Just Keep TRI-ing

By: Zachary Andika 9 July 2010 Today was Mama's independence day after spending 44 days hibernating at home during her confinement period when she had me. She can finally goes out and do anything she likes. Papa was so sweet, he took Mama, Mak Tua and I for a day out at Villagio Mall. I heard this place is Mama's favourite place. The place was nice, the sky was so beautiful I thought it's fake or maybe it is. The weather was cool and not furnace hot like the temperature outside. There were so many people. I have never seen so many people in my life before. Mama checking if I was asleep Soon after I felt hungry but Mama was no where to be found. She went inside a shop selling leather goods. Lucky Papa was with me. Papa fed me by a fountain. I loved the sound of the water. It reminds me of life back in Mama's womb. Oh those were the days when I can only hear Mama and Papa, but now I am glad that I can see and feel their touch. Life in the outside world is a lot better tha...

21 /6/2010 Tahun ni Hani terpaksa menyambut ulang tahun kelahirannya sewaktu dalam pantang. Kasihan pulak. Tentu dia teringat tahun lepas birthdaynya disambut sampai 3 kali. Bermula dengan candle light dinner di Sharq Village, hanya kami berdua, diikuti dengan sambutan meriah beramai-ramai yang dikelolakan oleh Dilla dan Diba, dan sambutan oleh kawan-kawan KBT. Jadi tahun ini, untuk menceriakannya, aku merancang secara sulit dengan dilla dan kawan kawan untuk buat surprise pada malam hari lahir hani. Aku dan mama berlakon seolah-olah tak ada apa-apa berlaku, dan seolah-olah kami tidak mengingati hari lahirnya. Sedang Hani khusyuk memilih pemain bola sepak dalam permainan fantasy football di laptopnya, tiba2 kami dikejutkan dengan dentuman party poppers melalui tingkap. Hani terperanjat sehingga laptop yang diribanya jatuh ke lantai. Nasib baik tak bersepai, kalau tak pokai pakcik. Kawan-kawan yang sememangnya sudah berada di luar rumah beramai-ramai masuk melalui pintu utama dengan kek...

I will get to celebrate Father's Day for the first time this year. So last night when I changed Zach's nappy, I asked him, "Zach don't you want to wish your old man a happy Father's Day?" . He was whimpering and I thought maybe he understood me. I was imagining at that time he was trying to say how lucky he was to have a father like me before suddenly he opens fire. He peed straight to me, lucky it did't get into my mouth. That was not the only gift I got. He did not passed motion for the last four days and I was worried. He usually did number two twice a day. He finally did last night. So this morning, I was nealy fainted when I clean him before bath. Like opening a present, you are eager to find what's in the package. His nappy was so full, that every tiny inch of the newborn nappy was filled with the 4 days of excrement accumulated and fermented nicely. The smell was so unbearable I had to run and rub tiger balm to my nose before continue my fatherl...

We already decided to name our baby Widad Arjuna since we found out that we are having a son. I am responsible for the Arjuna part, because I always wanted classic malay names for my children. So I already have Arjuna, Andika and Satria for boys (means warrior) and Cinta, Kasih, Sayang for girls (mean love, affection, fondness). We have been calling the baby Widad through out the pregnancy until the very last minute, when an arab doctor who did the last ultrasound said that we cannot name him Widad. Apparently Widad is for girls. We were a bit frustrated, as we really like the name and its meaning (ambition / emotion) plus Arjuna (white / silvery) really sound like a good name. But we also cannot risk other kinds making fun of him for having a girl's name. So we have to look up the baby names guide books again, but still cannot reach the agreement between us until a day before our baby was born (the day Hani was admitted to the hospital). So what we did was really funny, we vote. W...

25 May 2010 1200 - Hani tiba-tiba call kata yang dia dah ada 'Bloody Show'. Aku pun bergegas lah balik ke rumah, aku cakap kat secretary office aku, Shoba, yang bini nak terberanak.. dia yang memang concern sebab Hani sorang2 tak ada org jaga pun, kata 'Ha you better go hurry, its time'. 1800- Hani memang ada scheduled check up hari ni. Last week dilation dia dah 2 cm, dan dah ada early labour contraction tapi lom ada sakit2 lagi. Dr Sreenisha OBGyne Hospital Al-Ahli kata kalau seminggu ni tak beranak datang semula minggu depan (hari ni). So bila dah ada tanda2 tu kitorang pun datang siap dengan beg2 untuk Hani dan baby, so kalau kena admitted, senang tak payah nak berbalik-balik. Bila buat CTG test tu, memang comfirm, Hani dah ada labour contraction, tapi dia tak rasa pun sakitnya. Masa tu dilation dia 3cm. Dr. Sreenisha pelik, kenapa dia tak rasa apa2. Tapi memandangkan contraction dia dah regularly, Dr. kena lah admit. Dr. cakap, orang Malaysia dengan Indonesia kalau...

Aku berkejar semula ke pejabat selepas selesai urusan Check up Cik Minah di Al-Ahli. Jam dah menunjukkan pukul 11 pagi. Aku ada kerja yang urgent perlu diselesaikan untuk tender bahagian transport. Sedang aku tekun menyiapkan tender clarification sheet yang perlu di hantar pada bidder, tiba-tiba telefon aku berbunyi.. Kringgg..kringgg.. Nombor yang tertera adalah nombor pegawai senior (Berbangsa Bawang) yang mengganti team leader aku, Parameswara yang sedang bercuti. Me: Yes bawang Bawang: Can you come to my office Me: Can it wait, Im doing something urgent for transport Bawang: This is urgent too, you prepared a submission for the CEO but your submission was 'screwed up' and low of quality. Me: How can it be screwed up, it was commented and ammended by Parameswara, nevermind, i'll come over Aku pun berlari ke pejabat Bawang ni Bawang: Here, this document has been signed by Parameswara and Krishna, but rejected by the manager, Abdul Rahman. Me: What seems to be the problem ...

Mengingati kematian itu sunat dalam Islam supaya kita beringat bahawa mati itu benar dan boleh berlaku pada bila-bila masa saja. Mungkin kita belum bersedia kerana merasakan amal kita belum mencukupi. But as I said, death can come at any time, any where. Aku teringat peristiwa-peristiwa dimana aku nyaris bertemu ajal ( cheating death ). Masa umur aku 6 tahun, aku ikut nenek, datuk dan dua mak saudara aku berbelanja barang dapur di Bandar Tangkak. Kalau korang tau ditengah-tengah Bandar Tangkak tu ada jalan besar yang menghubungkan Muar dan Segamat. Memang busy sentiasa. Nenek dan datuk aku berada di kedai runcit di seberang jalan tersebut sementara aku berada bersama dua mak saudara aku tu di kedai kain. Bosan dengan mak saudara aku yang sibuk membeli dan memilih kain, aku tiba-tiba terfikir, dekat seberang jalan tu ada kedai mainan, boleh minta Tok Tan belikan baju askar dengan senapang. Tanpa fikir panjang, aku terus keluar dari kedai kain, tanpa disedari dua mak saudara aku tu dan t...