... and you are one of them!

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Sunday, February 25, 2007

Happy Birthday To... MEEE!!!!

Before the day concludes, here's a (modified) lyrics of a song for.....err, ME!

I'm a big, big boy,
In a big, big world.
It's not a big, big thing,
If I grow up...

But I do, do feel.
That I do, do will,
Miss it much....
Oh, miss it much....

IT = being a small boy...... With our baby is on the way, I now, have to be.... a BIG boy...Haha!!

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Disabled... Enabled...




Some few weeks back - a particular headline grabbed my attention. A group of disabled people, some wheelchair-bound, had staged a peaceful protest, demanding that their needs be heard, paid attention to and hopefully fulfilled. What are their needs? Well, not much - just requesting that the public transportation/service to be more user friendly towards them.

Frankly, I could very much relate to their feelings (though it would be an exaggeration to say that I understood completely how they felt). I remember the first time when I used the LRT trains (STAR or PUTRA), I was so surprised over how non-user friendly the service was (or is), especially towards the disabled. The same can be said about the Komuter and Monorail services as well.

First of all, despite having those many stairs for us to climb up or down the stations, some of the stations doesn't even have elevators. In fact, not even escalators.

Funny, how in the trains, there are signs over some seats, reminding commuters to prioritise those seats to those more in need. Symbols of a pregnant woman, a woman with a small child, an old folk and a person on a wheelchair define those who are more in need. But come to think of it, I don't think those people (especially the latter one) get the chance to ride on the trains in the first place.

They also hope the buses to have the mechanism that can lower down the floors at the entrance and exit doors. This is to enable them to get on or get off the buses, without having to trouble anybody to help them in doing so.

Pedestrian lights with voice announcements are handy too. The blinds can easily and safely cross the roads…… well, provided that there are no drivers who are stupid enough not to stop when the lights tell them to. Sigh…

Some of us Malaysians have this weird perception and sometimes can be prejudiced towards those who are disabled. For example, there is really no need to stare if a wheelchair bound person suddenly enters the elevator, especially if he is by himself with no family member or a friend to push the wheelchair for him. This just shows that they too can be independent.

Now, let’s take a look of who can be considered as (slightly) disabled. For a start, the symbols in the trains have definitely done a good job in defining them.

Disabled people are not necessarily born like that. Let’s face it, we all are vulnerable and there is always a risk that we may at one point, become disabled.

For example, we all will get old sooner or later right? Or, how about the possibility that we (or our wives) may become pregnant someday? Or say, after a bad tackle by an opponent where the ankle took the hardest hit instead of the ball, try to imagine climbing up those stairs at the LRT station in the limping condition.

I wonder whether those in charge in providing the above public services ever thought of these matters or even imagine putting themselves in their shoes before setting up those services. Otherwise, the needs of the disabled could not have been neglected.


If there is a voice of the minority out there that should be heard – it is THEIR voice!

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Are you sleeping... are you sleeping, cute baby, cute baby?

My dear intelligent child,

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiimmm...

Surah Al-Hijr (verses 28-29)

Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."

Surah An-Nisa (verse 1)

O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.

Here's fetal development according to http://www.babycentre.co.uk/ during weeks 33-36:

Your baby's head is getting bigger, and brain growth is very rapid at this time. Nearly all babies react to sound by 30 weeks. Your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during the third trimester. You'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron and calcium (about 200 milligrams is deposited in your baby's skeleton every day), so eat foods rich in these nutrients.

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Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. While your baby may soon slow up growing in length, s/he will continue to gain weight until he's born. This week your baby continues to open and shut his/her eyes. S/he can probably see what's going on in utero, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. If you shine a light on your stomach, your baby may move his head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. To complete the picture, your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes.

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Don't panic if you feel your baby moving less frequently now. S/he's got less room to move in your uterus and can't do the backflips and somersaults you're both used to. As long as you can feel him/her squirming from time to time, s/he's fine. By this stage, most babies have turned head down into the "cephalic" position ready for birth. A few take a little longer and a few remain stubbornly upright in the "breech" position. If your baby is breech, there's still time for her to turn.

Your baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to her head. S/he weighs about 3.3 pounds/1.5 kilograms and looks more like a newborn.

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Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn't necessarily mean thick hair later on but children with fine hair in childhood usually have thinner hair in adulthood. If your baby is a boy, his testicles should be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Sometimes however, one or both testicles won't move into position until after birth. In two-thirds of all baby boys who have undescended testicles at birth, the condition corrects itself by the boy's first birthday.

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Dearly Beloved

The email that I received some time back told the story behind the above photo. It was said that a boy who was madly in love with a girl, had sent each and every lady occupants in the two-block dormitory, a box of chocolate. In it, there was a message that told them to either switch on the light of their rooms or to switch it off at exactly 12 midnight (or something like that).

The result – well, the girl got to see the ‘love show’ and realise the kind of trouble that her boyfriend had gone through, to prove that he loved her.

Before I continue on, I would like to make it clear that this entry is NOT about Valentine’s Day and I am NOT trying to spread the Valentine ‘spirit’ whatsoever. This is because I have made a pact to myself that, I shall NOT celebrate or eagerly anticipate any festivals unless it’s an Islamic celebration or a non-religious national holiday like the Independence Day or Labour Day.

Don’t get me wrong! I'm not against other religious festivals. I will still wish those who celebrate other festivals, but that is just how far I will go.

With regard to Valentine, do you know that it is one of the peak seasons (other than during New Year and Merdeka celebrations) where many Malaysian Muslim girls lose their virginities, either willingly or after being tricked into having a pre-marital sex with their boy friends/fiances. This statistic is not a made up story, but said so by a religious leader recently.

Meantime, back to the topic of love - never did I realise before, that as the Valentine’s Day drew nearer, more and more vendors are selling some real nice and cute gifts. Now that I’ve found the love of my life, those gifts really grabbed my attention, enticing me to grab hold of at least one of them. Not wanting to break my pact and being a hypocrite or anything, I admit that I did buy a gift for my wife, solely from-a-husband-to-his-wife kind of gift. With no Valentine’s card or even a wish came out of my mouth, my wife perfectly understood the purpose of the gift, and she accepted it whole-heartedly.

LOVE affects people in many different ways. It is amazing sometimes, just how far some of us are willing to do or go through to prove their love, or at least that’s what they say they are willing to do, haha. Surely you've read somewhere (or perhaps, you have used those words yourselves) that a man is willing to swim the ocean of fire to get to the girl of his dreams, or a man loses his sleep, eat and shower just thinking of his girl.

Wow! Talk about love struck!

The topic of love has also been covered extensively. The word is mentioned and discussed many times in the Al Qur’an and Sunnah; the theme is used in lyrics and scripts and the love symbol is (arguably) one of the most used in drawings and sketches.

I’m not really a sucker of love movies. However, I can name a few which are directly or indirectly about love.

- A woman is hell bent in ruining her friend’s wedding after realises that all this while, he’s the love of her life in My Best Friend’s Wedding.


- A woman falls in love during her most awkward and vulnerable situations like while disguising herself as a man in She's The Man or a reporter posing as a high school student in Never Been Kissed.

- A true story that portrays how a woman losts her life due to her love in protecting the gorillas in Gorillas In The Mist.

- A fury giant monster in the closet grows (not in size!) very much attached to a human girl in Monsters Inc.

- A young couple finds true love on board of a ship and tries desperately to keep their love (and themselves) afloat in Titanic.

- A man desperately in need of money, finds that a brotherly love is all he needs when he discovers that he has an autistic brother in Rain Man.

- In Flightplan, a mother is all determined to search through the corners of a passenger flight, causing panic and chaos on board, when her daughter suddenly turns missing on the plane.

Love can also bring dire consequences. Here are some real life situations:

- when an Dutch girl who had been raised by her Asian parents was about to be deported back to her home country, a bloodbath ensued after village folks tried to protect her.

- when a woman turns her back on her religion after marrying a man of a different religion, a nation goes unrest after some groups of people dare to challenge the course of her original religion.

- lack of love has given birth to some of the most notorious criminals and serial killers ever recorded in history.

- beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but one should be aware of what kind of beauty that he or she is attracted to, as there are those who are blind (and stupid) enough to still marry their partners despite knowing that the partners are HIV positive or drug addicts.

To my fellow Muslims, no matter how strongly we love, care and feel passionate towards another living thing, never forget the other MOST IMPORTANT LOVE OF ALL. A love that is pure, divine and accepts no substitutes.

Should we feel there is no one else to turn to, turn to Allah. As in Surah Al-Ikhlas (verses 1 to 4):

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim........

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.

In Surah Al-Baqarah (verse 45):

Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,-

In Surah At-Taubah (verse 129):

But if they turn away, Say: "Allah sufficeth me: there is no god but He: On Him is my trust,- He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme!"

In Surah Al-Baqarah (verse 286):

On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith."

Allah has touched and helped us in many ways that no one on Earth could have possibly granted the same. How can we turn our back on Allah and not feel grateful to Him just because we have fallen in love with a human being of different beliefs, or we have acquired so much wealth and power that we feel invincible or we feel we have the right to commit sins whether openly or secretly?

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim........

Surah Ali Imran (verses 8-9 and 192-194)

"Our Lord!" (they say), "Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.
"Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind Together against a day about which there is no doubt; for Allah never fails in His promise."

"Our Lord! any whom Thou dost admit to the Fire, Truly Thou coverest with shame, and never will wrong-doers Find any helpers!
"Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith, 'Believe ye in the Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous.
"Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine messengers, and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: For Thou never breakest Thy promise."

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Some says that HATE is not the opposite of love, it's INDIFFERENCE. Whichever it is, an act of hate or indifference can bring much worse dire consequences. For examples:

- a broken hearted man or woman may close his/her heart to love and may even despise those of an opposite gender.

- fuelled by hatred and hurt, a disgruntled student may start (and end) a shooting rampage at his school, causing the loss of lives of many.

- due to hatred and vengence (if any), some country leaders have sent their whole batallions of army to attack other countries (instead of coming in peace), in the name of searching for weapons of NO destruction or hunting down a terrorist mastermind (nowadays I'm starting to REALLY wonder whether this person really exists or not, or if he does exist, whether he's actually a fabrication of some corrupted and lunatic minds).

- due to hatred of a certain religion, some people had the hearts to form the most heinous and devilish plan, mankind had ever seen:

by disguising someone to look like suicide bombers, to make us believe they acted as such, in the name of that certain religion;

by camouflaging the fighter planes to look like passenger flights to kill thousands of lives.

All this, so that these MASTERMINDS could embark on attacking countless others whose most of them, embraced that certain religion; killing and maiming them in their own backyards. These MASTERMINDS sure have managed to fool so many - even their own countrymen and women and people of all religions.

P/S: With regard to my final point on hatred, Insha' Allah, with the permission of Allah, I will expose in this blog, a conspiracy behind the September 11 attack. A conspiracy that is supported by ONLY facts, logic and reasoning - that can make us re-think our belief and perception and realise that it's not really a theory after all. It's what really happened!

Regardless of religous beliefs, those with the right frame of minds and souls, would be able to accept that, it is the only logical explanation behind the whole tragedy.

YA ALLAH! GRANT US YOUR POWERS AND SHOW US THE TRUTH OF ALL TRUTHS... MAY THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF BUSH AND THOSE OTHER MASTERMINDS, SUFFER YOUR MOST HORRIFIC PUNISHMENT AND THEY GET TO WITNESS YOUR PUNISHMENT AND LIVE. JUST LIKE THOSE MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD (INCLUDING THEIR OWN CITIZENS) WHO WITNESSED THE HORROR THAT BEFELL UPON THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS DUE TO THEIR HORRIFIC AND MOST INHUMANE ACTS OF TERRORISM! AAAAAAMEEEEENNNN.....

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Humour Me

Kindly select the kind of advertisement that best describes the above photo or create your own advertisement punch lines:

1. T-shirt by Casserrini = RM 150; Belt by Crocodile = RM 79; Pants by Ambrosetti = RM 120; Shoes by Hush Puppies = RM 49 (on sale); Time spent with wife (who is behind the camera, huhu) = priceless. There are things in life that money can't buy. For everything else - there's Master Card.

2. Treat constipation with Senna Tabs Natural Laxative - you'll take your pictures in a front pose!

3. Indah Water - now we treat fountains and pools too! Avoid drinking these waters as they are now chemically treated by us.

4.
I-Spy. We are the most sought after private investigators in the city. Whether you want us to spy on your spouse's secret affair, or your children's secret pastime or simply to stalk someone you admire on your behalf, we'll do so at a hefty of a price. We are professionally trained; we'll capture them through our lenses and they won't even know it (see left side of the photo) because SPY is our middle name.

5. If you can't see/interpret the (hidden) meaning of this photo, then it's time you use Acuvue prescription contact lenses. Visit your nearest optometrist today!

P/S: Please note that the blog author (me laa, who else? haha) is not endorsing any of the products/brands mentioned above (if any). Furthermore, no animals are harmed in the 'making' of this photo ;-O

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Like uncle, like nieces....

More than a month ago, my sister moved house. In the process of packing and unpacking, my sister had asked for mother's help to baby sit her two cute children at my house. During that one week plus period, I had the overview of how chaotic, tiring AND fun it would be having (and raising) two kids at home.

My first niece's birthday fell on a day of that week. So, I gave her a birthday treat by bringing her, her younger sister, mother and wife to Cosmo, the largest indoor theme park located in Berjaya Times Square.

It was a great evening. We all had a great time playing the rides (those meant for young kids like them) even though mother didn't ride in any and my wife also could not join in some of them due to her pregnancy. In fact, I had a feeling that their uncle (me laa...) might have had enjoyed himself much more than those little nieces had, hehe..

Here are some photos taken while they (the nieces) were under my, my wife's and mother's care. Judging from the photos, we all know and agree that where else did they get their cuteness and irresistability factors, if not from their own uncle right? As they say, like uncle, like nieces... Hahaha....












P/S: The Permaisuri Lake is located nearby our house.

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My Intelligent Child

My dear intelligent child,

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim........

Surah Al-Ikhlas (verses 1 to 4)

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.

Surah Al-Anbiya (verse 22)

If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!


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Here's fetal development according to http://www.babycentre.co.uk/ during weeks 29-32:

Your baby's head is getting bigger, and brain growth is very rapid at this time. Nearly all babies react to sound by 30 weeks. His/her brain is developing billions of neurons (important for later learning) at an amazing rate.

Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are nearly mature. Your baby's also becoming more cramped in your uterus and less able to move so freely, although when s/he does move, it's very noticeable. This week your baby continues to open and shut his eyes. Some researchers think baring your stomach to light stimulates visual development.

Your baby's organs are continuing to mature and s/he is passing water from him/her bladder: good practice for the urinating s/he'll do after s/he's born.

Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps.

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We got our baby some clothings the other day. Can't wait to see our baby in those clothes. Meantime, our baby's reading materials are also increasing. Soon, our child would need a library (or at least a book rack) for those books.

Grow up wise, my child, intellectually and emotionally. May Allah grant you the best - physically, spiritually and mentally, Insha' Allah.

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Friday, February 02, 2007

Days of our lives - 27 and 29 January

You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy,
when skies are grey.
You look so lovely,
Carrying our baby.
Oh my dear wife - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

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Waa.. waa... rosy cheeks,
have you any wool.
Yes abang, yes abang,
three bags full.
One for my abang, and one for myself,
and one for the little child,
who is on the way.

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From the moment you wake up,
to the time when you are already dressed up.
I say a little prayer for you.
When we go up the tower,
I can see that you are so happy, my dear.
I say a little prayer for you.

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you.
Forever, forever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you.
To be here with you,
is so heaven for me.

When you eat your lunch, dear,
I marvel at your beauty, my dear.
I say a little prayer for us.
I'm so thankful for this, dear.
It's been one great year, we're together.
I say a little prayer for us.

Forever, forever, our family stays together
And I will love you.
Forever, forever, in this world and thereafter,
Oh, how I'll love you.
To be forever with you,
is so heaven for me.

Here's a little info on the
KL Tower, where me and my wife (and our little baby in the tummy) had lunch together, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary:

1. Majestically poised at a breathtaking height of 421 metres, the Tower doubles as Kuala Lumpur's best known ambassador.
2. Standing boldly atop Bukit Nanas at 94m above sea level, it is on higher ground than the Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur.
3. It ranks fourth amongst the tallest telecommunications towers in the world after CN Tower in Toronto, Canada (553m), Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia (537m) and Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, China (468m). It is the tallest tower in Southeast Asia.
4. It was constructed as a telecommunications tower to upgrade the quality of telecommunications and the clarity of broadcast transmissions.
5. Surrounding the tower is the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve - the only oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country. The forest reserve is a sanctuary to a wonderful array of flora and fauna which is unique to our tropical nature.
6. The tower was constructed with utmost attention being paid to the environment to ensure the natural surroundings of Bukit Nanas remained untouched. Builders took special care to construct a retaining wall around a 100 year old Jelutong tree (Dyera Costulata).
7. The top four floors of Menara Kuala Lumpur's tower head has been set aside for telecommunications and technological purposes.
8. The revolving restaurant where we had our lunch in, Restorant Berputar Seri Angkasa, is located at Level Two of the Menara Kuala Lumpur 'Tower Head'. At a height of 282 meters above ground level, this 9,172 square feet restaurant offers not only a revolving dining area, but also music area and lounge.

Here are some of the photos taken during our anniversary 'excursion' (the 1st and 3rd photos), plus a few more photos taken elsewhere and at different times, that I'd like to share with you:




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