My November Babies...

My girls' birthdays both fall in the month of November. Anis Aqilah turned 18 on November 7th and Anis Atiqah is 15 since November 16th.....which is a few days ago. This is the first time their birthdays are celebrated without relatives and their friends. I know they miss those occasions.. Actually, their previous birthdays were nothing fancy. Without balloons & party stuff, but a birthday cake is a must! When they were smaller, finding a cake that was certified 'halal' was rather difficult. I always ended up buying from Angel Cake Shop since there weren't many business of homemade cakes around then. And of course, baking is not one of my forte! But, these last few years and with the turn of the millenium we could see many make-from-home food businesses springing. Ordering can be made easily via the plain old telephone, sms ( kat sini orang sebut text messaging ) or even email-ing. Some even provide home or office delivery service! I wonder whether the lady ( did not have the chance to meet ) I used to order cake from have opened up her own shop. Her husband works on a few floors below my 'once upon a time' office and delivery was either at the elevator lobby or at the parking lots. Just transfering from one boot to another! A few of us would order cheese cake or chocolate cake or even carrot cake... semua sedap2. InsyaAllah...sahih kebersihan & kehalalan. Here, my baker is Anis... but the cake she made for her sister, picture above got the help of Betty Crocker! he..he.. Pre-mix chocolate cake flour.. We shared it with Shafinaz, Aziz, Jina & Eddy as dessert at Shafinaz's apartment. The main dish was laksa johor cooked by the hostess. Ahaa..she claims she cannot cook, but her laksa speaks otherwise...memang sedap!...I had 3 helpings..imagine!
Happy birthday my November babies...

Atiqah who started complaining about 'sakit mata' & 'pening2' getting her eyes checked by a doctor... hish..macam2 betul budak nii.. baru 15! But, this is another story altogether...
:)

Happy 50th Malaysia...Merdeka itu Bebas!

Although grateful to our forefathers who obtained our country's independence through negotiations & without bloodshed, one really wonders whether there really was no bloodshed... or history intentionally wiped off the forgotten heroes.. I suppose our leaders have done somewhat good since then. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been given a good education throughout my adolescent & adult life. A land which seems not to discriminate genders. Women are equally successful as men. And I might add, equally paid too! No doubt, environment plays a part in moulding a person into what they are. I salute the mothers of war stricken places, the mothers of palestinians - my prayers go to them who have experienced tremendous lost in their quest for independence and freedom!

Dibawah adalah sebuah nukilan Professor Muhammad Salleh...untuk di rasai bersama...

merdeka itu bebas
bebas
berdiri bersama pohon purba hutan
menengadah ke langit
mendengar bunyi nyanyian awan
dan ayun dahan
menghirup wajah hijau cakerawala
dan wangi nafasnya.

bebas berbaring
merenung sudur belantara berkembang
dan bunga bersemi selepas hujan

bebas memanjat gunung pagi
dan mengikut renang ikan diulu
dan menyauk matahari dimuka air.

merdeka itu bebas
bebas berjejak pada pasir dan tanah
leluhur
bebas berenang bersama penghuni karang
dan menghormati keindahannya

bebas bangun dengan ciap purba
serta bau padi dan ubi di paya.

merdeka itu bebas
bebas kembali ke teduh kampung
atau terbang ke sempadan bangsa-bangsa.

bebas berfikir dan bebas merasa
bebas membesar dari kata
dan bebas dari bendung kuku
dan dompet peniaga dan banknya

bebas menyanyi lagu sendiri
menarik nasib di baris dondang sayang
dan lebur dalam irama cair sayirnya
bebas menyusun kata -
yang tumbuh dari tanahair maruah

merdeka itu bebas
bebas untuk bangga bahasa ibunda
dalam lidah terpelat atau bunyi terasmi.

merdeka itu bebas

bebas dari kemiskinan
dan dari kekayaan yang dicuri dari
hutan dan manusia tidak berdaya

merdeka itu bebas
berkata dengan hujah sendiri,
dan menyata pertimbangan yang dikumpul pada diri,
meletus dengan gagasan yang
datang dari gelegak hati.

merdeka itu bebas
bebas untuk bekerja
menyempurna wujud
diri dan tanahair

merdeka itu bebas
bebas berkayuh di sungai jernih
menambak tanjung
dan membersih pantai
mengilir di sungai sejarah
hingga ke muara dan samudera.

merdeka itu
bebas membina rumah maruah
melukis jiwa tercerah
dengan warna sendiri

bebas itu merdeka
bebas
menghadapi cermin bangsa
berdiri didepan kacanya
menerima senyum atau derita
wajah di dalamnya.

bebas duduk di pondok
di tepi sawah
atau bukit yang memanjat ke langit
bebas tumbuh bersama padi, jagung,
ubi dan kambing.

bebas itu merdeka
bebas dari dihina perbezaan,
bebas dari lidah dan tangan
kezaliman
kerana kita berdiri di tanah leluhur
dan sejarahnya.

muhammad haji salleh
1-4 ogos 2005

Birthdays...

A reminder of our existence...
A time to count our blessings...
A cake made out of love...
No presents necessary...
Just thoughts and well wishes...
That really mattered...






Happy Birthday to me!...



Thank you to all who remembered..

Happy 21st ..in the land of opportunities!

I still remember when I had my 21st birthday..way back 'zillion' years ago! It feels like yesterday, though. :-) Celebrated it with friends in a small classroom where we studied. Felt like freedom was in my hands. I always had the urge to learn & experience things as much as I could...but back then, ( 'zillion' years ago..) there was not much to do & not much to see in an independent land, in its infancy. There were only movies to go to and the occasional 'flings' in discos around the city - grooving to the beat of Saturday Nite Fever & doing the Hustle! ;-) We were quite crazy in our own way but we did not go astray. I think it really boils down to the basics of morality & upbringing. I had a lot of that from Cikgu Bastiah & Cikgu Zainal back then!
My eldest turned 21 yesterday. It feels like only yesterday I was trudging down the snow from St Raphael's Hospital to our apartment, hugging his bundled up body close to me. He was barely 20" and weighing meerly 2.3 pounds! But look at him now, he has even outgrown his father!. But he will still be my bundle of joy :-) I pray & I hope the parenting & education that both of us have given him will make him into a well balanced man and guide him to the right path. Happy birthday, my son.. may you have all the blessings from Allah and be successful in your life..