Sunday, August 17, 2014

Stories from the hills

I must get my family to spend our holidays in Malaysia more.I macam berok keluar dari KL menuju ke Cameron Highlands.We never ever go this way for a longgg time now.My memories of CH were when Tam was living there for a while (if I tak silap).Oh so long time ago.I joined my colleagues on the bus (a night's stay..Nik and Z kerja so they could not join me).Masa pergi, exciting cos' we went through Simpang Pulai with a stop at Gopeng's R&R (oh so exciting I thought..so canggih...lots of stalls utk mkn minum).Along the way up, saw marble mines and air terjun (or streams from the hills). I went look!look! -like bdk kampong baru dapat keluar for the first time!Dr Saodah Ab.Rahman and I were talking non-stop.Her stories at Oxford and other travels were funny.I told her to start writing a travelogue.

The hotel was an old one(formerly the Equatorial). They gave me a room to myself despite me saying I was afraid of sleeping alone.I rang up Kak Long ( my childhood friend and a relative who's living in CH) and asked if they could pick me up.She lives in Tanah Rata.I was in Brinchang but she and hubby came and showed me around.Hatta works with pertanian and told me to get my veges from an organic shop.But I bought some strawberries and CH corns at the Brinchang market anyway.Why do they use too much chemical in their pesticides?Too segar those sayur and strawberries.I asked if Kak Long would not mind her gals (under 15) teman I tidur mlm tu.The gals nak ikut.Phew! My sessions went all night frm 7 pm.4.30 am bangun qiam sampai subuh.Told the gals to get their meals via room service sbb takut hilang if they wander on their own.Well- mannered gals and they slept well.

I think I enjoyed my mosque retreat betterlah but the fresh air was good.Took a walk with another colleague (but we ended up shopping!)

We did tadarus as well.This bit also I liked.My colleagues from IRK ngaji laju..friends in the English Dept said they'd start class tajwid soon sebab malu ngaji mcm org baru masuk Islam (termasuklah dot dot).Qiam pun syok but imam baca ayat panjang sgt.Kat masjid ari tu, ayat pendek but khusyuk tahajudnya.:)Lagi panjang lagi prone to khayal.Haha.

Time balik we ikut Tapah cos tanah runtuh kat Simpang Pulai way.The trip felt so long.But when we stopped at Tapah R&R to solat, sekali lagi I mcm berok...was mesmerised by the open air concept of a surau.Bestnya, awak! No stuffy room with noisy aircons.Stopped to drink longan drinks and some pineapple slices.Sitting nxt to me was a makcik (but she could be about my age tapi from the Felda so she may look older than her actual age).I asked nak ke mana.She said pi Kuala Kangsar dari Johor.Orang kawin? I asked.No..pi ambik hadiah cabutan no. bertuah.I thought payung ke, peti ais ke, oven ke.Belum sempat tanya, she said hadiah kereta.

Wough! I said murahnya rezeki.Apa amalan makcik? (Makciklah konon).She said takda apa but dia ada 11 orang anak.Wow.I said sapa bawak kereta tu nanti since she does not drive and does not intend to learn ( her hubby pun tak drive)...she said anak lelaki dia who lives with her.

I'm sure Allah has plans for her and her family.Maybe they will fall sick one day as they age..the car is there for them to cope.Maybe adalah kebaikan mereka that they got this rezeki.Whatever it is, I'm glad that I bumped into her.There's a lesson to learn from.

Allah tidak pernah lupa pada yang tiada.







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