Kenduri.....

En.Nordin, my roti canai seller and me

Dad always reminded me that there is always a need to be humble, kind, courteous and mixed freely with people from all walks of life. According to my late Dad, the world would be a better place if everyone is nicer to one another. That’s why I never shy away from mixing freely with anyone and this was aptly taught by Dad since I was very young. I guess, Dad had his share of open houses kenduri/makans with the rich and high end group of people including the lower income group of people too who would often come calling for car repairs in those early years. Anyway, Dad was strict that we ( my sister, brother and I ) behaved ourselves and not eat like gluttonous imps when at people’s houses and this I learnt very well as deep reddish rotan marks would remind us grimly if we misbehaved. I must admit, we rarely gave Dad a hard time as we are really well-behaved and ate what we could eat as Dad always reminded us that we may poor but let us not behave undignified or like some gluttons or hoodlums from some slums or else we will never be respected in our lives. We were always clean and we do know how to behave ourselves. For that, I am so thankful to Dad and mom for the wonderful mannerism path. 

Last night, my family and I was invited for a Hari Raya makan/kenduri held by my roti canai seller, En.Nordin & his family. Last year, En.Nordin invited me to his place but he did not leave me any address and so, this year, his wife left an address for Soon Ling so that we could go for the kenduri/makan. I guess, I must say that I came to know about En.Nordin’s stall sometime in 2014. I was using the Durian Daun road for work each morning and his stall would always be filled with customers. So, out of curiosity one day, I decided to stop by and ordered the roti canai fare. ( 2 roti kosong and 1 teh tarik kurang manis ). From that day onwards, I was taken in by the crispy, less oily and nicely “tepuk” roti canai ! I guess, I must admit that the food was not only nice but very budget friendly for ordinary working folks like me. Besides roti canai, nasi lemak, pre-cooked beehoon goreng or mee goreng, putu mayam, traditional kuih -muih and mee kari are often offered for the morning crowd. Usually by 10.00am, everything would have been sold out and that would often signalled the good food fare that this honest family are offering.

Let’s just say that I like En.Nordin and his family as a whole because they are hardworking, honest and truly prihatin/caring people. Sure, it is a business but they never took advantage of the economic situation to raise prices or putting a squeeze to the customers to be extremely rich in which they really could if they wanted to, actually,looking at the shockingly high prices in essentials today. Instead, prices remained the same and regulars like me are comfortable with the prices of the food they offered.

Coming back to the kenduri, my family and I made our way to En.Nordin’s house in the low cost housing area in Semabok Dalam. Upon reaching there, there was one huge tent and a large crowd there. We greeted En.Nordin and his wife, Leha and they were happy to see us there. Even the happy-go-lucky helper, Jaafar and a few other workers were around as we greeted one another and bersalaman wishing them "Selamat Hari Raya." We joked and had great  conversations with one another as we sat at the table. The food fares were chicken rendang, lamb rendang, soto, ketupat and roti canai, of course. This time, it was Nordin’s younger brother doing the rot canai fare while Jaafar was attending to the cooking of the roti canai.

As we were waiting for the roti canai, Soon Ling informed me that we were the only Chinese at the kenduri. Looking back at that time, I felt sad as I remembered during those early years of growing up, going to people’s houses of different races were a norm, friendly and so much warmth. Where have all these pleasantries and hospitality gone? It is such a sad thing as our younger generation are not able to see that closeness and harmonious life we used to live in. Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year celebrations were such harmonious and lively occasions whereby people from all races and walks of life will come by during these festivities.

Nowadays, the gap really divides us and it is so sad indeed. I wish the leaders of this country would see what the divide they have caused by continuously flaming and stoking the racial & religious flames and unrest amongst the people. I felt very sad indeed as the rot always starts from the top and it will continue to do so. I guess, the damage of divide will always be a scar to this gentle country of us. Moronic politicians & propaganda machineries in the govt. are the top list of people who divided this country so much. They are guilty as hell bent for doing such things and fracturing the goodwill we have had all these years. It is really so heartbreaking to see such things happening. 

Anyway, my family and I find solace of goodwill all around at En.Nordin’s feast. Never out of food as these simple kampong folks always encouraged us to eat some more or even have another drink of sirap. It was good reminiscing of the old days and the old ways. As I spoke to the older generation of people that night, I realised that this kenduri celebrations are also beginning to fade away as the younger generation of Malays are closing up on this type of social events. Many felt that there was just too much work while some felt it was a waste of time. To En.Nordin and the older generation, this was a good tradition to meet the kampong folks, blessings & thankfulness for a good year and a good tradition of social gathering closing the ranks between the young and old, rich and poor, have and have nots and lastly, celebrations for Hari Raya. I applaud at their openness in sharing such hope and keeping the tradition alive despite the grim fact that the racial poison had penetrated through the layers of society clouding their minds and actions at times. As we sat round the table, we each hoped for a better future and racial closeness like the ones in our early days for our children and our children’s children in our beloved country. 

I thanked En.Nordin and Leha that night and confessed that I had not been to a Malay kenduri or keramaian for some donkey years and last night was so special as it evoked the beautiful times I used to have during my early younger days with the kampong folks. I told En.Nordin that I hope that he would invite me again next year and to that he answered, “ As long as I am alive,my friend. You and family are always welcomed. Insyaallah!”

We bade him goodnight and we were on our way back home that night feeling blessed, honoured and most satisfied having transported back to a slice of our wonderful yesteryears and sharing of good Raya food fare.  When you are an old bloke like me, these things are special to your heart and no richness in this world that can outbid that feeling.  Welcome to my old ancient world, I guess.

P/s  En.Nordin’s shop is the one opposite the Durian Daun Malay cemetery in Melaka and blue metal structured shop. As far as I was concerned and my view as a BTEC fella ( BTEC means “boh tark enough chek” in Hokkien or “study not enough”  ) , his roti canai sardine and roti double ( double eggs with bawang/onions and chillies ) – really good while his roti canai kosong or roti canai tampal – superb!

Mindless thoughts....

Sipping my coffee and slumped on my usual soft fabric sofa seat, I was under the weather a bit lately. Never could understand a lot of matters in regards to what has been happening over the days and yet, I tried to remain positive and try not to screw up my head too much lest I end up in the 6’X4’ plot earlier than expected. The sweltering hot season ain’t helping one bit but I guess, this good ol’ goat still does have some good fight left in him. Anyway, not that I am not accustomed to such unnecessary stress level and sometimes unavoidable conditions but I guess, age is really catching up.

I am never one who would just give up on any matters that I am faced with but I guess, I have learnt to slow things down and do things in a slower pace. Sometimes it is workable but sometimes it doesn’t work at all which is an added burden for me. No matter what, I have weathered all these matters the best I could. I guess, life do throw you a lot of curve balls and sometimes you get to hit the ball out of the park but sometimes the balls hit you where it hurts. No matter what, the curve balls will keep on coming no matter what and no matter how hard you try to dodge them.

I have learnt over the years that what kept me sane was basically to take the bull by the horns and then dissect the damn bull one by one. It has thus far worked but it is extremely tiring. I am way past being nice or speaking nice but far more humbled than I used to be, I guess. I have always been respectful and humble in many ways as I have been taught that way by Dad but there are times I would just lose it and be like some intolerable ruffian on the streets. You wouldn’t want to be at the end of that! I guess, it is more tolerant now but sometimes, things just riled you up for the wrong reasons. The one bloody thing I hate the most is unfairness and corrupted ways. My blood seemed to boil faster than usual and unsavoury words would spew when it comes to corrupt ways or corrupted people. I won’t mince my words when I speak of the people in authorities like bosses in high places or even bosses in the Govt. offices/departments. Sure, they are some good apples in the bunch of rotten apples and that’s the way it is. These unscrupulous people are one bunch of special breed of nitwits and BTEC ( "bo tak enough chek" in Hokkien! ). Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhh…….just gotta pray more and hope that wickedness would be dealt with accordingly.

The worst part, the tag of being “the father” and “head of the house” doesn’t help my resume one bit! Nope, I ain’t running away from that honourable responsibility. It is an honour I will always cherished but sometimes, you would just marvelled at all the things you’ve gotta handle from time to time. Some are delicately sensitive, some are common sense while some can be tricky & a real nagging nuisance from time to time but most of the time, the issues you face are a real pain in the butt!  But it will always be an honour I cherish a lot! Still am a father – not running away from it.

I guess, being a father ain’t an easy job/responsibility. You’ve really have to juggle every balls available high up in the air so that you can come up with justified solutions. Sometimes, you just have no answer even though you’ve got to be “Mr. Know It All”. Guess, who is the dumb one,huh? I guess, every father would have gone through what I have gone through over the years and I really salute them.  There are days I wished the ground would open up and swallow me in while there are days I felt like I am at the pinnacle top of Mt.Everest. ( My one and only dream before I kick the damn bloody bucket! ). Yeah, I guess, as years goes by, it is rather hard to express what I want to say all this while and you tend to get a “quieter” dad!  BTW, for those who are seeking wisdom through parenthood books and so on, well, there is simply no manual to be a father, husband and friend! Everything is trial and error and the experience differs between individuals. Those so called book gurus who tells you about this and that, well, my answer is simply all “how siow” one!

Your greatest guru in your life is the experiences you go through and those experiences, including heartaches and joys, which are unique to you and you alone! I hope I am not dampening your spirit but as a father, you are expected to be stern, strong, firm yet friendly at the same time. It is tedious, balls breaking at times but the rewards can be quite an experience too, isn’t it? I guess, no one ever says to you that it would be a breeze, right? So, suck up, chin up and get on with the next situation. Cherish the hair on your head. They may /will thin out someday but on better days, you look good in them!!

So, there goes the ramblings and rumbling nonsense of an old man, right?  I guess, I must thank GOD for keeping me sane each day. Yeah, without GOD who am I and what would I have done with my life? Yeah, GOD won’t help me if I don’t even help myself when it comes to difficult situations, right? So, I am back to square one…..sip my coffee and start all over again! That’s the spirit, old boy! Live to fight another day! What you say, fellow old chaps? Let's give a good fight, shall we?

Mysterious Candi Prambanan / Candi Rara Jonggrang....

Candi Prambanan or Candi Rara Jonggrang is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 17 kilometres northeast of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.

The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, and one of the biggest in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

The construction of Prambanan probably was meant to mark the return of the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty to power in Central Java after almost a century of Buddhist Sailendra Dynasty domination. The construction of this massive Hindu temple signifies that the Medang court had shifted its patronage from Mahayana Buddhism to Shivaist Hinduism.

The Prambanan compound also known as Rara Jonggrang complex, named after the popular legend of Rara Jonggrang. There were once 240 temples stood in this Shivaite temple complex, either big or small. Today, all of 8 main temples and 8 small shrines in inner zone are reconstructed, but only 2 out of the original 224 pervara temples are renovated.

The majority of them have deteriorated; what is left are only scattered stones. The Prambanan temple complex consists of three zones; first the outer zone, second the middle zone that contains hundreds of small temples, and third the holiest inner zone that contains eight main temples and eight small shrines.

Yup, these are the undisputed facts about Candi Prambanan. As for me, these are truly mammoth and tall buildings indeed. Again, the emphasis on peace and harmony is notably noted in its temples sites and Indian mythology building construction. Again, what greeted us especially the well-kept Prambanan Park was a real surprise. Well maintained, manicured lawn and clean park, benches and stops helped many tourists at the park. I guess, many tourist will be surprised by how well the park was maintained.

I must admit that Prambanan Park was cheaper than Borobudur Park ( by USD 2.00!! ) but equally exciting. I had always been curious why is the temple called Rara Jonggrang. I overheard a guide ( as usual, I did not want to pay for any guide! Sorry! )  explaining to a foreigner couple that Rara Jonggrang actually means Slender Virgin. The legend is as follows:-  Jeng! Jeng! Jeng! ( Javanese background music plays! )

The legend tells of the story about Prince Bandung Bondowoso who fell in love with Princess Rara Jonggrang, the daughter of King Boko. But the princess rejected his proposal of marriage because Bandung Bondowoso had killed King Boko and ruled her kingdom. Bandung Bondowoso insisted on the union, and finally Rara Jonggrang was forced to agree for a union in marriage, but she posed one impossible condition: Bandung must build her a thousand temples in only one night.

 

The Prince entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of spirits (demons) from the earth. Helped by supernatural beings, he succeeded in building 999 temples. When the prince was about to complete the condition, the princess woke her palace maids and ordered the women of the village to begin pounding rice and set a fire in the east of the temple, attempting to make the prince and the spirits believe that the sun was about to rise. As the cocks began to crow, fooled by the light and the sounds of morning time, the supernatural helpers fled back into the ground.

The prince was furious about the trick and in revenge, he cursed Rara Jonggrang to stone. She became the last and the most beautiful of the thousand statues. According to the traditions, the unfinished thousandth temple created by the demons become the Sewu temple compounds nearby (Sewu means "thousands" in Javanese), and the Princess is the image of Durga in the north cell of the Shiva temple at Prambanan, which is still known as Rara Jonggrang or Slender Virgin.

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen – the legend of Rara Jonggrang! Anyway, I still love the carvings on the temple walls and the beautiful scenery surrounding the temple. Still a beautiful, rustic looking and opulent building. However, I did not feel as peaceful here as I was in Borobudur. This, I’ve gotta admit! Somehow, this place seemed so “hectic, wild and sorta stormy”. I felt the “unrest feeling “ and the sorta “war “ feeling as I moved around the temples. Maybe it is just me as the rest did not feel a thing. Anyway, the lush greenery surrounding the temple is what made me relaxed a lot. I guess, when you have a legendary story like this, you can’t help but feel awkward but other than that, it is a magnificent temple indeed.  A sight to behold, actually. There are some very strategic places for photography and everything seemed to fall in place. The magnificent towers ,as I would call it, were really a sight to behold. The architecture was superb and I really can't imagine how it was done. Stone by stone, layer by layer, carvings by carvings.....it was really marvelous.

 

Candi Prambanan looked so strong, dynamic and construction technology seemed so surreal. It is really tall and you can imagine the work that went into building this temple – natural or supernaturally. Anyway, the mystic and intriguing mystery makes a trip to this temple a worthwhile treat indeed.

Yeah, what's the obsession with slender virgin , you may ask, right? Well, it is a Javanese thingy lar..... Yup, the people in Jogja seemed slim indeed....so are their chicken, bebek (ducks), fish and angkringan food too...hahahahahahahahhahahahaha.....

Both Candi Borobudur and Candi Prambanan had not disappointed me and I am truly amazed by it all - the buildings, the architecture, the history, the culture and the myth too. I am looking forward to a great time in Jogja!~  

Originally, Candi Prambanan should look like this! Magnificent!

Borobudur - Childhood Dream....

There is always a never ending joy when you get to fulfil one of your childhood dream plan and I guess, I have been blessed to achieve that. You see, one of the places I have dreamed to go to before I kick the bucket is Borobudur temple in Yogjakarta (a.k.a Jogja by the locals!) When I was a young boy and even as a youth, I loved reading. I used to read about the unique and majestic Candi Borobudur and Candi Rara Jonggrang or better known as Candi Prambanan. I could only picture these places in my head as I grew up. I always told myself that one day…just one day….I’ll do it. 

Now in my fifties, I got that opportunity to visit these temples and it feels great. I have always wanted a family vacation and I did just that. It was just too bad that my girl, SYuen couldn’t make it this time as she had to face her uni-exams but I had JWee, Felicia and SLing for the trip. I must say that I was excited as the day came closer and on the actual day itself, I was really excited.

That morning of 15^th April, 2016, we touched down at Adisutcipto International Airport, Yogjakarta at about 10.20am local time and my adventure with the family begin. As we bundled ourselves out of the airport, I was looking for our driver, Pak Budi who was to meet us at the airport. Here stood a smiley, crew cut, well-built and average height 54 year old Javanese man waving frantically at us. After our usual pleasantries and greetings, Pak Budi took us to our hotel - @HOM Platinum Gowongan. The Javanese hospitality is indeed evident by the first meeting.

It was a solid 30 minutes ride to town and I took the opportunity to get to know Pak Budi better. Later in my trip, I had learned how hardworking, pleasant and wonderful this man had been to my family. I got to know that Pak Budi lives in Bantul which is a good 40 minutes from Jogja town. He has 3 children with his eldest daughter at 17 years of age and his youngest at 7 years of age. He tells me that the people in Jogja has to work real hard to earn a living and I tend to agree with his statement after spending a few days in Jogja.

I guess, Yogjakarta is just like any metropolitan city – bustling, boisterous and even loud as usual. The people are quite dark-skinned while it was hard to see any fair skinned people like me along the streets. Anyway, we arrived earlier in the hotel and our room was being cleaned. I had told Pak Budi that my itinerary for the day is to grab some lunch and spend my time at Borobudur Temple. I was actually very nervous if my family would like travelling on the first day itself to see the temples but thank God, they were game for it.

We stopped by at a food shop in Magelang for lunch and the speciality was Ikan Gurami Bakar with some special sauce. As usual, I suggested they ordered fried rice as it is not only filling but we would need the energy to walk around the majestic Borobudur. Everyone was agreeable. We added Ikan Gurami Bakar to our lunch food and it tasted really good but a little muddy taste – typical of a freshwater fish.

After lunch, it was off to Borobudur Park. Pak Budi explained to us about the place and how we would find him after finishing our walk at certain car park area.

We nodded in understanding not knowing what chaos we were getting ourselves into as the Borobudur Park has huge grounds filled with souvenir shops and souvenir vendors making the exit out quite a challenge. Pak Budi then got us the tickets into the Borobudur Park ( what a hefty ticket price too, actually!) and we were each given a bottle of mineral water and off we went towards Borobudur Temple. I must commend the Borobudur Park establishment for keeping the grounds well- manicured, clean and lush greens. It feels so privileged and wonderful to be in such a beautiful park which was strategically littered with artefacts from the temples. It is a nice spread of buffet for the eyes before the main dish, Candi Borobudur. As we walked further into the park, I could see the outline of Candi Borobudur.

 

My heart leapt for joy and excitement. I could have sworn that my heart missed a heartbeat when I actually reached the foot of Candi Borobudur. That was how excited I was! My goodness gracious! It is a beautiful temple and the architecture is magnificent. It is huge and wide. As SLing and I took the first step on the first plateau, it was obvious that this is going to be one lovely afternoon indeed. The sun was shining brightly with occasional dark clouds moving by signalling an imminent rain in the late afternoon. So, I get the family moving as we marvelled at the structures, wall cravings, the stupas and the Buddha statues.

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. The temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple, as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.

 

The journey begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu ( the world of forms ) and Arupadhatu ( the world of formlessness). The monument guides the people through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.

Borobudur was likely founded around 800 CE. This corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 CE, the peak of the Sailendra dynasty rule upon Mataram kingdom in central Java, when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years and been completed during the reign of Samaratungga in 825. That’s a little history for you to digest as I continue my journey/experience there at Candi Borobudur.

We quickly made our way to the top first as I had wanted to enjoy the scenery around the perforated stupas. The view is breathtakingly beautiful and surprisingly calm plus peaceful. I could sit at the corner edge of the top section and feel the rush of cool air caressing my face. It was that nice and I enjoyed every minute of it. Intermittently disturbed by a huge crowd of people mainly locals, it was hard to get a good shot of photographs but with humble ways, it will always pay off indeed. Yeah, I am here! I am at the top of Candi Borobudur! That is the statement I wanted to make – I made it! 

It was interesting that I found most of the perforated stupa were filled with headless Buddha statues. I had asked one of the Javanese park ranger who informed me that most of the Buddha head statues had been stolen and ended up in museum overseas and across the globe. It was such a sad fact that looting could still occur at such historical site. Until and unless the locals are aware that this is their national treasure and of great importance, the looting will continue, I guess. It is so sad to see headless Buddha statues in the perforated stupas and around the relief panels and narrative panels which would have been a beautiful sight with the complete Buddha statues.

As I sat down and in my own thoughts at one corner of Borobudur, I told SLing that I am so happy and at peace. SLing thanked me for bringing her to this place and she is enjoying every minute of it. I just smiled as it was my way to explain to her why I have always liked historical buildings all these years thus, the visits to museums and so on. I love history and culture very much.  

Now, I am glad she finally understood what it meant to see a rich historical and cultural building marvel especially the carvings, the construction and the details. I know that buildings like this may not be a cup of tea for others but the mere fact that the building stood so tall and majestic was the ingenuity of builders at that time perplexed me a lot. I have great admiration for such tenacity and architectural work.

To me, it wasn’t a religious thingy nor did it ever derailed me from my steadfast faith. It was just my admiration for people of that era and time who were great in what they were doing and what simple technology they used to cut the stones, carved it and bring it up to build the temple. It was just so enlightening to see the carvings depicting the very essence of the temple. Every panel tells a story and that is what which is most interesting about the Borobudur temple. It tells you a story of ancient times. It sure made me a happy man.

As I leave Candi Borobudur that day, SLing asked me if I would come back here someday. I did not flinched and I answered , “But of course! “ She just rolled her eyes and walked away from me. She knew that some how, I would be back at this place in the near or later future. She mumbled that I am mad in many ways. Hahahahahahahaaaaaa.......I guess, I am just being honest when I say that I truly experienced some peace up there and the view is breathtakingly nice to me. So, another place ticked off my bucket list. Onward march to Prambanan then!

Heartwarming Seconds...OA heartbeat...

The team...so proud of them.....

Rustling light breeze, stillness of the night, sounds of gentle rustling leaves and great aroma of barbecued chicken pieces and lamb filled the air against the backdrop of an OA rustic house – what more could one asked for if one is out at the OA community village. Ah! The peace and occasional break in atmosphere tranquillity of excited children running about and chasing one another in the vicinity of the yard. This excites me a lot. I guess, I must say that I feel very much at home staying in a place in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by nature and the elements of nature-rubber trees to be exact & secondary jungle.....What a therapeutic path for an old bloke like me!

 

Fill stomach first at kopitiam.....

Pulling back the covers of the events leading to this, CCC Melaka launched Book Drive Campaign for OA Community after the first successful Food Drive campaign for the OA community was a great success. Continuation of this good works was first mooted by Sis. Tan Joo Li who was together with the team during the first trip. With her great enthusiasm, passion and concern, she picked up this idea and threw the challenge to the church members and like all good things for the Lord, the idea caught flames of passion in the hearts of the people and the books came in. I must say that it wasn’t easy for the Book Drive team as the sluggish economy doesn’t help much but the good and faithful gave what they could in terms of donations and books. Praise God, there were enough books to set up a mobile library unit for the OA community in Kg.A and Kg.B. As always, we can’t mention the names of the kampungs for fear of backlash to these folks when no one is watching…but alas, God is always watching, right?

 

Buku team in action.....

Buku team....

Anyway, a team was set up and this time, Pastor Joanne was ready to travel to the OA villages and see first hand and meet up with Pst.X ( name withheld for safety reasons too ) whom the church had faithfully sponsored in terms of student grants/funds. What a great opportunity indeed! So, once again, Capt Edwin led the team of 13 ( Thomas, Errol, Gilbert Ang, Aaron Liu, Jui Jien, Grace Teo , Pastor Kisol and his wife, Pastor Joanne, Sis. Lorna, myself  including our dear lovely boy, Ethan Sim, the youngest of them all. ) in the OA community village. It was a pleasant surprise to know that Pastor Kisol and his wife were travelling with us this time. I had met up with Pastor Kisol at his OA village during a Royal Rangers mission trip to OA village in 2003. It was indeed an honour to be able to meet up with him again. The team was rather small this time as most of the “former” team members were tied up with other job matters and other arrangements.

Jui Jien & Grace in action......

This time I managed to rope in the services of Errol Gan, my friend and family in the team. His knowledge in electrical and mechanical works would come in handy for the works that was to be carried out. Like I have always said, I ain’t no engineer nor an expert but I certainly can help out in whatever way I could. I am humbled that there are many more others who are far more qualified for such works but I do my best with whatever little talent that God has bestowed upon me so that I can help the team. 

Yup, unity, friendship & getting it done...

As Errol and I worked together in the Royal Rangers (RR) Ministry some many years back, I am always encouraged by his honesty, confidence presence, work rate and humility in ensuring that a task is completed. This had been our work ethics since we were in the RR ministry. I guess, I had good examples to follow especially in the likes of Vive & Sathy. Thanks to these two wonderful friends of mine.

So, it was definitely good to have such a person on board the team. Uncle Thomas, the old wise man with a dollop of good humour and a good sense of work is always a welcome sight. I am glad to have the chance to work with him and to get a lot of things done. His insights of things and how to get some things done were awesome. Boisterously humorous and always a good elderly figure, I tipped my hat for this man. With a busted back but balls of steel when it comes to work, it is always a real honour working alongside him. A definite honour, Uncle Thomas!

  

Modified tangga ...don't do this at home..

We managed to complete setting up of ceiling fans and get the guests house equipped with running water. Toilets were also in working condition and basic. It was good to know that we had accomplished much work that day. It gives you that sense of accomplishment and a sense of responsibility to do what we can for the community.

Meanwhile, the Book Drive team led by Pastor Joanne, Jui Jien and Grace Teo together with Aaron Liu managed to launch the “Pondok Buku” successfully in both the OA kampongs. It was good to know that with the inculcation of the reading habit; many more children and youths in this community will grow indefinitely. It was such a delight seeing the children being enthusiastic about reading books and seeing the colors of the pictures. My prayer for that day is that more of these OA children will be educated , rise up and helped out their community in the future. The hope is always for the future of the community, isn’t it? I am excited for the fact that CCC Melaka had taken that very step of providing that book avenue and doorway of basic educational needs to these young children. What a great investment on the lives of the OA community.

 

The team....

Anyway, besides the hard work that had been put in into the works and book drive, there is always the human side of any event. I felt very blessed once again to be working and mingling with the people. For people in the team, it was a chance to get to know each and every one of them in a close manner. I remembered clearly the emergency of a burst tape head in the middle of the night and the way the team responded was just superb. It was interesting to know that people with such diverse background , experience, spiritual walk and different personalities could get together and worked out a grand solution even for a menial repairs such a burst tap head and still have fun together as friends and brothers of faith.

Pastor Joanne.....one tough cookie....

I am always interested in the human side of our mission trips because our lives are sometimes the only Bible these people in the OA community will ever know. Make no mistake that this has been my personal view all along that books and all the learning means nothing if we do not portray the love of God which is sometimes doing simple, logical and apt things. What is the use of bombastic, proud and out of this world’s word vocabulary when our living life doesn’t show a single ounce of love, compassion and mercy as God does. So, I constantly chided myself so that I toe the line by being humbled, down to earth and sometimes make sure I act appropriately so that I do not let down the people who believe in my ability and my humble works and also, for the God I love. 

Enjoying the waters......

Yeah, more often than not, we forget who were represent. We represent not our proud church institution; but we actually represented GOD in the big way by the way we talk, we work, we mingle and even when we behave ourselves. So, I say again, our lives may be the only Bible these people know and it is important we know that and we do not collapsed all the good works that had been carried out by our peers before us. I am thankful for people who will chide and correct me when I am wrong or when I am overboard with my actions. I guess, sometimes, we are just being human and we too need advices, strong words, hard words including love, praises and affirmation too.

 

The midnight "minum" team.....

Other than that, the midnight coffee session was such a delight. We laughed in the middle of the night over our own antics and fun for the day. Hot coffee, simple organic breads and biscuit including a good dose of humour filled the air. It was such a poignant moment indeed against the backdrop of a very quiet and cold night. The fun we had while working in the guest house was also such a delightful time but most important of all, we got the job done. These are moments that will last a lifetime in my memory. I am thankful for being a part of this team and I am so proud of each and every one who had volunteered to come for this trip.  

 

Ethan, Uncle Thomas, myself & Errol....

As I sat down there looking at the people around me, I am most blessed to know these people. They will never ever know how much they had inspired me and encouraged me. So, thank you, friends, for igniting the fire of fellowship and inspiration. I must admit that there was a time in my life that I had been in a rut and to get that ignition of fire to the heart once again was such a joy. I enjoyed this moment so much. Thank you very much, people!

An Experience.....

Being at Pak Din's roti canai stall by  the road side had always been a real joy to me. Aside from the good food served, I do get to enjoy simple conversations and meet people of all race and creed. From the rich man to the lowly paid workers, all of us are able to sit down and enjoy the simple fares dished out by Pak Din and his wife. 

I guess, I must admit that though this is a Malay stall, I felt very much welcomed here and I have had people I do not know especially some Malay folks paying for my meals eventhough I do not know them. I am thankful for that and so, I also returned that welcome by buying someone I do not know a meal at times. I have made many new friends and having a conversation is so much easier these days despite the early morning rush for a meal and then to work.

Today, I had an opportunity to sit with an elderly Chinese man and he is 77 years old. We struck a conversation as I told Pak Din that my son is in Penang. This elderly man then told me that he used to like Penang a lot during the early years. He then went on to tell me that he had worked as a trailer driver in Brunei in his early days and upon coming back to Melaka, he and his wife had lost everything to a debt-ridden and gambling son. So, now, he worked odd jobs to get by and he was ever smiling despite his sad story. I asked him a little bit of his work in Brunei and then , I asked him if he had a home to his name. He answered that he has a home but it is a modest home in one of the nearby kampong and I left that as that. I did not want to be seen like a busy body and so, I did not dwell further. 

Our conversation drifted to how he lost everything to the son but he would not lose the home as it was his own possession for his old age. I instinctively told him that it was the smartest thing he ever did! He laughed loudly and told me he did not expect that answer from me. I did asked him why did he gave a lot of his money up to his son and so on. He answered me, " Which father would not help out his son if he is in difficulties? That's why I loaned him the money but it never returned. Then he cornered my wife and persuaded her to ask money from me to help him. Soon enough, it just all finished. My two vice - son & wife " Then he burst out laughing again. I guess, being what I am, I said, " Did you not know that eventually all your money would be gone if your son is a gambler? This is one of the most vicious and most terrifying habit a person could ever fallen into?" He said, " Yeah, what to do....he is my son , right? If I do  not help him , who would help him? Haiyah...never mind lar, I am old already. As long as I can work, I can still survive , right, young man?" I told him I wasn't young either and we both laughed. BTW, we spoke in a mixture of Hokkien and Mandarin as I am hopeless in Mandarin but he got the idea. 

Yeah, I told him I spoke lousy Mandarin and he laughed saying that I do okay for a English speaking bloke!  Soon, it was time for me to pay the meal as I need to get to work. I went to pay my meal and the elderly man's meal too.  Calculating the old man's meal mentally, I knew that his meal would cost him RM 1.80 ( Roti canai - 80 sen and one teh O would be RM 1.00). It wasn't a huge amount and so, I paid for his meal. As I passed the elderly man's seat, I could see five RM 1.00 notes in his wallet as he whipped out his wallet to pay for his meal. I know that RM 5 would have helped the elderly man a whole lot as he gets through the day during work. So, I walked off as he motioned to Pak Din's worker for the bill. He seemed surprised when told that I had paid for his meal. As I was walking to my car, the elderly man approached me and insisted that he pays for his meal but I told him that I would be glad to bless him.  

I told him that I really needed to go to work as I was late and that I would be glad if one day, he would treat me a meal when he is better off one day. He looked at me for a while and then he smiled. There was no need for words. Just a smile on his very lined face was already my reward for the day.  

As I reflected on what had happened, I am really thankful for my Father in Heaven who is always patient, loving and kind to me despite my everyday flaws. Just like the elderly man said earlier, "which father would not help his son if he knows his son is in difficulties?" I am thankful and blessed in so many ways. Indeed I am blessed.  The etched smile on the elderly man's face - PRICELESS!

Ola Bola - Fine Movie!

Arumugam, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh, Khalid Ali, Shukor Salleh, Bakri Ibni, Jamal Nasir, Abdul Jali, Yunos Alif, Abdullah Ali, Hassan Sani and James Wong – These are the players of the 1980  Malaysian football Olympic team that inspired the whole nation to believe. Indeed, it was nostalgic and heart-warming when memories of that era was made possible with the movie “Ola Bola”.  Never mind if the names were changed but the essence of who they were was unmistaken indeed. These were household names in those days and who could forget such individuals.

I guess, SYuen would never know who these people were but to me and Soon Ling, we knew who these people were. I guess, “Ola Bola” does make you want to believe that we can rise up again in the game of football and Malaysia as a whole if we are united, focused and determined. Mind you, I was 15 years old at that time and football fever started early in my life as Dad was a football fan.

Though Dad was uneducated, he knew that when his “bird” team plays, he would somehow make an excuse to get something from the shop and we would end up watching the match accompanied by a cup of kopi-O shared by two! Yeah! Dad was a diehard fan of his “bird” team – Liverpool. What a time then! He was also a diehard fan of the Melaka football team. Those were the days then!

As history would have it, the 1980 Malaysian football team wasn’t impressive in their friendly matches and so on. So, there was a lot of flak on the boys too. Everyone seemed to “lose” hope on the national team then but you could always remember the names being mentioned each time. Remembered well that the team had a new German coach in Karl Weigang at that time who whipped the football boys into what they are. I remembered that day well when the whole family sat down in the living hall and watched that match on a B&W TV, man. It was a packed house as neighbours came by to watch the match. Biscuits and kopi-O were replenished while everyone of us was hoping for Malaysia to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Tension, drama and more drama gripped our hearts right till the end and when James Wong scored that winning goal, euphoria of cheers, relief, shouts of joy and shouts of “Yah” could be heard all over our taman and kampongs. It was about a nation winning…..it wasn’t about Ali, Ah Kau nor Ramasamy’s status, colour or creed; it was a Malaysian success story. That is the beauty of that 1980 significance. Well, that is how I remember it as far as I know.  

Coming back to the move “Ola Bola”, I must say it invoked a lot of fond memories and definitely captured the attention of the audience. The storyline, the sceneries, the passion and the emotions of it all captures the audience imagination. I remembered one scene when Muthu saved the resultant penalty kick, the cinemagoers erupted in hand clapping and loud cheers. Soon Ling and I were indeed very surprised but I guess, they were so absorbed of the movie that they spontaneously did what was the natural thing to do – clapped their hands and cheered loudly. It is definitely not just a football movie but it captures the emotions, the moral side of life  and the simpler things about life then. It was just a movie that everyone could relate to and some sceneries were awesomely nice and wonderful. I guess, footballers were dedicated then and without having much money in their hands, they played their hearts out and the spirit of togetherness was awesome. I really could not remember having watch the recent Malaysian football team without some flowery words escaping my lips and sometimes to the point of frustration. Guess, the only time I got excited was when K.Rajagopal team won the AFF Suzuki Cup. That was the closest thing to the 1980 Olympics team. But yeah, how I wished that one day Malaysia would make it to the Olympics and even the World Cup! Fat hopes, some will say but I dare say that minus the money lure, they may make it but fat hopes anyway because I believe these present set of players are about money. Maybe, it would be harsh to judge them that way but they really lack the spirit and the fighting back tenacity. I just wished the present footballers could be fitter, stronger and play to their last breath like it's the end of their life. But sadly so, they aren't like that. Somehow they lacked that "uuummpph" punch. They gave up too easily!

Look at the South Korean, Japanese and even the Saudi Arabia team. Malaysia was their bogey team because we were that good. Sure , we do lose to them but we gave them a fight of their life and a run of their money literally. Today, they are at the World Cup level while we are still languishing to the doodlums even losing to Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Phillipines and Nepal for that matter. Debacle after debacle of disgraceful results and loses.

I remembered watching the Malaysian league with Dad at Kubu Stadium those days. We were proud of our team, the Melaka team. Names like Soh Chin Aun, Wong Kow Fu, G.Torairaju, Letchumanan, Ramli Junid, Mahathir Taha and several others made us alive at Kubu Stadium. Sure, Dad and I would be sneaking in as usual but it was always good to support our team. I saw football greats like Mokhtar Dahari, Santokh Singh, Wong Hung Nung, Peter Rajah, James Wong , Hassan Sani, Ali Bakar , Isa Bakar, Wong Choon Wah, Mohd Shah Norbit, Khalid Ali, Zainal Abidin Hassan, Yahya Jusoh, Bakri Ibni ,Shukor Salleh, Yunos Alif and many many great players gracing the Kubu Stadium with their skills. The crowd at Kubu Stadium would heckled our opponents and cheered the Melaka boys each time we host the other teams. But you know what, they are professionals in their own right. Good set of players with great sportsmanship on the field and off the field.  

When these great players donned the Malaysian jersey, you could see their professionalism, pride and honour representing the country. That is what I saw in these players through the eyes of a young man a long time ago. Every PJ lesson or when we are having football as recreation, names like these would flow out easily among the lips of the young ones. That was how they impacted the lives of young people in Malaysia those days. Everyone wanted to be a Chin Aun or a Santokh, a Shukor Salleh, an Arumugam or even a Mokhtar Dahari. Yeah, I remembered that long after an international match or even a Melaka team game, coffeeshops and stalls will still be talking of the great footballers, their skills and the game they played.

Yes, "Ola Bola" gave me that sense of happiness again after all these years. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to catch a movie of such passion. I love the movie! It appeals to both the young and very much to the older folks who had gone through that era or phase of life at one time. Nothing beats re-living the good ol' days of national pride, glory and excitement. Yup, make a date with "Ola Bola" people.....sure beat slumping yourself on the couch and letting the belly hang out!

Cheers to "Ola Bola" and cheers to you! Go watch the movie, will ya? Hopefully, we will "believe" in the present Malaysian football team!