Sayyidul Istighfar

Selawat for all

Selawat ini adalah yang paling mustajab above all others.  Please copy if you want to.  Make use of it in all occasions.

Deep in thoughts with sadness

Today, two persons close to my heart would be leaving Malaysian soil, heading for the Middle East... One, is a sister I have met and we sort of "adopted" each others family since the year 1974... while the other is my young cousin who is working in Doha, Qatar.  He would resume his duties there and taking home a new addition to his family, little Dzain.

My "sister" is holding a gathering since breakfast time this morning and by 10.30 p.m. tonight, she would be leaving her house to join the rest of the pilgrimages and shall be leaving for Mecca by 5:00 a.m tomorrow morning.

Why am I left behind?

Someone from the Rayhar Travel Agency had called me a day after they have made confirmation who could go and who couldn't.  

An unfamiliar number showed up and obviously lighted up on my mobile.  Without hesitation I accepted and an unfamiliar voice was on the receiver.
"Assalamualaikum Madam.  I am Mr.Rahmat fom Rayhar Travel".

"Wa'alaikummussalam Mr.Rahmat", said I.

"I am so sorry that your name and another lady in your group were not selected, our quota is much reduced this year and we only have such a limited number to accommodate", went this apologetic voice on the other end of the receiver.

Calmly I replied:

"Sir, may I know why we weren't selected?"

"Says the Haj Pilgrimage Board, both of you were only registered last year, and by right, your eligibility is in the year 2033 " said he.

"Okay, I understand.  And Sir, don't worry.  This is not their work, neither yours.  Not your choice, neither them.  This is the work of Allah.  He knows who should go now, later or even at the vary last minute just before the "Wukuf Day".  I am honestly "redha" with this as this is Allah's choice and decision and not yours." 

"I am happy you could accept this decision in this "strange" way.  Had other people answered like you do, it would surely have made my job easier, Madam". He continued.

"Sir, I knew there are elderly people who should perform the Haj this year, there are those who have registered themselves years before me, there are those whose chances have been "taken" by others before this and Sir, this is indeed the work of Allah.  He knows best.  Perhaps he wants me to attend more Haj courses and get myself better equipped with better acknowledg and most of all... He knows when and with whom I should be going" , I went so lengthy with my answer.

Silently, during my Zohor prayer, I prayed with a heart feeling so calm, asking Allah to INVITE me to HIS House at an  instance - He so  grant me with the right timing, the right Mahram and the right mode - for a pilgrimage at the time He already determined. 

But somehow, this vary instance... deep inside me, there's a lump in my throat, I feel so remorseful  for some reasons am to depart with these two special people in my life.  To them both I shall pray for their safe journey and safe landing .  

One, to go home with his family, where he belongs to serve the Qatar Oil, while the other : a safe journey and safe landing in Mecca.  I too pray for her  good health, high in Iman, Taqwa and Faith, to perform the Haj well so that Allah accepts her ibadah, to have surmountable patience, to eat and sleep well and come home safely.  To Min, may you have a successful career, a family safe from any evils, pray for good health, wealth and happiness.

Amin Ya Rabbal'alamiin.

Draconid Meteor Outburst

Draconid Meteor Outburst

Oct. 4, 2011: On October 8th Earth is going to plow through a stream of dust from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, and the result could be an outburst of Draconid meteors.
"We're predicting as many as 750 meteors per hour," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "The timing of the shower favors observers in the Middle East, north Africa and parts of Europe."

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner in Nov. 1998 photographed by astronomers at Kitt Peak. [more]

Every 6.6 years Comet Giacobini-Zinner swings through the inner solar system. With each visit, it lays down a narrow filament of dust, over time forming a network of filaments that Earth encounters every year in early October.
"Most years, we pass through gaps between filaments, maybe just grazing one or two as we go by," says Cooke. "Occasionally, though, we hit one nearly head on--and the fireworks begin."
2011 could be such a year. Forecasters at NASA and elsewhere agree that Earth is heading for three or more filaments on October 8th. Multiple encounters should produce a series of variable outbursts beginning around 1600 Universal Time (noon EDT) with the strongest activity between 1900 and 2100 UT (3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT).
Forecasters aren't sure how strong the display will be, mainly because the comet had a close encounter with Jupiter in the late 1880s. At that time, the giant planet's gravitational pull altered the comet's orbit and introduced some uncertainty into the location of filaments it has shed since then. Competing models place the filaments in slightly different spots; as a result, estimated meteor rates range from dozens to hundreds per hour.

Comet dust stream models suggest a succession of peaks in meteor rate between 1600 and 2100 UT on Oct. 9th. Click here for details. Credit: MSFC/Meteoroid Environment Office.

One respected forecaster, Paul Wiegert of the University of Western Ontario, says the meteor rate could go as high as 1000 per hour -- the definition of a meteor storm. It wouldn't be the first time. Close encounters with dusty filaments produced storms of more than 10,000 Draconids per hour in 1933 and 1946 and lesser outbursts in 1985, 1998, and 2005.

Meteors from Comet Giacobini-Zinner stream out of the northern constellation Draco--hence their name. Draconids are among the slowest of all meteors, hitting the atmosphere at a relatively leisurely 20 km/s. The slow pace of Draconid meteors minimizes their danger to satellites and spacecraft and makes them visually distinctive.
"A Draconid gliding leisurely across the sky is a beautiful sight," says Cooke.
Unfortunately, many of this year's Draconids will go unseen. Draconids are faint to begin with, and this year they have to complete with an almost-full Moon. Lunar glare will reduce the number of meteors visible from Europe, Africa and the Middle East by 2- to 10-fold. The situation is even worse in North America where the shower occurs in broad daylight—completely obliterating the display.
That isn't stopping a group¹ of middle school and high school students from Bishop, California, however. They plan to observe the shower from the stratosphere where the sky is dark even at noontime.

Black skies at high noon, photographed from a high-altitude helium balloon on Sept. 3, 2011. Credit: Earth to Sky, a student group located in Bishop, CA.

Led by Science@NASA's Tony Phillips, the 15 students have been launching helium balloons to the edge of space since May of 2011. With more than 95% of Earth’s atmosphere below the balloon, the sky above looks almost as black as it would from a spacecraft—perfect for astronomy.
"The students are going to attempt to fly one of our low-light meteor cameras in the payload of their balloon," says Cooke. "I hope they catch some Draconid fireballs for us to analyze. They could be the only ones we get."
Stay tuned for results after Oct. 8th.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

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The Cab Ride

I arrived at  the address and honked the horn.
after waiting a few  minutes
I walked to the door and knocked.. 

'Just  a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. 

I could  hear something being dragged across the  floor.


After a long pause, the door  opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me.  She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with  a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's  movie.


By her side was a small nylon  suitcase. 

The apartment looked as if no one had  lived in it for years. 

All the furniture were  covered with sheets.


There were no 
clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils  on the counters. 

In the corner was a cardboard  box filled with photos and glassware.


'Would you carry my bag  out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase  to the cab, then returned to assist the  woman.


She took my arm and we walked  slowly toward the curb.


She kept  thanking me for my kindness.

'It's nothing', I  told her.. 

'I just try to treat my passengers  the way I would want my mother to  betreated.'


'Oh, you're such a good  boy, she said. 

When we got in the cab, she gave  me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive  through downtown?'


'It's not the  shortest way,' I answered  quickly..


'Oh, I don't mind,' she  said. 

'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a  hospice".


I looked in the rear-view  mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have  any family left,' she continued in a soft  voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very  long.' 

I quietly reached over and shut off the  meter.


'What route would you like me  to take?' I asked.


For the next two  hours, we drove through the city. 

She showed me  the building where she had once worked as an 
elevator operator.


We drove through 

the  neighborhood where she and her husband had lived 
when they were newlyweds 

She had me pull up in  front of a furniture warehouse that had once 
been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a  girl.


Sometimes she'd ask me to slow 
in front of a particular building or corner and 
would sit staring into the darkness, saying  nothing.


As the first hint of sun was  creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm  tired. Let's go now'.


We drove in  silence to the address she had given me. 

It was  a low building, like a small convalescent home, 
with a driveway that passed under a  portico.


Two orderlies came out to  the cab as soon as we pulled up. \

They were  solicitous and intent, watching her every move. 
They must have been expecting her.


I  opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to  the door. 

The woman was already seated in a  wheelchair.


'How much do I owe you?'  She asked, reaching into her  purse.


'Nothing,' I  said


'You have to make a living,' she  answered.


'There are other  passengers,' I responded.


Almost  without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She 
held onto me tightly.


'You gave an  old woman a little moment of joy,' she  said
'Thank you.'


I squeezed her  hand, and then walked into the dim morning 
light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound  of the closing of a life..


I didn't  pick up any more passengers that shift. 

I drove  aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that 
day, I could hardly talk. 

What if that woman had  gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient  to end his shift?
What if I had refused to  take the run, or had honked
once, then driven  away?


On a quick review, I don't think  that I have done anything
more important in my  life.


We're conditioned to think that our  lives revolve around great moments.


But  

great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully 
wrapped in what others may consider a small  one.


PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY 
WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL 
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM 
FEEL


You won't get any big  surprise
in 10 days if you send this to ten people.  But,
you might help make the world a little kinder 
and more compassionate by sending.
it on and  reminding us that often it is the random acts of 
kindness that most benefit all of  us.

Thank you, my 
friend...
Life 
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we 

are here we might as well  dance. 

 This piece came through my email this morning and it touched me deeply... hence I thought I would share it with you and see if you feel anything.... (at all).

10 = 2

IT was a real torrential fall last Tuesday, before Tuesday and after Tuesday... Alhamdulillah to that.  There was blessings in disguise.  Those showers have helped to clear the haze that was around us - (all the living creatures here), that was hanging in sky, in the atmosphere and most of all in the thinking minds of "forgetful people" like me...


After some hesitation, after hesitation, I fell asleep.  

The rice was boiling in the cooker.  It was basically meant for fried rice for someone special who was leaving for Jordan that night.  I had taken out some prawns, frozen veges, skinned the onions and shallots, cleaned the paprika, prepared the chillis and then I prepared myself to sleep.

It had been raining since the morning.  I knew he was leaving.  I was alone, without any chaperon ... that caused me to instantaneously hesitated to even thinking of going out of that front door.  But by four o'clock I was like in dizzy spells... I realized that I have not performed my prayer.  For an instant I thought I was dreaming.  But NO!  I wasn't.  So, hastily I took my ablution.  Prepared myself to pray, from one prayer to another.  Soon after, I felt so refreshed and found myself standing in the kitchen.


I started to prepare the friend rice.  How?

1. Shelled red onions/shallots, garlic and  prawns.  Slit the prawns to remove the "black" thingy from their back, leaving the tail intact. Set them aside.
2. Heat the wok with some olive oil.  Use the wooden ladle and as the new non stick pan would not like any scratches on its surface!  Before the oil gets heated up, put in sliced and crushed onions and garlic.  Lightly fry them.
3.  Add chillies.  Add a little salt to taste.  Than if it gets too hot, add a little brown sugar to lighten the hot "spells".

4.  Add veges, mushrooms and put in carrots last to maintain its crunchiness.
5.  Add rice last.  Keep on tasting until you get the correct taste.

Once done, look at the clock!  It's only 5:25p.m.  There is still time to prepare myself to go to the airport.  But before that, I called my "niece" to ask is she is free to accompany me to the airport which is more than 50 kilometers away from where I now reside  The phone was cut off instantly.  I knew just the reason why.  Her phone battery had gone kaput. Anyway, since the fried rice was ready, I better think wisely if I were to just pack them and store up! 


By the time I was ready to ... dunno what yet at this point of time.... the rain was getting heavier.  I took my car keys, house keys which by now I am quite used to handling all the 4 locks... took the packed fried rice and unlock the door.  Locking the door was no longer a  hassle now... 9 floors down and there I was ... into the car!  It was faithfully waiting for me on the second floor...


Out into the rain I drove.  My niece had gone back to her hostel, got the phone charged and then called me to tell she could come along with me.  Yayyyyyy!  BUT it wasn't as easy as typing the cary word Yayyyyyyy.  


That was when the equation in the previous post was posted....


The normal 10 minutes journey was too short on normal brightly shone days as compared to today's.  This time, the crawl turned into snail crawls... NO!  Not even snail crawl.  If you  could imagine, it took me two solid hours to reach her!


So, that answers that!  I knew we would easily have passed and missed the 9:00 o'clock flight.  Silently, deep down I was hoping for the flight to be delayed.  No one at the airport knew that we were coming.  Somehow, we were informed that the flight was delayed until 12:00 midnight.  Alhamdulillah.  I had ample time to reach the airport.  Slightly after 9:00p.m we were already at the parking lot.


Now the harder part is tracking them down.  Where could they be.  Any wrong movement, wrongly asked question might lead to the "secret" which would not be a secret anymore!!!  Anyway, we were successful.  We succeeded in giving a huge surprise to them.  I had four or five packed fried rice to share!!!


By the time I reached home... it was after 12:00 midnight.  So that was what it was all about!

10 MINUTES = 2 HOURS

COULD anyone solve the above equation?  Am off to bed now.  See you another day...InsyaAllah.

Police: Carbon dioxide led to death in McDonald's bathroom

By the CNN Wire Staff

September 14, 2011 1:38 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A line on a carbonation tank was "improperly disconnected"
• The carbon dioxide built up to toxic levels in the bathroom
• An 80-year-old woman died after the incident September 7

(CNN) -- An 80-year-old woman who died after being found unconscious in a restroom at an eastern Georgia McDonald's was killed by a lethal dose of carbon dioxide, authorities said Wednesday.
An investigation determined that a "bleed line" on the tank used to carbonate beverages in the McDonald's drink dispenser was "improperly disconnected within the wall cavity," Pooler, Georgia, Police Chief Mark Revenew said.
This caused carbon dioxide to build up in the restroom, which was in close proximity to the tank, "in a potentially lethal concentration," he said.
Anne Felton, of Ponte Vedra, Florida, was one of two people found in the ladies' restroom September 7. Authorities arriving on the scene were also stricken by "an odor," Revenew said at the time.
A total of nine people, including three firefighters, were transported to a local hospital, where Felton died.
No one else exposed during the incident should suffer any long-term effects, Revenew said Wednesday. Simmons said all three firefighters have recovered and returned to work.
At certain levels, Pooler Fire Chief Wade Simmons told reporters Wednesday, carbon dioxide can "render you unconscious in a very short period of time."
Authorities are still investigating how the incident occurred, Revenew said, adding that it involved "more than one error, I believe." The franchise's owners, he said, are "grief-stricken" and have been very cooperative. The findings so far are considered preliminary, he said.
Investigators did not discover the issue until Tuesday night, after receiving a call from a police department in Phoenix, Arizona, advising them of a similar incident there, Simmons said. That call "sped us up and moved us in the right direction," he said.
The restaurant re-opened after the incident when it was deemed safe. Authorities said it was closed Tuesday night for testing and the carbon dioxide issue was found. Revenew said the wall cavity had to be opened during the testing.

Pooler is about 10 miles west of Savannah, Georgia.

Why My Body was Aching?

Why?  What had happened?

I am sure someone is going to be laughing the hell out of him when he reads this post.  It aches everywhere.  Alright.  Where?  The  middle, upper and lower back but not my arms.  What had happened?  I guess I knew just as much.

Yesterday, I started my greatest  venture... ie. preparation for the hardest dish to make!  To me it was the hardest, may not be to you or some who are more expert in cooking.  It was 9:00a.m when I began collecting all the ingredients, arranging them in a colander, sharpening the knife, taking out the chopping board, taking out the dried chilies that I have just bought two day ago and  glancing at the vary recipe that was given to me at the wet market just the day before.  

I was holding some shallots at one of the stalls while talking to the Indian lady presumably its owner, when a gentle and fair skinned lady came wearing a smile in her face.  I caught a glance at her  returning her smile.  I saw her choosing some sizable shallots and putting them in the crinkled plastic bag.

"My children never liked these small ones.  They are harder to peel", said her turning to me.

"If you want a bigger one, take the big red onion", she continued with a little laughter. 

"I was going to try making Rendang Tok  this time but I dunno the exact recipe.  I have been looking on the internet and good grief!!! All kinds of recipes were there.  Some are so elaborate that I couldn't grasp if it was  for this very delicate dish.  While a few has so much metrics in them that I am not so sure how much the quantities are!", turning to her.

"Oh I am not an expert, but I could share my simple recipe with you, take a piece of paper and copy", ordered her. The Indian lady turned and looked for a ball pen and a piece of paper with her Cash Sales pad  and handed it to me.  I began writing the followings diligently so as not to miss any important ingredients from this lady chef.

"2 kgs. beef for rendang (the harder version)

10 stalks lemongrass

20 pieces red chillies

1  1/2 kgs. red onions

7 cloves garlic

2" galangal

2" ginger

2 kilos coconut milk

2 cups kerisek 

4 heaps Tablespoon Curry Powder

2 Tablespoon black pepper

Salt

1 piece Gula Melaka

And cook on a slow fire" ordered her firmly.

"Thank you mam for this recipe" holding out my hands to grace her.

"When are you going to start preparing it?" asked her seriously.

"Afterwards when I get home" said I obediently.

"No.  There won't be sufficient time to get it ready.  Definitely you won't get it done today if you start afterwards", firmly telling me.

"You better start tomorrow morning. It takes 8 hours to cook!"  she continued.

"Oh that long? Okay tomorrow I shall begin then", replied me.

"I have got packed coconut milk.  Could I use them?" I asked her another time.

"Oh NO!  We don't use such coconut milk.  Get the pure and fresh ones" replied her.

The Indian lady must have felt safe.  Her 4 boxes of coconut milk were already paid and safe in my bag.

"Oh I am xxxx and thanks again for this wonderful recipe", I continued.

"And I am xxxx", in her replies mentioning her name as Z.

I then left the stall, turning round to go to a Malay lady's stall.  I was looking for some items.  I bought some coconut milk...not little though, 2 kgs. mind you?

Coming home, I felt so tired.  Put everything away and took a rest.

Yesterday morning, I was so determined to try this dish myself.  You know why?  They sell it so expensively at the "Pasar Tani" ...

While cleaning the dried chillies, I was sneezing away.  The dust from them have found their ways into my nostrils.  I tried soaking them in tepid water, it did not go off either.  Never mind.  I have to clean them anyway.  Once done, cleaned, rid off the plentiful seeds, I boiled it on a slow fire.

Next, were the onions.  How many is 1 1/2 kgs?  I made a wild goose guess.  I must have taken more than 20 pieces.  They are small ones, not the usual big sized lot.  Peeling them was not a hassle.  Cutting them up ready to go into the blender.  Half the amount was thinly sliced.  I was not told to do it but I enjoy doing it especially when I have a very sharp knife.  I took out some 12 pieces lemongrass and slicing them up finely.  Cutting up the garlic in small pieces and shoving everything into the blender.  Once done, I heat up the big wok, turning the stove on and pouring out everything into it. Meanwhile, the beef was still frozen but not too hard now.  The chillies were now ready to go into the blender.  Great!  Then I shall have freshly prepared chillies which is not mixed with preservatives.  While waiting for the beef to completely thaw out, I prepared some jellies for the Iftar.  Not difficult at all.  Everything went into the pot, boiled and pour out into the dish, chill and done!  It was 10:00a.m when I noticed the beef was ready to join the rest of the ingredients in the big wok.  Start timing, shall I?

I took my note book, seated on a stool in the kitchen.  Going through the blogs, face book, and emails.  Once in a while, I took a peep into the wok and stir a bit.  After two hours, the amount of liquid went down a bit.  Counting the hours.  That was what I did.  No salt at this time.  The beef were still stiff.  By 5:00p.m I put salt, sugar and and and... I couldn't taste it.  never mind wait until I break my fast, then I shall taste it.  I took it off the stove by 5:30p.m. and got the rest of the dishes ready for breaking of fast.  WOW!  That was some achievement!!!!.

At Iftar, we tasted the "dish"!!! Wow!  HOT!  There was too much chillies in it????  Never mind, I shall "repair" it later.  Hahaha!

There were sugar added, salt required and another stir was done.  This time I shifted it into a non stick wok as the amount was much less now.  It also gave me the correct very dark color.  This is how it should look like.

By night time after the Terawih Prayer at the mosque, I came home beginning to feel IT!!!  There it was!  Aching on the back.  Hihihi, great cook!

Today, still feeling stiff on my back and shoulder.  I put some ointment and settle with it until now.  Today I have two washings ready to be dried, this posting to keep my memory jogging and of course the TV watching.

Some rendang cooking!!! By a beginner who is so anxious on doing it herself.  It was tough no doubt.  The stirring of such volume of mixture gave me this aching back.  But am still thankful, I did not get any aches  on my arms... Alhamdulillah syukur.  I shall keep them in the freezer until they are ready to use... THEY are for my lovely children... I LOVE YOU ...ALL my BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN... 

Spacecraft Sees Solar Storm Engulf Earth

August 18, 2011: For the first time, a spacecraft far from Earth has turned and watched a solar storm engulf our planet. The movie, released today during a NASA press conference, has galvanized solar physicists, who say it could lead to important advances in space weather forecasting.
“The movie sent chills down my spine,” says Craig DeForest of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.  "It shows a CME swelling into an enormous wall of plasma and then washing over the tiny blue speck of Earth where we live.  I felt very small.”

A wide-angle movie recorded by NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft shows a solar storm traveling all the way from the sun to Earth and engulfing our planet. A 17 MB Quicktime zoom adds perspective to the main 40 MB Quicktime movie.

CMEs are billion-ton clouds of solar plasma launched by the same explosions that spark solar flares.   When they sweep past our planet, they can cause auroras, radiation storms, and in extreme cases power outages.  Tracking these clouds and predicting their arrival is an important part of space weather forecasting.
“We have seen CMEs before, but never quite like this,” says  Lika Guhathakurta, program scientist for the STEREO mission at NASA headquarters.  “STEREO-A has given us a new view of solar storms.”
STEREO-A is one of two spacecraft launched in 2006 to observe solar activity from widely-spaced locations. At the time of the storm, STEREO-A was more than 65 million miles from Earth, giving it the “big picture” view other spacecraft in Earth orbit have been missing.
When CMEs first leave the sun, they are bright and easy to see. Visibility is quickly reduced, however, as the clouds expand into the void.  By the time a typical CME crosses the orbit of Venus, it is a billion times fainter than the surface of the full Moon, and more than a thousand times fainter than the Milky Way.  CMEs that reach Earth are almost as gossamer as vacuum itself and correspondingly transparent.

“Pulling these faint clouds out of the confusion of starlight and interplanetary dust has been an enormous challenge,” says DeForest.
Indeed, it took almost three years for his team to learn how to do it. Footage of the storm released today was recorded back in December 2008, and they have been working on it ever since.  Now that the technique has been perfected, it can be applied on a regular basis without such a long delay.
Alysha Reinard of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center explains the benefits for space weather forecasting:
“Until quite recently, spacecraft could see CMEs only when they were still quite close to the sun. By calculating a CME's speed during this brief period, we were able to estimate when it would reach Earth. After the first few hours, however, the CME would leave this field of view and after that we were 'in the dark' about its progress.”
“The ability to track a cloud continuously from the Sun to Earth is a big improvement,” she continues.  “In the past, our very best predictions of CME arrival times had uncertainties of plus or minus 4 hours,” she continues.  “The kind of movies we’ve seen today could significantly reduce the error bars.”

This 17 MB Quicktime zoom adds perspective to the main 40 MB Quicktime movie of the CME engulfing Earth.

The movies pinpoint not only the arrival time of the CME, but also its mass.  From the brightness of the cloud, researchers can calculate the gas density with impressive precision.  Their results for the Dec. 2008 event agreed with actual in situ measurements at the few percent level.  When this technique is applied to future storms, forecasters will be able to estimate its impact with greater confidence.
At the press conference, DeForest pointed out some of the movie’s highlights:   When the CME first left the sun, it was cavernous, with walls of magnetism encircling a cloud of low-density gas.   As the CME crossed the Sun-Earth divide, however, its shape changed.  The CME “snow-plowed” through the solar wind, scooping up material to form a towering wall of plasma. By the time the CME reached Earth, its forward wall was sagging inward under the weight of accumulated gas.  
The kind of magnetic transformations revealed by the movie deeply impressed Guhathakurta:  “I have always thought that in heliophysics understanding the magnetic field is equivalent to the ‘dark energy’ problem of astrophysics.  Often, we cannot see the magnetic field, yet it orchestrates almost everything.   These images from STEREO give us a real sense of what the underlying magnetic field is doing.”
All of the speakers at today’s press event stressed that the images go beyond the understanding of a single event.  The inner physics of CMEs have been laid bare for the first time—a development that will profoundly shape theoretical models and computer-generated forecasts of CMEs for many years to come.
“This is what the STEREO mission was launched to do,” concludes Guhathakurta, “and it is terrific to see it live up to that promise."

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

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I Have JUST Noticed

There are three blocks of apartment coming up.  They are built on  slopes of the hills behind our apartment.  The block nearest to ours consisting of 15 storeys in total.  Gradually it reduces as the contractors are trying to maintain similarity in height. At exactly 6:30a.m this morning the first heavy vehicle arrived.  Then all the happenings began.  The hustle and bustle of a busy built site.

Vaguely I tried to recall a few terms which I came across during a course with JKR some years back.  But one obvious remark came from the trainer was ...

"How come I see one lady arriving on a late late train?"... that was me.  Being the eldest in class, I knew the question, a joke or not, was directed to me.

Then came the reading of plans lay out.  The front elevation, side elevation, top and bottom.  Was there?  Introducing terms like mild steel, cement mix, ratio sand to pebbles, sizes of the beams, how much mix should be in the column, thickness of the wall, retention walls, roofs, flooring materials, fixtures and fittings, lightings,  and so many many more ........and at this point... I feel a little slighted as am writing this... WHY?

Because as I was packing and throwing things from the store room,  some time back in July, I came across books and notes related to the matter mentioned above.  I should have kept them in my new house and create a library for my generations to see what their grandmother was doing all along.  Suddenly I feel I am at a losing end now.  Well, it is too late to regret at this moment.  Those materials together with my annual reports, audited accounts, notes from courses, invoices, purchase orders, catalogs, pamphlets,  piles of files that I had kept since the beginning of time I started my business were collected by Alam Flora people to be sent to recycle centers.  I only keep the last five year's materials for ... I do not know what!

BUT I did not throw away any files from all those associations that I was involved in.  I keep them intact, even as far back as 1990's.  Among them I found files of Committee Members of University Women Association, Files of the Building Committee under UWA and a few of the related matters regarding the nursery we had run.  In particular and it is a must, I should still keep files from an organization belongs to the state where I come from.  This is an interesting organisation.  At one time when I hold office as its secretary, and in my pursuit to do my duties well,  I was kept eluded.  I dare not put away for good those files in case some smart Alec were to  emerge in future with some unbecoming "smart ideas"  and "investigate" cases.  I was aware of what went on but I was never revealed what went on behind me and the rest of the main committee.  Sounds mysterious ain't it?  Well aware!  In the event, I was "removed" together with the Prince "chairperson".

That led to the birth of a new association which I was the founder.  But working with all ladies was not all that easy either!  I left my name in it as one of its lifetime  members and as the person singing off at the end of its constitution.  I helped to prepare the constitution and went through until it was formally registered in 2006...

Working for political parties wasn't easy too.  People wanted my position as one of the leaders (not so prominent though). One occasion which was hard to forget and must not be forgotten was during one of the AGMs, one candidate who was so afraid that I could climb up the leadership ladder, asked me outright... and it was extremely daring and outrageous!

"Madam, could you please not participate in this election?  I have been wanting this position.  I hope you would agree" said her in the year 1996.  As she was blurting out those words, I notice there were two factions in the main hall. One was my supporters and the other might have been hers.  Trying not to do anything "against her will", I agreed and of course I did loose anything by doing so.  Disagreeing with her may have put me against the wall.  They all play "dangerous games"....

Anyway, I have left all those kind of volunteer work with such organizations...

Helping single mothers were my next task.  I tried to give them advise, helping in any ways I could, showing them ways to certain government departments to settle their woes, showing them who in the authority could sensibly help with their troubles and of course I get great satisfaction doing all these.

Some are "left behind mothers" with their kids being taken away by their "sleeping partners", some are broken-hearted mothers with spouses taking on another wife, while some are mothers who have "empty arms and disparity" in their lives with their children "leaving" homes.  Extremely pitiful.

My dream would be... my little secret...one day if am still healthy, I would like to share life with people in the old folks home...  I would like to share the little that I know, I want to keep them occupied with "useful" things to do... I just wonder what they may be????

Mistakes and corrections...

When I reread my older postings I found too many spelling mistakes, words not correctly used/missing and much more. But I feel quite tired to edit them at this moment....  All but one, I, in particular had to edit because my gracious blogger visitor Hayatinor wanted to copy and post it to her doctor sons.  It was meant to be shared, reminded and hopefully it was of some use to them.

When I looked at the posting entitled "Taking My Last Look" , I felt deep in sadness and nostalgia for the roof had once sheltered me and my entire family for the past five years.  Those over grown plants that I left behind were still looking somewhat "sad" (in my thoughts) because I did not take them along.  I have absolutely no space for them huge bushes of haliconea (mind the spelling... I still couldn't find the correct spelling until today) in this new apartment, neither in the soon-to-be-new dwelling which would be ready for us to move in some time later in October or so.  

I am missing all them plants, the birds and the bees, the monkeys huge and little - there must be more new borns by now...  

am now more like a  builder...

There are two high rise apartment coming their way.  The sounds are so contrasting to the previous dwelling.  There, it was so quiet that (my exaggeration) even if I dropped a needle, I could hear it.  In this new place, as soon as it is 6:30a.m vehicles started to arrive.  A long truck laden with heavy building materials making a loud sound from its honk, waking up their entire "community".  One after another of the heavy machinery, started to turn on its engine.  The tractors making their way up to the top where there are sands to be mixed to give them builders, cements.

Smells from the smoke emitted from the vehicles were constantly blown into my apartment.  I could not complain.  I only tolerated it as though am their chief and very much part of them.  Hahahaha!

On the hills I could see lights like those in the pictures  from "the hills of Rome"... they appeared to be in stacks... like some luxurious seaside apartments which are fully lighted.  In the day time, they are entirely the reverse... they are merely shacks and huts belonging to them workers and builders whom have contributed much to our building industry.  For without them, nothing grows... especially the "forest of bricks" in this part of the world.  Not many local people would work as builders.  These are imported work force that come, live, raise their families and earn their living here.  We cannot complain much when our currencies were out-flowing to their homeland through the banking services.  They earn their livelihood here. 

The long-necks (Harith replaces the original name of cranes) are working non stop until late evening.  By noon, a heavily laden  truck with steels making its way up the hill.  This I noticed is daily delivered.  A few trips of sands by smaller lorries found their way up there too.  This scheduled deliveries seemed fixed.  Sometimes I am smiling to myself.  Am I their unpaid "chieftain?"... LOL!

The dust that comes into the house is surprisingly "not that much"...  the amount is still tolerable by me.  Then comes the "smell of the curry aroma".

"D, if I keep on smelling this curry day in day out, I think I would vomit in two weeks time", said I to D one day.  The curry isn't as strong as the Indian curry, neither too mild to notice.  You know what I mean?  It's in between, so to say.  Sometimes, during our sahur time, there's a fresh strong smell of burnt rice.  AHA!  There, my friend... also burning food in their pots???

From where I stand, my sliding door is only 7'x5' , I could only see: A hill with half its vegetation gone for good, still some parts are scantily covered with trees that were saved for the day, huts and shacks built on different heights of the hills, the terrain was clearly and carefully cleared to make ways for the heavy vehicles to climb up to deliver materials, dogs, chicken, people and plants. No goodly neighbors like in hospital beds are seen at all.  And not forgetting the almost completed 15 storey high rise apartment.  Is it 15?  Guess so.

That's it for the day... am off now.  See you in the next chapter of life...?????????? May be in the next page of my posting.

What am I famous FOR?

Waking up for sahur is not such a hard task.  Fist call is at 5:00a.m. with little Harith's firm voice,  "His recitation of Al Fatihah" on my mobile.  Second wake up call, at half past five.  Without fail, I must jump out of bed.  This means no solat sunat as time gets shorter to have my last meal.

Cleaning.  Not hard.  Walking towards the kitchen, alone.  Sometimes if my daughter wakes up at the same and making no noise, I would jump out of fright!  Most times, she only drinks for sahur.  I normally have my cereal with some extra milk.  With  variables, dates or bananas at times accompanying cereal to complete my ritual.  When Hafiz was around, we usually have something more elaborate.  With Di around, cereals or just dates and plain water alternate our menus. Hafiz is due to be home by this Friday.

Yesterday!  
"Mummy!!!!!!!  Did you warm up anything on the stove?"

"Good grief!"  I stumbled out of bed at 11:00a.m. after my second nap of the morning... second??? Yes, a second one.  I was dead exhausted with the Mid Valley Mega Mall walking, waiting for D to try out new outfits and that lasted for 4 hours.  

We ended up getting a new pair of black trousers.  By that time I was too tired to get my brown sugar from Carefour.  Never mind, still could get it from 99 Speed Mart in Sri Hartamas later. But as she was turning into the area, I couldn't see 99 SM... the jammed has already built up in the narrow lane.  Told her to ignore and go home instead.  By 4:00p.m we were already rushing out to send her back to her new dwelling, 10 minutes from Cyber Jaya and 40 kilometers away from home.

First, dispatching little tots to their parents along Jalan Puchong where they were parking themselves in the light shop with boxes and boxes to take home.  As we were leaving, it was 5:30p.m   and heavier showers took its turn.  We had to make a U-turn up the lane and tra la la.  Torrential falls had reduced the traffic to a snail crawl on both sides of the lane.  Not a single piece of soil was dry.  Before we maneuvered into  the apartment, there was this huge flood that almost drown a Proton Saga.

"We shall have our Iftar here and go home after Isha' prayer," came a suggestion and order from Za2.  Agreed.  Of course there was no way to go home, not in the flash flood.  We went round looking for restaurant to get more food to add to the packed ones from home.  We found it.  A Halal one indeed.  The flies, huge and small were busily making their landings on the food, both the sweet local dishes and curries.  Disgusting. We left without buying anything. Pasar Ramadhan was on the other end of the shopping area.  The rain was getting less heavy but not completely subsided.  I jumped over the drain.  We all jumped over.  Got some grilled chicken wings, masak lemak tempoyak with shredded petai and halved anchovies, popia, roti john, and a few more dishes......

After Isha' prayer and as planned, we left.  The journey took longer through the LDP to get home.  By then I was almost half asleep.

"I thought I already turned it off a couple of hours ago!!!!!!"  said I in disbelief...

"Yes, but you did not turn off the burner completely, it was on a slow fire.  How long do you think you have warmed it up?  Asked Za2.

"oooooooooo, two hours?  May be three?"  I wanted to laugh but it was not something to be of fun . 

"What if we had gone out? The apartment would surely have gone...."  She dare not continue.

I was thinking hard... what time did I actually light up the stove?  Surely it was before 9:00a.m... I was still very drowsy when I was welcomed with this strong smell of the fumes and burned Singgang Ikan Tenggiri...  The vision pot was not so  badly bruised.  There were still some fish untouched by the burns.  I slowly salvaged them and shoved into the fridge to give them some cooling effect.  Fans were turned on.

"I thought it came from the neighbors", said Za2.

"When did you discover it?" asked I.

"At 11:00." giving a short answer and disappeared into her bedroom.

"Honestly I cannot remember what time I started it but I was sure I have tuned it off" still defending myself. 

"Yes but it was not completely off.  Next time look at it properly!" warned Za2.

Until now, as am writing this post, I do not have any slightest idea as to what time I had put the burner on.  The dizzy spells overcame every single cells.

Early this morning, I tried to scrape the burned pot but it was not completely gone.  The black burned out onions, garlic, galanggal, asam keping and water all had turned out to be thick charcoal.  Luckily there was still plenty of water when I started warming it up...

Earlier, I already had my first encounter of burning chicken soup in a non stick pan.  It was not bad.  The pot was okay.  The blacked-burned out spices and all were easily taken out and they left  behind no marks or smells... Am I famous with this?

Great CONTRAST of invasion

WHEN I first began blogging, in the year 2007 up till a year later, it was so blissful and enjoyable.  WHY?  Bloggers were so pure, full of respects, honorable and sincere.  They left us well intended - friendly comments, while some coming by so quietly and leaving without any traces and as time passed, as creativity develops, more unwanted spams began invading us.  These I believed are from the "restless crops" that has nothing better to do.

I was quite lucky to get them only as early as 2010...  But this is not something enjoyable and welcoming.  So, I'd rather have nothing in my comment columns than getting such invasions and inventions... Some would leave links which are aimlessly unfamiliar... Goodness!  They have the time to go to each blog roll dated back few years beyond... just to leave such "links, advertisements, comments" which are unbecoming.  

But am glad to say the least, that am "noticed" by them although they are not welcome to advertise in my blog land.

No wonder, I have been reading anguish comments from my lovely but furious blogger friends  (of such invasion)!   Ladies, keep your head high, walking tall and lets ignore them.  ; - ))

EAT WHEN HUNGRY LIE DOWN WHEN TIRED

THAT WAS THE ORDER of the day.  

EAT WHEN HUNGRY LIE DOWN WHEN TIRED......NOT from any doctors but myself.  Imagine all the doctors that came round my bed site before the surgery... they were lecturers in Medical School and qualified doctors working there for so many years and last but not least, the medical students to mention a few.

Just as soon as I left my bed side, I was seated on that wheel chair  that Diyanah "borrowed" from the nurse's counter, to take me down via the lift into the waiting area, no one had come round to say anything at all.  

"That's it?"  I asked Diyanah with the deepest apprehension and wondering in my thoughts.  No one is "discharging" me officially except for  Diyanah who had the liberty to go forward,  merely getting the prescriptions of pain killers and some panadols.  I saw she also had two sheets of printed papers with details of the charges for those two nights in the hospital.  

Is this some kind of new style of discharging patients from the wards?  Not even the nurses came round to say anything.  It was like leaving a place that you were not welcomed to.   Perhaps it' s the norm in this day of cyber and technologies.


(Now I have to take a short break... am feeling giddy)... should continue later. 

I N T E R M I S S I O N... FROM THE 14/July TO 7TH August... That's a long time indeed.

July the 25th:
I arrived early for my post surgery appointment... only to be told that the Doctor was going to be late and they needed to "search" for my folder.  With a smile, I nodded my head,  took a left turn and looking for a seat. There were rows of seats which were mostly unfilled as it was still too early.  Patiently, I sat down and read my book.  A few times I looked around to see the new additions in the queue.  Those patients who were luckier, have already left, they  probably went home.  Never mind, today I have the patience to sit and relax there.

Eleven o'clock? He was not anywhere to be seen.  I remember leaving home at 8:00a.m, reaching the hospital 10 minutes later.  A few more minutes was required, looking for parking space and that was it.

My number was 703.  I heard the number over the PA system.  The room number was 5.  He was there with my folder, bespectacled, fair complexion,  wearing a striped shirt, sitting quite relaxed and gave me a smiling face.  A solemn looking nurse in her mid 40's was standing in the corner doing nothing in particular. It's the rule now, any male doctors seeing a lady patient must be accompanied by a nurse.  Am not sure here, is it the doctor who needed a company or the patient that needed a chaperon.

"How are you?  I was the one performing the operation on you", he broke the silence.

"Alhamdulillah, am feeling much better", said I.

"Sorry the results of the surgery isn't ready yet but I wonder why they give you such an early appointment.  It should be three weeks after the surgery." (blaming anyone Doc?)

Just as he finished his last word, a nurse walked in with a fresh crisp white paper and handed it over to him.

"Oh have they got it ready?  But it's not on the computer yet.  Probably this is the unofficial one"...

Deep inside me I thought "Was I to know?  It' s you who should know".  Don't tell me it took this long to get it tested and to get it recorded in the system.

After explaining it was nothing serious,  (showing me the images from the scanning machine that I already seen two weeks back,) meaning nothing to worry about and it was merely benign... I took over the conversation!

"Alahamdulillah syukur how relieved I am now and thank you Doc."said I appreciatively.

"Doc, may I say my two cents thoughts?" quipped I.

"Yes, please Aunty", he said.

"You know the doctor who came to my bedside before the surgery did not tell me anything of the "after effects of the surgery."

"Oh which doctor?", asked he.

"The one wearing spects in dark striped shirt", said I.

"Oh, that must be a student doctor". (Oh really?)

"Before the surgery, I asked him: what's the effect of this surgery"

"Nothing" said he.  I was rather adamant.  Nothing? Could there be nothing? Is there such thing as nothing?

"Doc, at least have the liberty to take a note from other patients of their feed backs and jot down somewhere so that, when new patients ask, you have something to tell"... said I beginning to feel a little slighted.

TO BE CONTINUED later as am preparing to go out now... until then.

10th August.

 "Taking notes from other patients as precautions to the others... in case things crop up, they did not get agitated or panicky.  At least they know what to expect."  I continued, as though lecturing my children.

 "I would take note of your comments" said he. I then continued.

" You know, I was not even told that I could not take solids after the surgery.  I could not sit up straight in the car.  I could not this and that, this and that!  I was told nothing, absolutely nothing!" By then I  was already quite agitated.  Then continued with him listening with a "smile" on his face.

"As the car accelerated, I vomited all the food I had tucked in at lunch time.  I even vomited blood until three days after!  I got strange giddiness" at this point, he must be thinking I was some kind of nuts!  Granny nuts!  Oh yes!  He did ask me how come I got those streaks of blood in my vomits.  Was I to know?  He did not react or seemed alarm at all.  So, I put on my two cents thinking cap... 
"They were probably from my excessive vomiting".  
"Probably" said he, agreeing with me. (;-))

"Another thing Doc, it's about medication.  Last two months, I was prescribed with gastritis medicine for a whole month supply.  The doctor did not caution me of any after effects if there were to be.  After taking, came to the third week I was down with "torrential falls".  Until four days after, I was still consuming those tablets.  One day, I asked my eldest daughter if that particular medication has any side effects.  And she gave me a straight  forward answer of, YES.  So upon her suggestion, I stopped taking.  I was quite furious how on earth doctors of today taking things so lightly".

"And if I may doctor, may I just add few more words."  I stopped to see his reaction.

"Yes, please" he said smiling.

"After each Muslim patient has come out of sedatives, please give a reminder to the patient or the relatives accompanying.  Not to forget to pray.  Allah has given our lives back, so we have to  be very thankful.  That is a must.  Allah has ordered such that, in what ever position you are in, you must pray to Him unless you are out of your mind.  Get the water for ablution.  If the patient cannot get up, ask for assistance.  There are ways which we do not have to get wet.  If possible, get the position correct so that the face, faces the direction of Ka'bah.  Otherwise, just pray.  It is especially excellent after each surgery, after a GA.  Then you know if your memory comes back or not.  At least the first thing the patient does is remembering Allah and be thankful.  And at lest you have done your Islamic duty to your patients"... a lengthy one, I did not realize this until I write them here.

"Thank you for reminding Aunty, I shall do this", he said with a smile. AND after thanking him for his deeds, he discharged me.  Until a year to come, I should be back for another appointment.

Satisfied? Yes, at least I have done my duties here as one of Allah's subjects.

Late evening, after having my dinner in the Medical Hostel's cafe, I met my daughter's colleague and told her what I had said to Dr. M.  She was delighted to share the moment.  AND guess what?  Dr.M is a lecturer himself!!!!!  Well, at least I have done what I could as a Muslim. I hope and certainly hope that he would inform and remind his student doctors to be more alert, caring and more concerned of their patients and not just letting them go off after their surgery without any words!  We don't leave hotels or some homes, but we leave hospitals where all the healing hands are found and  where all the health experts are housed .

Just last Tuesday, the 9th August, Sally my good neighbor in the ward called me.  She was there in the hospital for her post-surgery appointment.   I was told, she had waited for her doctor (the same bespectacled in striped shirt)  for so long and got bored.  So she dialed my number.

"Aunty!!! (half shouting) You know I have been in pain all along and never recovered after the surgery!!!! I was not  even given any pain killers, nothing!  When I was leaving there was no doctors or nurses telling me anything!!!!!  No body had given me anything, not even any sheets of paper.  Not even a word!!!!!"  

She was extremely upset.  I could just imagine how outrageous she must have been.  We had the same bespectacled doctor in striped shirt as our Medical Officer making rounds whilst we were there. 

"Ayoo, aunty, am still very much in pain you know?  When I went home, I stopped by at the chemist and bought some antibiotics  myself.  No one has prescribed me anything.  Nothing!"  She went on complaining.

Pitied her.  So, I told her:

"After wards Sally, when you see him, tell him all these predicaments.  Tell him in his face!!!"  Said I, supporting her morally.  I wished I was there with her.  I wasn't so brief as I have written here... ;-))

So, wasn't I right?  These doctors think we are such super humans??? After cutting open, they take out something they wanted to test, leaving us the super duper humans medicineless and expect our super bodies to be self-healing!  Incredible!!!!!!!!  Indeed, an extremely incredible of modern medicine, young doctors, inexperienced ones!!

I then reminded my two daughters to be good Muslim doctors, to be alert of what is going on, take care of their patients and practice in good nature!  One already working in the same hospital as I am complaining now while the other, Insha Allah, I pray that she would get through her Medical School and graduate in three years to come.  By now she is already out there in the society attending to minor procedures as part of her community service.  I wish them well.  Ameen.

Reminders to my children who see patients in the course of their duties...
Before leaving home: "Recite Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim.  Bismillahi tawakkaltu 'alAllah.  Lahaula wa lakuwwata illa billahil 'aliyyil 'aziim."  After finishing your work do not forget "Alhamdulillah"...
Upon seeing patient: "Assalamu'alaikum..."
Before taking their blood " Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim"
Once done " Alhamdulillah"
If possible, try talking to the patient with religious reminders like:
"When you feel sick, do not forget to do Zikr, so selawat Ibrahimiah**, make a lot of du'a.  Always remember Allah.  If you forget Him one second, He would forget you one minute. Always redha towards His test and tribulations for they might be "to cleanse all your past sins", something to make you be nearer to Him and to always remember Him in your heart. FOR If you think you have Allah, then you shall have IT all."

TO all doctors out there, BE more human..... Wallahu'a'lam.  

May Allah forgive me if I have written something He does not like.  But this piece comes straight from the bottom most of my heart.  I hope to share what I feel, how feel and should have felt as a patient.


**is the selawat we recite in the second part of Tahyat.  This is the one  most recommend by our Prophet Rasulullah S.A.W**

(this post was edited today since I noticed (only now) that some words are missing, spellings are wrong and some additions are required to be shared)

THE HILLS, THE CONTRUCTION SITE, CONDOMINIUMS AND BRICK FORESTS

4TH DAY in this new apartment.

Our belongings are still in boxes, suitcases and plastic bags.  We shall wait till this week end to sort out which are to remain intact, which ones going to Cyber Jaya, going back to campus in  Johore and following me to my new house.  Deep inside, especially after writing the previous post, I sensed the nostalgia.  I feel so deeply about those trees and plants I had left behind.  How I have wished that I could take them all with me  Though I told them that I couldn't bring them along, I felt chocked inside... they too must have missed me.  I believed this reciprocates. They grew for me, flowered for me and made me happy each day I woke up and looked out of my window. 

The ones in the Eastern side, would greet me as I drew the vertical blinds when night falls.  Lush green leaves greeted me each morning and evening.  I could see squirrels coming up the electrical cables to get their breakfast on a tall "unnamed" tree which provided them beautiful little fruits. I am sure they are sweet and succulent. 

But first, the birds started having their breakfast.  Chirpy sounds of big and small ones absolutely make my life just as cheery chirpy.  They were  very loud.  They came in all sorts of colors and sizes.  Slightly later, came the family of monkeys.  Jumping about racing through the branches cheekily, picking up little fruits.  Little ones would tease each other until a couple fell off to the fence down below.  Oooo what a sight.  I am missing them so much now.  The are not here with me any longer!

I occupy the room hidden away from the evening sunlight.  If I look out, I could only see well dusted windows of my neighbors' from my floor up.  If I look out of the lounge, I could see new wonders!  There is a hill nearby that looks almost "bald" from the work of those builders.  Yesterday I caught a glimpse of a beautiful sight of sunset.  Full view this time, so unlike the former house that hid it away amongst the trees.  At last, there is a good consolation point to mention here.  Alhamdulillah syukur to Allah for giving me this.  He is Forever The Most Fair and The Most High and Mighty.

Condominiums coming up!  The multi-storey is painted with beige color on its front.  I guess that must be the lobby area.  Only this morning I noticed them working on it as I was outside attending to my "little minute" garden. I was watering the plants, removing little unwelcoming shrubs that took a ride with us the other night.  I came across one little tiny snail.  Pressed it flat.  Instantly it died.  Cruel?  Nay. It has been eating my "bakawali" plants that was given by my good old friend JAM, till the leaves are gone.   A little while later, I saw its partner climbing up the light green wall, presumably going for a crawl.  I did not follow its journey.  I hope it was migrating to the floor up or the floor down below.  I transferred the deep purple "butterfly" plants into a pot.  The now empty pot is occupied  by beautifully-smelled pandan plants.  I arranged the pots according to the heights of the plants and eventually, got the floor cleaned.  Folding the newspaper that housed the shrubs I pulled out earlier, before taking a trip into the bin.  One obvious thing had pinched and wrestled in my heart.  In this new house I can no longer feed the chicken and the birds and the squirrels with my left overs.  They are to be well wrapped and thrown into the bins.  What a waste.

"Long-necks and short pipes" as Harith called them are seen busy working.  (Harith learned this from his little "books").  Lifting  heavy items up and into the floors above.  Noisy sounds from the machinery replacing the sweet sound of the birds in the morning.  From far I could see a man on a tractor doing his job, mixing sand with pebbles ready to be mixed into concrete.  Lorries and trailers carrying long metal rods were seen since last evening, climbing up the precariously- man-made rugged and uneven routes.  Another was heavily laden with bags of cement.  As I was watching, my thoughts went "home", the home that I have left behind,  everything I had there are in contrary to this new surrounding.  Life is changing as time flies.  It moves on no matter whether I like it or not.

The gray new brick forests are fast coming up.  I certainly hope they would not cut the hills that display and offer me the only greens from my balcony.  I feel like going up and tell the trees how glad I am to see them up there although they are very far.  The hill housed the workers make-shift-houses.  From a distance, I could see them walking about, hanging their laundry, going about working, some are up on the gray brick forests.  A few long-necks are parked below, close to my apartment.  Long-necks are Harith's terms for cranes!  LOL!

I feel like going out to mend my slightly crooked specks but... my pic (partner in crime) is so engrossed with her "Harry Porter" on her laptop.  I won't wish to spoil her moods.  She has been a Florence Nightingale since I was warded until now.  Its only fair that I should let her be on her own.  She had done three washings and now the hangings are right inside our house.  I just love the fresh smell from the "softener".  At the vary least, it blocked away my view from the construction site and the diesel smell form the heavy machinery.

When Tasha called this morning asking how I am today, she reminded me to take at least two weeks proper resting from normal house work, lifting up heavy things (Ops!, done) and a few others to which I replied:

"Thank you doctor for the info and reminding me.  It's 6 days after the surgery and I am only reminded now?"...LOl! I was giggling away and so did she.

(What had happened to the doctors attending to me less than a weak ago?  No one had told me anything except one lady doctor... "You will feel some discomfort after this"...)

Apparently, Harith was asking her "why was he not in aunty Zaza's house when he woke up this morning"?  He had refused to go home last night.  He wanted to sleep with all of us.  He managed to persuade his Mama to drive him here late last evening.  I know just how much he misses being with us.