Riverside luncheon

Finally it's done: the luncheon Prof Quayum and I were supposed to host for our Faculty/Kulliyyah.At first it was all screwed up: wrong date, bad venue.Thanks to Eda's cleverness, we changed the venue to the Riverside and despite so many people being away on all sorts of mission, we didn't waste any food.I am so grateful to Allah tiada pembaziran.

Satu majlis yang berlangsung ikhlas.Everyone said the food was superb (quote of the day went to Dr. Hafiz who said, "Even the buah limau is sedap." Hahaha, he's so genuine).

I have 3 more events to go: Sunday with the neighbours and family members, Jan 7 with the Dept and maybe with some friends at Mazidah's ice cream parlour at the Pavilion.Oh ada hutang dgn Dr. Shukran lagi. :))

Al fatihah Dr Marzuki

You were a friend who knew
no anger
no grudge
no malice

I see you laughing as Nik and I are lost in our hysteria
of our hatred of a shared enemy
you listen but do not join us
as we entertain our bad thoughts of this common other

you laugh when we laugh
we feel you are on our side
we love you for that

I can always confide in you stories of my anger, my frustration (with Nik in the background, encouraging with his two horns) whenever I bump into you at uni functions and dinners
again, you never add, you never subtract
you listen, you smile, you laugh

I feel you are on my side again

today
I have lost that kind soul
who is a friend to everyone
enemy to none

Farewell Dr Marzuki, may Allah bless you and give you jannah
(Al fatihah)

** Allahyarham Dr Marzuki was the Dean of Admission and Record at IIUM who passed away today after collapsing at work ..after a meeting with Deans and Dep Rector (heart attack) He was just touching 50, I think.May Allah grant him the best in jannah. Nik in this piece is a mutual friend, not Nik my husband. :)

Year end

Phuiyoo..we are coming to the end of a year.It does not feel like it cos' we have just started a new semester at the uni (I know this is odd).I'm still adjusting to teaching a new course (u/grad).This and other things.Fast lane again.what is new.

Yesterday I listened to a radio station and laughed mcm org gila at this advert on jangan membazir.It's about a group of friends eating out.One friend was taking all types of dishes: from chicken to beef to all sorts of ulam..one fren said ini bukan makan..ini mengkedarah (dah lama tak dengar this word)..and this other fren told his friend he wanted to add fish dish pulak..His fren asked how many fish do you want? His fren said 20.

Fren A: 20???

B: yeah..is that a lot??

A: You nuts or what?

B: well..one is ikan selar...19 ekor lagi ...ikan bilis.

It's really nice to have jokes like this at the end of a long day.I laughed so much that I fear people who saw me might think I had gone mad...(ni masa driving home dalam hujan renyai2). I shared the joke with everyone in my family.Semua kantoi!

Send me funny jokes to end the year.

Fulbright Book Launch

It was yesterday and I didn't expect to see Tan Sri Ani Arope and Dato' Paduka Marina Mahathir at the same event! I had a nice long chat with Tan Sri on the history of the Achehnese and Rawas in Tanah Melayu (and other things). Sempat salam with Dato Paduka but didn't make any effort to engage in a chat with her. But I like her speech (mcm bapak dia juga..soft spoken but bisa when addressing American politics and invasion of Iraq, etc).

Had a good time meeting other fulbrighters.The current comm does well.Gayah does well as VP.So proud of her.

Malamnya emergency with my mom.Her vascular acting up again.I slept at the hospital.

Jose Munrinho

I am always slow in picking up hot news, OK?

Munrinho cheated on his wife (and his female fans) some 5 or 6 years ago (maybe still is) but oh mann...how could I have missed this news ?? The only football news I discuss with my husband is news on Munrinho.Haha.

Kelakar pun ada reading Munrinho punya love affair with his shop-gal mistress.I don't think I'd be interested in reading her book on their 2-year affair.It'd be too much to handle.Haha.

Anyway, happy new year (maal hijrah).I tried my best but it got spoilt by so many things today: the service boy returned my car late, Z pressuring me to drive her here and there, me forgetting this and that.I hope my puasa sunat diterima Allah.It's so hard to be good. :)