Grown up

This little 2 month old baby....

now looking like this...


and this...yes, my good looking elder son Feris

This scruffy young teen...?


now a handsome young man..yes, my second son, Farouk...seen here with his beautiful wife, Azni

Now... this little girl snuggling comfortably in the arms of a young lady (I was young once too you know....)
mm...she does not snuggle up to me anymore...now all grown up..., seen here with her very good friend Naeem.

Group picture taken recently at Feris' and Farouk's birthday dinner several days ago. They were born 3 years and 3 days apart in April.




I don't regret the things I have done or the things I have chosen not to do because what ever I've done, I must have done something right because I ended up with you all - Authur unknown

臨時抱佛腳

Marathon writing session started at 7 am yesterday morning and taking a rest now, totaling about 15 hours, minus meal times. Rushing to complete next Friday's assignment, making up for last week's working time lost to socializing with friends and relatives. Will try to be more disciplined in the future.

This reminds me of a Chinese quotation 臨時抱佛腳, literal translation, "clasping the Buddha's feet at the last minute" . he...he...

A lesson on how to behave like a human being

I feel compelled to reproduce here, an excerpt of a letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh (working in Fukushima as a policeman) to a friend in Vietnam. It was posted on New America Media on March 19 2011 and translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of “East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres".

"Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.

Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came, there wouldn’t be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school.

The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father’s car away. I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn’t make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.

The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That’s when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. “When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here’s my portion. I already ate. Why don’t you eat it?”

The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn’t. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line started and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.

I was shocked. I asked him why he didn’t eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: “Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally.”

When I heard that I turned away, so that people wouldn’t see me cry. A society that can produce a nine-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people".

Read the full text in http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/04/04/japanese-boy-teaches-lesson-in-sacrifice/

Remembering the dearly departed

Brother Tai Kam came back from abroad to perform the QingMing prayers at Mother's resting place in Fairy Park,Meru, Klang, together with sister Wan Lan. Several days before going to Fairy Park, sis Wan Lan also performed prayers to the departed ancestors in Father's house in PJ.

Apparently, QingMing or Chinese All Souls Day goes back 2000 years ago to the Han Dynasty in China when the tradition of visiting the graves of the ancestors started. QingMing means Clear Brightness in Chinese because QingMing is the time in Spring when the days are longer than the night. In the Chinese solar calendar the season of spring is sub-divided into 6 divisions of approx 14 days each. QingMing is one of sub-seasons and normally falls on the 5th or 6th of April.

I found this picture and the Chinese poem by Chinese Poet Du Mu about QingMing. Du Mu (803 - 852 CE) was a famous poet during the Tang Dynasty.

English translation of the poem:

"A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is breaking on his way; Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness? A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/tomb-sweeping-day

Just fooling around

The first photos I took using my new hp camera.

My front yard

My backyard

Self portrait..he..he...heh