IT LOOKS LIKE a glorious and blessed Friday today as if thousands of Angels flew down to earth from the Heavens above. The Feast of Sacrifice is being celebrated globally and Bruneian Muslims will celebrate this grand Islamic festivity tomorrow (November 28, 2009).
Over two million Muslim pilgrims from throughout the world are now completing their religious obligation in the Holy City of Mekah-tul-Mukarramah in Saudi Arabia. It seems to mark a new era of Peace, Love and Kindness amongst Mankind in these tumultuous times of difficulty… at least that’s how I’d like to see it personally.
IT’S THAT TIME of the year again when most parents start to worry about the future of their children, academically. I personally experienced not so quite pleasant Parent-Teacher relations this morning.
When I asked my two kids the day before yesterday when were their reports cards going to be handed? Their reply was one of confusion. My young daughter said this coming Saturday and her only elder brother who goes to the same school wasn’t sure. Probably that’s because their mother had pampered them to an early four-day vacation away to Manila last week before their school holidays even begin. But at around 9.30 am today my son informed me that I was supposed to see my kids’ class teachers to get their end of year reports respectively.
I came to their school around eleven this morning and their teachers were not in their classrooms anymore. So my son had to get the reports without my seeing the two different teachers while I toured a mini-exhibition in another classroom. I saw their school principal accompanying the School Board Chairman and some other key school committee members out of the school hall after a graduation ceremony for Form 5, Form 3, Primary 6 and Kindergarten students respectively. And there I was, a father of two of the school students, being left to his own device. I should’ve just looked for both my children’s school teachers personally to give them a piece of my mind but I thought to myself, “No big deal!”.
Then my son passed me both report books for him and his younger sister. I only went through each one of them, carefully analyzing them, back home. Here’s the Marks breakdown for my Form 4 son’s year end report: Chinese II: 63.17 ; Bahasa Melayu: 76.20 ; English: 79.80 ; Mathematics: 73.41 ; Biology: 70.60 ; Physics: 77.50 ; Chemistry: 71.90 ; Additional Maths: 45.50 ; Principles of Account: 84.40 and Physical Education: 74.00… Okay, not that bad SAVE for his Additional Mathematics which was deplorable, to say the least.
However, his 11-year-old sister is struggling a bit this year, I gather from her year-end school report. Now, as a parent I have something to worry about since both of them will sit for important public exams next year.
The question remains: How could parents and teachers work closely together to help with troubled students like both my kids? And they’re my only two children, if I may add. I guess that’s where hope and prayers come in.
HOPING is one thing and praying for what we hope for is quite another but both intrigues are still intertwined.
On top of hope and prayers comes the most crucial element in the chemistry of {EUREKA!} success which is WORK, Work, work (doesn’t matter either we work hard or we work smart or both).
Apart from these three critical success factors, perfect TIMING could be another dimension contributing to any success story, I guess.
What’s timing got to do with one’s success? Well, most people would call it luck but to me it’s all about good timing or being at the right time, at the right place… In short, “Timing is everything!”.
Great traits such as patience, perseverance, determination, will-power and survival instincts play key roles, too, I suppose. These behaviours slowly but surely mould a person to have strong characters of Faith, Integrity, Honesty, Belief, Do or Die Spirit, etc. The list is endless but the real character of a successful human being lies way, down deep within his innermost heart of hearts i.e. SINCERITY!
Sincere in intentions to be a great Man and to do all good things in life — that’s basically what will drive any human being to the pinnacle of success in this borrowed life and the Hereafter, I think. Me? I’m a goody-two-shoes and good-for-nothing simpleton. Deep in my heart, I strive to be a good person. Although it’s a heck of a big struggle…
My life has been one hell of a struggle, anyhow, and I still have a long, long way to go but that’s life. I shall live life to the fullest and will try to overcome all obstacles that life has to offer. Personally, I’d like to think of myself as a determined guy who’s pretty strong-willed to take up any challenges which come my way — come what may!
As of now, I have nothing but HOPE and hope is what I will work with to achieve success by means of prayers… No two ways about it! If God works in mysterious ways, then I shall work my own way about it. I don’t know — call me stubborn, hard-headed, foolhardy, whatever — I love to do things MY WAY and mine alone. Merely my own principle but not being selfishly self-centered or egoistically egocentric (as if I know what those big words really mean!) Hahahhaa Anyway, here’s to My Way as sung by the ever-versatile, Good Ol’ Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, R.I.P.
Yeah, you can sing it again, Frankie, you and I always do it our ways, don’t we? Hehehhe
I listen to others, no doubt, and I try to be as good a listener as possible. And of course I firmly believe that listening is an art of prime importance in human interaction vis-a-vis effective communication. Much more important is the primary need to regularly, constantly and consistently communicate with the Most Powerful Creator of the whole Universe every second, minute and day of our lives!
Basically, all I have to remember and hold dearest to heart is the plain truth that Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam — peace be upon him) will give me the strength to go on… Insya Allah (God Willing). Why all my ramblings? Just talking about HOPE, guys, and to hope is to enliven the dream into reality. Nothing is impossible! Simply hope for the best and the best is what you get and deserve as long as you give it your best shot!
LATE NIGHTS are to blame for my incessant coughs now after a bout of flu and fever i.e. hay fever to be more precise. I just couldn’t help it when surrounded by musically-inclined companions during my last trip to KL, dining out in Bukit Bintang food joints would end up with some entertainment fun to cap it all.
In one karaoke outlet, I managed to revive my long-lost microphonic voice belting out a couple of oldies… starting with my all-time favorite (Deep Purple’s “Soldier of Fortune”):
And wrapping up my one-night stand with the Eagles’ “Hotel California”, another evergreen fave of mine:
But my music-loving teenaged kids wouldn’t want to hear their 40-something father sing the blues. I bet their latest heart-throb would have to be this new Canadian singing sensation, 15-year-old Justin Bieber! He’s one of those rare talents who was discovered on YouTube not too long ago, by the way:
And much closer to home, this young Malaysian lass, Zee Avi who is making waves in the US music scene (her real name: Izyan Alirahman aka KokoKaina, who actually hails from Miri!) was another YouTube discovery…
Fancy that, people, why don’t we all sing our hearts out on YouTube? Who knows we may just cut a lucrative recording deal with big $$$!
BUSINESS AS USUAL in Malaysia despite all the economic doom looming in the open Global airwaves… Kuala Lumpur was still as vibrant and dynamic as ever when I departed the Malaysian capital after a few days of business-cum-leisure trip last week. It certainly is growing to become a metropolis in every sense of the word.
For comparison’s sake, I had the chance to make a day-trip to the island republic of Singapore a few weeks back but generally speaking, the positive vibes I observed amongst the Malaysian populace couldn’t be felt in neighbouring S’pore or even in our own country’s backyard, for that matter. What could be the driving force of such positivity and dynamism in Malaysia which I personally found wanting in Singapore or Brunei and even perhaps in other ASEAN countries?
Is it the new leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak? Or could it be the mere fact that the Malaysians I established contacts with during my recent stay were all energetic and open-minded lot?
Having said that, I won’t be surprised if Malaysia were to regain its status as the re-emerging Tiger economy of Asia sooner rather than later. Now, how do we Bruneians copycat such vibrancy — 101?
That, my friends, is a billion dollar question which needs an answer fast! No hard and fast rules, maybe, but a winning solution must be found, just the same. I am no economist and neither am I an academician. However, my instincts seem to be telling me that all businesses, no matter what, should lead (whatever visions and missions they may have) to the ‘holy grail’ of economic success. Failure is no longer an option! In fact, to fail is to die in vain…
Both on a personal and national level, to succeed in business in these trying times, one definitely shouldn’t rest on one’s laurels — that’s for sure. More importantly, in whatever business one is involved in, one has no choice but to innovate and be more creatively adventurous. In a nutshell — no venture, no gain! As cliched as it may sound but the truth remains that business is evolving like nobody’s business today.
More so in the near future, global businesses will rapidly capture the world market on a much bigger scale than a tsunami. What kind of a global industry am I referring to? I have yet to discover myself, frankly.
I may or may not know what I’m writing (or talking in my head) about because the raw deal is that I have to go for it, whether I like it or not! The law of the jungle dictates that it is the survival of the fittest. And in order to survive, a lot of sacrifices have to be made along the way. I may not favor the negative affluence that goes hand in hand with economic progress, socially. Still, it is a sacrifice although there has to be limits to everything in this world, being temporary in nature.
It is undoubtedly much easier to walk a tightrope than to try to balance between one’s worldly and spiritual pursuits. However, one simply has to strike the right balance, one way or another. I guess the best classic example of a true sacrifice is what Prophet Abraham (Nabi Allah Ibrahim Alaihi Salam) had to endure when God the Almighty ordered him to slaughter his own beloved son, Prophet Ismail Alaihi Salam as a ready sacrifice for the sake of Allah.
To this day, that miraculous sacrifice is being celebrated annually by all Muslims throughout the world as “Hari Raya Korban” or the Feast of Sacrifice. The Eid ‘ul Adha or more commonly known in Brunei as Hari Raya Haji or Aidil Adha will be celebrated globally on 27 November 2009.
IT RAINED so heavily in Kuala Lumpur (KL) this afternoon as I headed toward the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang from one of the many hotels along Bukit Bintang where I stayed for the last six days.
Alhamdullillah (all praises to the Almighty), the Air Asia pilot landed AK266 flight safely and brilliantly on the wet tarmac of the Brunei International Airport (BIA), albeit over two hours delay in taking off from the LCCT.
I couldn’t help sympathizing with the KL-bound passengers waiting agitatedly in the Departure Lounge of BIA, anxiously ready to board the plane I disembarked from at about 2230 hours.
Imagine they would only be arriving in KL at dawn! Anyways, KL is a city that never sleeps.. so no worries, there.
What worries me, though, is the first impression of the inefficiency of Health Ministry officials in BIA in processing passengers’ required health-check forms upon arrival. Instead of a cheerful welcome, passengers (comprising mostly foreigners which included first time visitors to the Abode of Peace) had to ’scatter helter-skelter’ along the arrival corridor filling up forms rather inconveniently! Ggrrr!!
The least BIA Management could have done is provide proper tables and chairs for people to write in their particulars OR better still, if forms could be disseminated aboard the flight before arrival. What’s so difficult about such menial triviliality to be made simply convenient for tired and irritated travellers, particularly those experiencing delayed flights?! We all know about how first impression lasts, don’t we?
I’M NO GEEK! That’s for sure. I have yet to master MS Word, Excel, and various other software applications. Neither am I a hardcore hardware specialist! I’m still grappling with how best to manage my email file management. On top of that, I’m still way behind in coming to terms with the best way to blog. How to update my Facebook and Twitter accounts further add to my IT-illiterate woes.
Illiteracy is my No 1 fallacy, to put it mildly succinctly. In this day and age, without even the most basic knowledge of ICT, one is simply illiterate. Being a parent to a couple of growing up teenagers, I really need to keep myself abreast with the latest IT developments in a more and more Knowledge-based economic world.
My school-going children are not so IT whiz kids themselves but at least they get by, I suppose. Between the two of them, they must have clocked countless hours spent on their shared laptop. Mostly chatting and music or YouTube downloading, of course. Still, they used IT a lot in their schoolwork so that’s okay, I guess.
Looks like I still have a long, long way to go to catch up with the rest of the world Netizens to come to terms with the IT-reality that one has no choice but to embrace an ICT-savvy lifestyle.
PHEW! I’ve just done what I’ve always thought I’d never do i.e. updated my Facebook on the global Net and even worse still… joined the e-world of Twitters! I just hope I’ll never get so hooked on such electronic ‘addictives’…
Well, what can I say? There’s always a first time for everything… superficial (or is it superfluous?) it may be to me, at least.
Talk about first times, I had a great first time watching my Junior Champ and my Li’l Princess on stage in front of their teachers and schoolmates WOWing us all with their talented performances! I WAS SO SURPRISED and damn proud of my two kids last Monday when both of them and their other talented peers surprised all their school teachers with a heart-rending stage presentation during a Happy Teachers’ Day celebration in their school hall.
My 15-year-old son, B.A., was quite a natural emceeing, dancing and singing throughout the show (which he also played a key role in organizing, by the way). He even did an amazing ‘Michael Jackson Strut’ at one point! Could he really be an ‘MJ reincarnation’?
My daughter, T.A., at a tender age of 11, choreographed her own “X-plosion” dance group’s superb hip-hop dancing acts swaying to the latest pop music chart-toppers! And she danced like a real professional, too! Beyonce, Rihanna and Britney Spears — eat your hearts out, girls! A Bruneian dancing star is born…
Like father like son and daughter, I guess… Today, I had to rush the two ’super-kids’ to school very early in the morning to catch their buses for educational trips to places of interest in the capital. I haven’t caught up with them yet on how their school outings went the whole day. I’m also quite excited about how they fared in their final term exams — my daughter (who’s in Primary 5) has scored 95 for English and for Malay, 93 and a half. Not bad at all, eh? Her eldest and only brother (who’ll sit for his ‘O’ Levels next year) has a really high feat or benchmark to equal…
MY OH MY! It’s been almost two months since I last posted in this journo-blog of mine, eh… Before I knew it, Eid Mubarak is long past gone and EID-UL-ADHA will pretty soon be celebrated globally with the culmination of the pinnacle of pilgrimages — the HAJ ritual for about a couple of million Muslims in Islam’s holiest city of Mekah in Saudi Arabia in a few weeks’ time. It’s the fifth obligatory pillar of the Islamic faith and I’ve not done it yet! Funny how people would address me as Haji when I’ve never performed the Haj which is compulsory for all able-bodied Muslims to make the spiritual journey at least once in a lifetime. INSYA ALLAH (God willing) I shall perform the Haj before I die in Peace, Love and Kindness… Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin.
My last short sojourn was a couple of weeks ago when I accompanied a business partner on a whirlwind trip starting with a drive from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and hopped on an AirAsia flight to Johore Bahru from KK airport. Then onwards to Singapore crossing the causeway and took a night-train ride to Kuala Lumpur Central Station before taking an express coach to Penang island. Having accomplished a number of business dealings in each stop, we flew back aboard AirAsia (naturally) to KK from Bayan Lepas airport in Penang. After a four-day journey, we drove back to the Abode of Peace in one piece… safely and soundly asleep with a big snore once back home sweet home! During the fasting month until Hari Raya and even after Raya this year, I personally made several trips to Miri (in fact I celebrated double First days of Raya in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam consecutively!)
Even now as I am posting this, I’m in Miri (having treated my son to a “This Is It” movie a while ago). I watched MJ’s greatest-ever performance yesterday afternoon in Empire Cineplex alone already but I really wanted my kid to watch it, too, although he’s in the middle of his final year exams… hehehhe I just thought that he deserved a bit of a break since he’s been burning the midnight oils for the past week or so.
Speaking of the dearly-departed LEGENDARY Michael Jackson, “This Is It” (as he had tremendously enjoyed perfecting it on stage during the filmed rehearsals when MJ was still pretty much alive and kicking) is simply his PERFECT MASTERPIECE! The King of Pop has left a LEGACY like no other! Never will “This Is It” be equalled by any world-class performers on earth ever again — This Is It is just This Is It! That’s all there is to it…
Tell me how many unpretentious artistes on a global scale has such PASSION and MAGIC like MJ there is? MJ is the symbol of L.O.V.E in this world or even the Hereafter, for that matter… R.I.P & May God bless your soul… Amin! The world & I LOVE YOU!
Anyway, here’s to My Way as sung by the ever-versatile, Good Ol’ Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, R.I.P.
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