walked daringly through a seemingly grand entrance into a seemingly grand blue-and-white building. I was not sure whether I was at the correct place because I could not see a living soul. Has everyone lost interest in museum?

I bought a ticket (for a non-local price!) and was ushered to the Grand Palace. Established in 1864, this incredible building was originally a palace which was then turned into a museum in 1982. This transformed the museum into a more interesting entity that houses a lot of royal secrets and juicy stories. The luxurious exterior and elaborate items exhibited in the museum make it more outstanding compared to any other museums in Malaysia. Who wouldn’t be captivated by its royal regalia, exquisite guest area, majestic throne room, costly treasure room and gigantic banquet hall? I must say that the whole concoction of displays is mind-blowing.

Reading the history of Johorean royals, I was so delighted to scrutinize the background of the current Sultanah of Johor cum UTM’s Chancellor, D.Y.M.M Baginda Sultanah Zanariah binti Almarhum Tunku Ahmad. Wait a minute, of all places, she is from Pasir Mas, Kelantan! Haha.


Kebun Bunga

I have just finished watching korean drama Stairway to Heavan and discovering this magnificent garden made me think that I was on a stairway to Heavan, just like in the drama. Oh yes, this garden is so enormous and beautiful. Overlooking the Strait of Johore, the garden’s sprawling landscape was superbly manicured and maintained. The gardeners must have worked hard day and night.

Located within the compound of the Grand Palace and extended over an area as big as the size of five football fields, this super garden once served for the royals. I could walk leisurely like a King along palm-lined driveways and enjoy the dense vegetation surrounding the garden. To experience some luxuries of past royalties is such a privilege for me.

The various concepts shown inside the garden still stun me. Who would expect to find a Japanese house and a Chinese gateway inside the garden? And there is even a rest house in the middle of the garden that reminds me of the place where Julia Robert suddenly kisses her best friend in My Best Friend’s Wedding. Hehe.

Japanese house

Chinese gateway

My Best Friend's Wedding

Except for elderly joggers and Chinese newly-wed couples who immortalize the garden’s beauty through their professional photographers, I guess the rest of the locals here do not prefer to have afternoon strolls in the garden because it is just too big and remote for them that can just make them tired. Thanks to the hilly setting of the garden which makes it covered and hidden from the public, this place is perfect for my personal retreat and getaway.


Hutan Bandar

I always want to be near a lake. So having found seven lakes in Hutan Bandar was an unexpected bonus. But, wait – forest in the city? You gotta be kidding.

Hmm, covered 32 hectares, this recreational ‘forested’ park is indeed lying within the city. I thought JB folks make the most of this park, just like what Taman Tasik Titiwangsa does to KL folks. But, I could see that many parts of parks are hardly utilised. Perhaps, the park’s location is too remote and hidden from public view, just like Kebun Bunga.

This park definitely passes all the basic requirements for an excellent park, including an excellent example for poor maintenance and sheer negligence. I have never seen lakes that are so green and ‘natural’. If this was the proud concept of naturalness promoted by the management, I would surrender my case.

Except for the impressive Selera d Hutan restaurant, I found many public walkways are thickly blanketed with dry weeds and crispy sticks. There were times when I felt like I was really walking in the real forest, which made me wonder whether the management has ever visited this park or not. Most of the public areas appear worn out and aging that, depending on how you look at it, could possibly add the ‘natural charm’ of the park. I can say that the whole park seems to reflect its tired management and weary city folks.

Despite its ugly sides, I still love this place because it sends an important green message to the public and the responsible authorities. But please, can someone rebrand this park immediately under a brand new Iskandar Malaysia? Sayang, this so-called recreational park has all what it takes to be called a recreational park, but with continuous neglect, it might as well one day be turned into a cemetery park.


Royal Mausoleum

Talking about cemetery, I had a rare opportunity to have a brief glimpse at the Royal Mausoleum, which is the final resting place for Johor Royalties including Sultan Abu Bakar, the father of modern Johor.

I was awed by the highly-organised tombstones that evoked some serene feelings from me. The neighboring dense woods looked mysteriously peaceful. I was nervous because, besides the resting souls, there were no living souls around. Have people lost interest in this great monument?

Looking afar from the window of my car, I could see the grand mausoleum’s aesthetical architecture that weirdly pleased me with its poignant design. I felt sad. Since I was still alone, I moved on immediately to my next destination – a place with real souls.


Johor Zoo

Hooray. Now I could enjoy active souls in the zoo. But wait a second – are animals just the same everywhere? What makes the animals in Johor zoo different compared to other zoos? Will I find here a magic elephant that could fly? Or a tiger that speaks? Hmm. My friends kept asking me these ‘intelligent’ questions when I told them that I would visit a zoo in JB. Sorry folks, I didn’t have the right answers for those questions. I guess I just have to visit a zoo because it is just a routine for any curious tourists to visit a zoo. So there I was, in Johor Zoo, hoping to find a talking monkey.

Of course the animals here are all the same. You are right my dear friends. However, I should highlight a place here that caught my attention. No, not a talking animal. It is a field where a few ostriches play and breed. There was a lifted pathway that crosses through the field. I just enjoyed walking on this walkway, looking at school kids playing cheerfully with the ostriches. Ehem, there was also a couple. Anyway, this experience was enough to satisfy my hunger for a new discovery, even though I couldn’t find a flying elephant.

Stulang Laut Beach

People in KL usually drive all the way to Port Dickson to enjoy beach activities, but people in JB can just suffer a few minutes’ drive to Stulang Laut Beach for a family picnic. However, just like Hutan Bandar, it is sad to see that the beach is not well taken care of. I found it amusing to see people swimming desperately in the rubbish-filled sea.

There was even an uncomfortable 'scent' around the beach. I looked around and noticed a hidden drain that brought unwanted sewage from, I guess, the city. What a subtle and easy way to appreciate the beauty. Oh, from here, I could see Senoko Power Station standing boldly across the Strait of Johore on mainland Singapore. I suppose this should supply the power for Stulang Laut Beach, adding more appeal that conceals the ugly side of the desperate beach.

Lido Beach

Finally, I have come to my favourite spot in JB. Stretched for 7 kilometres, I could view Lido Beach by driving through Jalan Abu Bakar and Jalan Tun Dr. Ismail. Whenever I want to go to downtown JB, I purposely choose these roads so that I could be inspired by the miracle of Lido Beach.

I just love driving along Lido Beach because there are so many pleasant things to see besides the beach itself. I could catch a glimpse of the orangish Dataran Bandaraya, the classic Hospital Besar Tun Aminah, the great Abu Bakar Mosque, and of course, the Grand Palace. Having seen these altogether while driving is like a climax of the day that gives me everlasting energy to spend the rest of the already tiring day.

There are so many places that I have yet to venture like Sultan Ibrahim Building, Taman Merdeka, Bukit Serene Palace, The Zon and many others. But, I have already felt more Johorean than a Johorean himself.

I think I am lost.

Labels: cekmi's inspiring adventures

Labels: cekmi's beastly grumbles

I have successfully moved from KL to JB and I am currently taking a great deal of laborious efforts to fulfill my newly-found life with beautiful R&B songs and delicious cheese cakes. But before that actually happens, I had to undergo several painful procedures of moving out and moving in. One proven fact for many, moving to a new place can be deadly nerve-cracking.


Packing

Firstly, packing demands a delirious attention to tiring details. The following statistics on the number of Cekmi’s packed boxes might possibly prove this point.

Office: 4
Wardrobe: 5
Study room: 4
Bedroom: 4
Kitchen: 9
Bathroom: 2
Living Hall: 4
Miscellaneous: 1

Total number of boxes: 33

Yes, you read it right – 33 boxes. It was like asking Superman to lift the whole house.

Packing is a truly strenuous affair. It requires a major spring cleaning that could shock you with unexpected findings. Packing indeed amused me with the discovery of unwanted paraphernalia – mountains of old movie tickets, packs of lovey-dovey greeting cards, broken collections of cute little tokens of remembrance, crumpled sets of fancy paper bags – all hidden comfortably around inaccessibly covered space. I threw them all into a giant waste plastic bag.

After 24 hours of packing, I managed to compartmentalize all the household bits and pieces into 33 boxes. With the assistance of two professional men, I uploaded them on a two-tonne lorry which would carry them directly to JB.

It took me 4 hours of skilled driving to reach my new house in Taman Universiti. But it took 11 hours for the slow lorry to reach there. It was almost midnight – the neighbours might probably be sleeping soundly on their beds, but the men managed to unload the boxes quietly and effectively without anyone around the neighbourhood screaming madly at us, thanks to my organised numbering system of packaging. To unpack the boxes in the middle of the night was not a good idea. So, I spent my first night in my new house sleeping among those gigantic 33 boxes.


Unpacking

Mess was all around and I was all alone. It was maddening and suffocating. I did not know where to start.

Patience.

This word kept my sanity in check during the mind-boggling tasks of unpacking. At times, I felt like giving up and kept questioning myself on why I had to do all these crazy tasks alone, or why I had to move out in the first perspective. Thanks to wise Cekmi, I managed to get things in perspective again. Thinking very hard out of the box, I pushed myself diligently to get things out of the 33 boxes. I did it single-mindedly, motivating myself by visualizing a complete sweet home in JB, picturing myself having a good life here, happily watching good Korean dramas, cheerfully sipping a good cup of Nescafe, savouring my independence and emancipation.

One basic challenge that tested my patience was dealing with difficult people to handle few basic things in the house – reinstalling Astro, resetting up air-conditioner, changing the uncivilized toilet door, putting power sockets in two rooms, rebuilding the flood-prone parking lot, and fixing streamix. However, my landlord has been particularly helpful when it comes to fine tuning the house. He is like Mr. Muscle who would come to my rescue when I need a correct detergent.

After days of clogged energy and sweat, I finally completed the house with five specialized sections – living hall, kitchen, bedroom, wardrobe and study room. With this swift accomplishment, I finally laid a comfortable foundation called home. I could have taken things slowly and easily, but I always have this speedy over-heated passion for a speedy completion. I just couldn’t stop getting things done and ready quickly so that I can immediately start focusing on other important things in my professional life.

Having to go through these drills made me sickly thrilled but I was viciously satisfied once the tasks were triumphed. This major task of moving has drained my energy that, to certain extent, I felt like a mentally-challenged person released from a mental asylum. Having to cope with difficult situations required a little extra amount of persistence and composure. Keeping this attitude in balance proved worthwhile for me because after each fulfilled task, I strangely felt like a newly-born man, being supplied with a new Superman power that kept me flying and flying.

It has been two weeks and I am happy with what I have done to my new private domain. But the cup is still half-full. I have a lot more to fill in.

Labels: cekmi's hard times

It’s makan time!

Calories, calories

Slow down, please

Haha, smiling gluttons

Yes, the foods were goooood

Peace for food makers

It isn’t enough, is it?

Show time! Sing it…

Barney & Friend’s TV show

Oh, there’s a break for azan!

Creative coral speaking

Yes, English crossword puzzles!

Get ready for more shows…

Joget Kelantan?

No! I can’t dance!

Cekmi at his most awkward moment

The paparazzis and mamarazzis

Sing with me!

No, that was not my birthday cake

It’s a bye-bye cake

Oh, you are most welcome

I love blueberry!

My princesses

Give me the money!

Ayoyo…

That’s macho, dude

I love you too

Help, I am sandwiched!

So good looking, ek?

The organisers

Happy faces

Mamee smile

Purplish match

Ehem ehem

Thanks for the lovely frame

We’ll meet again, InsyaAllah

Wish you guys the same!

My beloved and behated students,

Thanks a lot for loving and hating me so much!

Labels: cekmi's darling episodes

Having tendered my resignation and living in KL during a temporary period of a two-month notice have brought about a lot of unexpected sentiments. Knowing that leaving is certain has also invited so many suffocating thoughts. I am now living in the middle of a major turnaround in my life. As I am getting ready to cross a new road and embark on a new adventurous journey, all things suddenly fall thunderously into a bigger, scary picture. Strong emotions and melancholy are reluctantly enveloped towards current attachment and future detachment – what’s left behind and what’s coming next. This happens almost dreamlikely, as if I had just been given some kind of power of a prophetic vision.

After having received the offer from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, I have been having a surreal life. The doors of opportunities seem wide open and begin to gain their amazing momentum. While waiting nervously to start my new career at UTM, surprising news keeps coming my way, which seems too good to be true. While job-hunters are struggling to get into employment, I am spoilt with choices. After getting a place in UTM, I had to reject three rare offers of interviews from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Universiti Malaysia Pahang and International Islamic University Malaysia. Plus, I also had to turn down a lucrative offer of employment from Swinburne University. I can’t believe that I did this. When you stop chasing the shadow, they will be chasing back towards you, won’t they?

One thing for sure, getting into a public university has been my utmost aim. So, when it came to me all at once, knocking my complacent door of life, it took me days to realise that I was going to be reborn and reprogrammed into a totally whole new paradigm. However, having to leave KL for good and starting a new life in JB is hard to swallow. It has been mind-boggling to get things into their correct perspectives. The mental turmoil and emotional upheaval seem to be dominant that keep irking my waking hours.

Of course, I grabbed this opportunity greedily and wholeheartedly without even looking back. But it was hard not look back. I have been spending half of my life in Klang Valley. Moving away from my family at the of 16, I took pride in being independent and began building my self-sufficient livelihood in Klang, Lembah Pantai, Petaling Jaya, Sunway, Setapak, Wangsa Maju, Setiawangsa and Gombak. All these places have special parts in my memory since they have witnessed my painstaking fight towards manhood. The experiences gained and the friends met can never be traded lightly. But to achieve things, something must be sacrificed – I have to leave them behind.

Realizing this overwhelming fact, all my petty day-to-day activities appear so animated that hold some significance in their own ways. I am now seeing them with refreshing perspectives. Getting to college is now pleasurable, as if I have never been to my college. Looking at my students’ faces fills me with deep satisfaction, as if I have never seen them before. Gossiping with my colleagues is such a joy, as if I have never backbitten before. Having dinner with friends feels so alive, as if I have never dined with them before. Even driving through traffic-congested roads in KL is enjoyable, as if I have never driven through these crazy roads before.

Mundane and simple moments have never looked so extraordinary. Having single-mindedly pursued and achieved my personal dreams, I somehow feel that I have marginalized and overlooked so many valuable things in my life. I think I have not been kind and appreciative enough towards them. This fact saddens me. It is difficult to bid farewell to the good things around me. Frankly, I don’t really look forward to the idea of farewell gatherings, which I think I don’t deserve such an honour from the people whose kindnesses have always exceeded my unbecoming behaviours.

I am moving further away from my family and friends – from east coast to west coast and now to south coast. I will definitely miss them terribly. When I couldn’t sleep at nights, feeling insecured and frightened to leave behind all the comforts and familiarities here, I will try to blanket my disturbed mind by visualising the golden opportunities lying ahead of me, ready to be lived and realised. I will be thrilled pondering upon the promising chances of teaching matured university students, befriending wise professors, starting doctorate studies abroad, and living a more rewarding professional life. At this point, the overwhelmingly positive prospect of living in Johor Bahru seems so alluring and welcoming that I couldn’t wait to move and leave immediately. I will tell myself that my time has certainly come. My painful leaving is absolutely going to be reimbursed by my future prosperous living.

Bearing this in my mind, I am prepared to leave and live again.

Labels: cekmi's hopeless melancholy

X. X. X.

The ‘X’es are everywhere, at every corner and public spot your eyes can possibly reach. No, they do not promote single X-rated pornography or the sequel of X-Files movies. Those banners and posters are meant to trigger your political senses to exercise your precious muscles to write the correct symbol during this upcoming General Election. On a ballot paper, an X symbolizes correct agreement and compromise. Well, I am so not politically opinionated, but shouldn’t they change the symbol to a TICK? I suppose, a tick means ‘YES, CORRECT!’ and an X means ‘NO, NOT CORRECT!” - correct?

As a child, when I looked at those political posters, I always thought that an X written next to a party’s logo meant ‘please don’t vote for another party’ or ‘please write an X to the opponent party’. Silly me. So, when I cast my vote for the first time, I found it weird to write an X next to my chosen party. Wasn’t it supposed to be a tick? Can I put a tick there? Hah? Spoilt vote? Thanks for telling me, Dad.

When I was a little boy, I remember joining the election campaign to woo the voters in my kampong. It was early in the morning of the Election Day. I was riding a bicycle cheerfully, going round and round into people’s houses. The old men and women were excited and ready for the battle. The catchy jingle of ‘Marilah mari, kita mengundi’ was heard almost non-stop through all the mainstream electronic media. The parties’ strong supporters kept exchanging words, jeering and cheering at each other. Name-calling seemed pertinent and excusable. There was a serious war between the Greens and the Blues. I was naïve and clueless of what was happening. But the whole pandemonium looked thrilling for me, as if I was in some kind of a circus carnival where stupid-looking clowns were using their utmost communicative skills to amuse the eager-looking passers-by.

“This is how you do it,” said a religious-looking man to a fragile lady, illustrating her on how to write an X in the correct box. He continued, “Do not ever write an X on another box, nanti masuk neraka (you will go to Hell!)”
“No, no, no. I am very old. Nak masuk syurga (I want to go to Heavan),” said the lady, looking so relaxed and proud.


Being one of the critical 300,000 Kelantanese outstation voters in Klang Valley, I am sure that my tiny hands are gigantically influential for the future path of my home state. With free transportation and all those hoping smiles from desperate faces, my existence must be one of the most sought-after in the universe. Hey people, I am not sure whether I am eligible to go to Heavan, but I am sure that I am eligible enough to go to the polling station this Saturday on my own, without any prince-like escort from those macho body guards or swaying little ladies of yours.

Oh, hello, I am pretty sure that I am NOT one of the phantom voters from Hell. My vote will definitely go straight to the Holy Ballot Box which will actually (and hopefully spiritually) determine the Heavanness or Hellishness of Kelantan for the next four or five years. Because my X matters and is powerful, correct? Not correct? Ah, whatever. Just X it, don’t tick it. And you will be part of this critically-debated power of democracy.

Happy ‘X’ing guys!

Labels: cekmi's disorienting rumbles

“Manusia di pegang pada janjinya,
Lembu di pegang pada talinya.”

Correct me if the saying is wrongly structured. Right, you can call me old-fashioned and rigid and difficult, but I always believe in this saying. I firmly believe that, if you want to be a human being, you should act like one, by holding tight to your promises, by not breaking them, no matter what calamities you might face in your challenging lives – a traffic jam, a computer virus, a cruel break-up, a sick grandmother, a burnt house, etcetra etcetra. You should expect all these unexpected events and do your best to keep your promises. That’s what makes a human being a human being, not a cow. Lembu.

But wait a minute, there might be cows out there that are intelligent and humane enough to make promises to their owners like “Oh my dear owner, you can sacrifice me for Hari Raya Korban, but please wait until I am 55 years old when I retire, I promise” or “Oh my dear owner, please wait until my 20th son is born, then you can slaughter me to death, I promise.”

But wait a minute, I might have been over-reacting and acting irrationally over this issue. My students could have been innocent. They are just doing what human beings are good at doing – breaking promises.

A woman eats her favorite cheese cake, breaking her promise to observe her dietary program.
A friend backstabs his best friend to get promoted, breaking his promise to protect the valued friendship.
A married couple gets divorced, breaking their promises to live and die together.
A son is too busy making money, breaking his promises to love and care for his weak parents.
An employer does not pay enough for his employees, breaking his promise to cater for the employees’ welfare.
A policeman sells a confiscated car to a rich VIP, breaking his promise to keep the amanah image of local authorities.
A lawyer fixes the court judges, breaking his promise to uphold the sanctity of legal system.
A Muslim forgets to pray and pay zakat, forgetting his promise to obey His rules and regulations.

Aha, haven’t we all heard enough of, urm, politicians who make beautiful promises to the rakyat during elections and keep breaking them whenever they are indulged into their luxurious lives as Yang Berbahagia?

The BIG question is: Haven’t we all broken our promises? Hmm, maybe we are all also a bunch of lembus.

Labels: cekmi's beastly grumbles

Well done!

As the champion of the second Amazing Race Asia, they are truly my heroes. Their excellent performances were of high quality and simply amazing. Despite Adrian’s hearing disabilities, this was not an issue that could deter their determination to succeed and to beat the ever-cocky Philipino boys. That was, from the-disabled-versus-the-able perspective, really symbolically historic.

As I am still weeping over their triumph, I can closely look at my life now, which has been into such an amazing race on its own.

My Amazing Job-hunting Race.

Really, there have been a tremendous amount of roadblocks and detours along this race. I have embarked on a rough race – I have run, stumbled, crouched, crawled, and run again, enduring all the required pain to complete the finishing line. It all started after my graduation in mid-2007. Equipped with a painfully-sought academic qualification and six years of teaching experience, I was ready to start the race against public and private universities around Malaysia.

Here I come!

However, there was one big problem. I didn’t have, er, a resume. Unbelievable, wasn’t it? Do you guys revise your resume regularly? Not me. Being a senior and having worked comfortably for more than six years, I didn’t remember where I kept my resume. It was so ironic for a Business Communication lecturer, who teaches students on how to write a resume, not to have one. Hehe.

So with great energy and deep enthusiasm, I created a newly updated resume with polished details and sent it to almost all public and private universities in Malaysia. As I was waiting for the first call of interview, I was shaking and nervous and scared. Just imagine, after being so complacent for six years, you will have to be evaluated and assessed again. It is not easy to be taken down to the root again after you have established and enjoyed certain status-quo.

The ‘proceedings’ had finally come. I was called for several interviews.


ONE

My inaugural interview was at Universiti Putra Malaysia in late November 2007. Three senior ladies conducted the session. They looked daunting, but strangely enough, I was more than relaxed to answer their questions. I was later deemed overqualified since the position offered was only a contract language teacher, which would not suit my master’s degree. However, I convinced them that I was ready for the ‘downgrade’ because I just wanted to teach in a university even though I had to outdo my own qualification. I was desperate, wasn’t I?


TWO

The second interview followed a week after the first interview. I drove my car all the way to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor and took an emergency leave. There were four candidates and I was the only male candidate. That would me my winning point, I thought, considering the gender quota. Haha. And this really boosted my confidence to win them over. In the interview room, there were three vulnerable interviewers who were about to be ‘swallowed’ by my actions. They asked me to conduct a mock teaching and I did this as professionally and hilariously as possible. It was a real fun because all of the interviewers really acted like ‘crazy students’. In the end, they said that I was too energetic. I think it was a compliment.

THREE

2008 started extremely well for me. Universiti Putra Malaysia called me again in the middle of January for a second interview. This time around, I had to sit before the Vice Chancellor, which scared me to death. After waiting for more than one hour, I was ushered into a gloomy and cold-looking room and seated in front of the top three management officers in UPM. They asked me several general questions which, quite unexpectedly, were far easier than what I had anticipated. It took only five minutes. The last comment from the Vice Chancellor was, “Oh Hilmi, I have a lot of friends in Pasir Mas too.” I just smiled. I learnt later that the Vice Chancellor is a Kelantanese.


FOUR

At the end of January, I received a letter from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, offering me a second interview. This was the toughest interview of all. As it was a group interview, I was put together with other four candidates. The interview room was tense as I was continuously inundated with threatening questions from six members of the Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor, including the Deputy Vice Chancellor herself. Yes, the Deputy VC was a lady, an iron lady who knew how to put some real ‘actions’ during the interview. Her presence was deadly intimidating. She was like a hungry lion that could eat you raw and alive. Overall, it was quite a humiliating experience for me. I was terribly shaking and even considered to call it a quit.

FIVE

My fifth interview came from the International Islamic University Malaysia, my very own university. The date of this interview clashed with the previous interview at UTM, which I thought was an ironic coincidence. I wanted to cancel this interview because, if I were to make a choice, I would prefer UTM over IIUM (what a traitor!). However, the sweet officer in IIUM managed to reschedule my interview session and postponed it a day after my interview in UTM. Reaching IIUM early in the morning, I was tired since I had just gone through a battle with a hungry lion in UTM. Fortunately, the IIUM interview went so easily. Of course, the interviewers were my beloved ex-lecturers. Haha.


SIX

The race continued when Swinburne University (Kuching Branch) called me for a tele-interview. This interview was conducted barely a day after my interview in IIUM. Yes, I had three interviews in three days, in a row! Having these three interviews consecutively really wore me out. However, the tele-interview session with Swinburne University proved something worthwhile. I had never been interviewed on the telephone and I am still bewildered over the integrity of this type of interview which does not take visible body languages into account. So this interview must be very unique. All the three interviewers were Aussies who posed challenging questions to me. I was breathless for 40 minutes. It was quite surprising because most of the question were about my research. I had never known that a private university could be so much interested in research. At this point, I thought, working in Sarawak looked somewhat rewarding too.


SEVEN

The most recent interview that I was supposed to attend to was at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. It is a newly-established university. So, getting a position there is surely promising since I could be one of the pioneers. But, due to some inevitable reasons, I rejected the offer.

Haha, isn’t tiring listening to my interview ramblings? I am tired too. Sometimes I just wish that I don’t have to go through this painful process. Life during these mind-boggling interviews was precarious. I was gripped with insecurity and uncertainties. My fate lay in so many unseen hands in various registrars’ offices in different universities. I was clueless, just like Helen Keller. I might not be blind and deaf like her, but at this moment, I was like being surrounded by a dense fog near the sea, not being able to see and hear what was coming. I could barely hear the sounds of faraway ships, but they sounded so distant and I was not sure which direction they were heading to. They might not possibly see me because I was hidden in that dense fog.

Until one afternoon, I sensed the approaching ship, when I saw a letter on my desk. I opened it and read:

TAWARAN JAWATAN PENSYARAH
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

Labels: cekmi's hard times

However, nothing seemed to satisfy Mok’s hunger for sweet brutality, as if Ma was her biggest enemy. Mok sometimes said the meanest things to Ma in front of close relatives and friends during Hari Raya gatherings. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to ask Ma about what actually caused the bickering relationship between her and Mok. I am not sure whether Mok had asked for Ma’s forgiveness before Ma left this world for good, but I am sure Ma has forgiven all of Mok’s various sins.

Labels: cekmi's family affairs

Before leaving to KL, I wanted to taste the newly-discovered Putu Halba again. As it was very late in the afternoon, most of the stalls selling Putu Halba were out of stock. I was frustrated, but I didn’t just give up. I kept looking and looking around Pasir Mas town until I spotted a stall selling Putu Halba. Phew.

“Makcik, give me 5 putu halba now!” I said impatiently.
“I am sorry, all these are reserved for the other customers.”
“What!?” I was getting more impatient. This is critical, I thought.
“Please Makcik, don’t do this to me. I am leaving KL tonight and I really need to have it now!” The other customers were looking at me, probably wondering if I was sick of a terminal illness who was going to die any moment if didn’t eat Putu Halba.
"Please Makcik, just give me one only! Please. Just one,” I begged her further. The Makcik seller looked at me strangely and said, “All right, all right. Take this one. This is for free. My sedekah.”

Hooray! My plea was successful – I swallowed my one and only Putu Halba, extremely happily.

I might be heads over heels with the enticing menus at fine western restaurants, but deep in my heart, I am still a typical Kelantanese who is desperate for sweet, intoxicating, traditional food, like Putu Halba.

Labels: cekmi's sick dramas

This was where my Wo - my mother’s mother, my grandmother - used to spend her last remaining years of solitary life. Don’t be so surprised, because for Wo, this was a perfect station for a final ride to an after-life destination. And for her, it was a right terminal for a soul-searching retreat and a religious haven.

This was also where I spent most of my childhood weekends with my family. Oh yes, of all places in the world, my parents chose this seemingly shattered place to rejuvenate my brothers’ and sisters’ lost spirits, and most important, to strengthen our family ties.

Today, Sungai Durian is one of the oldest pondok institutions in Kelantan that still stands tall against the mainstream system of modern education. As a young boy, I used to be so excited to be here, not because I wanted to be part of the pondok community, but because there was a river nearby where I could join the other religious pondok men and women for a free public bath. A swim in a river – isn’t it an exciting thing to do as a kampong boy? Haha.

Together, all of my family members would enjoy this natural lagoon, oblivious of the possible existence of wild crocodiles along the river bank, and unashamedly overjoyed by the flow of the muddy water. It was at this very place that my whole family would always gather without any personal conflicts or resentment. We were a proud Hamzah family. We were then one family. One big happy family.

Looking at this place, we might think of poverty, underdevelopment, and third-world hell. Right, these would be the politically correct terms to describe Sungai Durian. But hey, who needs all the material richness in the world when all the people here need is a modest, stoic way of life to attain a passing grade for Heavan? Poverty can be richly defined in a very lucrative perspective, can't it?

With Wo’s presence, there was no need for modern luxuries.

There was no electricity, but Wo’s warmth provided the light for us.
There was no TV, but Wo’s stories kept us filled with exciting imaginations.
There was no cooking gadget, but Wo’s wisdom gave us enough food for the soul.
There was no shower room, but Wo’s gentleness showered us with everlasting comfort.
There was no concern for hygiene, but Wo’s kindnesses cleansed and moisturized our spirits.

Sungai Durian might be seen as one of the typical poor sections in Kelantan, but for me, it is so rich with fond memories of Wo.

May Wo rest in peace.

Labels: cekmi's memory lane

This is the highest waterfall in Southeast Asia.

Er, do you know where it is?

Oh please, don’t tell me that you know it because, argh, it would be a great shame and a total embarrassment on me. Of all places, this amazing waterfall has long stood right under my nose. Thanks to my classic ignorance. Yes, I never knew about its existence until recently when one of my Kelantanese friends talked about Mount Stong. I was like, What? What? Stong? Oh my dear Cekmi, fuck you, sorry for the language. It is in our beloved state - Kelantan!

Let me bore you with a little bit hard info.

This one-of-a-kind wonder is located in Mount Stong National Park. With a height of 1433 metres, Mount Stong is one of the highest peaks in Kelantan. Remotely situated at the Dabong Forest Reserve, its flora and fauna are still untouched by the mainstream development (well, politically speaking, ehem, Kelantan is always underdeveloped).

Okay, all the nature freaks, listen very carefully. Mount Stong is claimed to be one of the most famous eco-tourism spots in Malaysia. There are seven waterfalls in this area. Seven, my dear. Seven. Jelawang Waterfall (yes, the one in the pictures here) is 303 metres above sea level, and ladies and gentlemen, that makes it the highest waterfall in Southeast Asia!

Wow, doesn’t it impress you?

One more fact: Those nature lovers can view the spectacular sunrise from the Amazing Peak of this Mount Stong. Isn’t it something? What else do you guys want? Take a good look at that natural pond above. Isn’t it irresistible? Who doesn’t want to feel this fresh and cool resource freely provided by the Mother Nature?

But hey, too bad, this place lacks promotion and publicity. I wonder if the Kelantanese themselves know about this place and appreciate it. I hope that the famous project of East Coast Economic Region will commercialize and put Mount Stong in its right place among the major tourist spots in Malaysia.

As an ex-linguistics student, I had a wild speculation over the origin of the name ‘Mount Stong’. It goes like this: a white man who got lost in Dabong found a high waterfall with huge rocks and stones. When he finally met a local man, he asked him: “What’s the name of that waterfall! Yes, the one with huge stones!”
“Gapo dio? (what is it?)” asked the local man.
“Stone! Stone!”
“Oh, Stong. Stong”

Haha.

Labels: cekmi's inspiring adventures

Labels: cekmi's linguistic fever