Mat Jemi had an accident

	Ham's nephew, Mustapha bin Omar aka Mat Jemi passed away at Ipoh hospital on Monday 19 Dec 2011.  He had a motorcycle accident around 7:00 am on his way back to his house from the mosque, when another motorcyclist hit him from the back.
Apparently the motorcyclist that hit him is in a bad condition also.  Mat Jemi, however, succumb to his head injuries and died at 12:15 pm at the hospital. He was buried at the Tambun cemetery after Asar prayers, same day.

Odah bertunang

My grand-niece Siti Saudah or Odah as she is popularly known, had her bertunang or engagement ceremony at her parent's home in Mersing, Johor on Sunday 18 Dec 2011. Regrettably, I was not able to attend; but for sure will try to make it when the wedding ceremony comes around. InsyaAllah.

Afternote
Just got Odah's invitation card yesterday, Monday 21 May 2012. The wedding will be on Saturday 16 Jun 2012 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm at her parent's house in Mersing.


The Wedding
Ham, Zaki and I went to Mersing on Friday 15 Jun 2012 for Odah's Akad Nikah and Wedding. It was quite a big do at Tache's house starting with the Khatam Quran and Berzanji in the morning and the Akad Nikah at 3:00 pm on the 15th, followed by Merenjis in the evening after a Sate and Soto dinner. The next day, Saturday 16 Jun, the guests - family and friends from far and near - came as from 11:00 am. We were there at 11 and stayed until 1:00 pm when we had to make our way back to KL. We missed the bride and groom who came with their entourage at 2:30 pm.  I like such family occasions because of the opportunity for me to meet long lost friends and relatives, grand nephews and grand nieces most of whom I scarcely know by name.

Nani just got married

Nani got married three days ago to Scott David Shuey @ Kareem Abdul Jabbar (his Muslim name) on Friday 23 Sep 2011 with the Akad Nikah solemnized by her dad (namely me) at the Masjid Saidina Umar al Khatab in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.  It was attended by some 60 family members and friends. Zaki captured the unique event on video to be shown at the Wedding Reception on the 24 Sep evening. Why unique? Because it was all done in English, on stage and sitting down on comfortable lounge chairs.
The next evening we had a Wedding Reception at the Grand Ballroom Flamingo Hotel Ampang. Some 430 family members from far and near, friends and colleagues attended the function which started at 8:30 pm and ended around 11:00 pm.  It was a simple ceremony without the traditional Malay kompang, bersanding or merenjis.  No live band either; just soft piped music to enable the guests to converse easily without having to raise their voices. 
It was a good evening without any rain but quite a few traffic jams due to several Hari Raya "open houses" around the city.  Nevertheless, the guests made it on time for the function to commence at 8:30 pm as planned.  And almost everybody sat at their designated seats with relatives or friends.  Feedbacks from many guests were that the food was excellent, the telor pindang delicious, and the Nikah video was something memorable as the ceremony was conducted in English. Most of the guests had never experienced such thing, because Malay weddings would normally be in the Malay language and people sitting cross-legged on the floor.  All in all it was a great occasion for all.

To all the guests we thank you for your kind attendance and generosity with gifts in cash and kind. We are most grateful to God that everything went well and everyone had a good time. 

Raja Aziah is not well

Raja Aziah Hanim bt Raja Aziz, niece of my wife Raja Azma, is in Universiti Hospital Petaling Jaya for cancer treatment. We visited her yesterday after Open House at Yang's in PJ. Raja Aziah is in the ward at 6th Floor Menara Timur of the hospital.13 Sep
Aternote:
From Raja Azma: 5:30 pm Tuesday 13 Sep 2011.  Raja Aziah passed away today at the hospital.

Pak Salim is not well

Ham and I went back to Ipoh yesterday for Raya. We also visited Pak Salim, Timah's husband and Ham's uncle at his daughter Yati's place in Desa Chemor Impian. Quite an effort to find the house, but we got there all right after much inquiry.
Pak Salim had a stroke on 21 August at his house in Ulu Kinta. He is now very weak, being fed by tube and unable to manage himself. However, Yati who is a nurse by profession, has arranged for physiotherapy for her father to recover his strength. He is as old as I am; 72.
Afternote:
From Normah 3 Sep. Pak Salim nazak di hospital; and passed away at 7:00 pm.

Raya 2011

We had a good Raya today (Tue 30 Aug 2011) although a slightly bad start at the mosque where we had the Aidil Fitri prayers. The Nazir Ugama as usual blasted away with his oratory which was quite unpleasant. He took too long to deliver his "khutbah" so I walked out after the first khutbah. I was told later that this incurred his wrath and I somewhat became the subject of his second khutbah which finally ended at 11:00 am. Anyway, we had a good breakfast at Mama's with the family;

only Ida, Faizal and Zaki were absent. After that it was Open House at Bonda's starting from 12:00 noon - in fact a couple of Rotarian guests came at 11:45 am - and ending around 6:00 pm. It was a pleasant day, no rain, and a fairly large crowd of relatives and friends turned up; some non-Malays even wearing the "baju Melayu"

My Africa story is in SUV.4x4.MPV magazine

The August issue of the SUV.4x4.MPV magazine has my story on Trans-Africa IV. I have also written in the "Berita Pudu", my Rotary club's weekly newsletter from issue #1 to issue #6. Read all about it here http://www.rotarypudu.org.my. Click on Berita Pudu button on the menu panel to access.

I’ve crossed the Equator twice

The first time I physically crossed the Equator ie walked across it was in Quito, Ecuador on December 2, 2008. This was when I did the South America II trip from Lima, Peru to Cartagena, Columbia via Caracas, Venezuela.

Then on May 31, 2011, I did it again; this time at Nanyuki in Kenya, Africa. And this was when I did the Trans Africa IV trip from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Cairo Egypt. (Travel Blog not ready yet.)

Very Hot in Sudan

The road to Khartoum from the south is good, in spite of the many check points along the way. However, driving in mid-summer as we are doing now, the heat is oppressive at 45 deg C. For the 400 km drive yesterday 9 Jun 2011 it took us the whole day to arrive in Khartoum by 7 pm, with many stops along the way to rest man and machine. Litres of water were consumed to keep the body hydrated. I felt as if hell fire was just being turned on; there is more when we drive through the Nubian desert tommorow.

Very cold at Kilimanjaro

We were at Mt Kilimanjaro on 27 May 2011. Not for doing a climb, but just to experience the climb by 4x4 to our lodge at 2,500m. It was a difficult climb even by 4x4 because the path up there twists and turns; and doing it at night didn't help. The Pajero was on 4Low and I even got bogged down requiring rescue. Anyway, we finally made it to the Kilimanjaro View Lodge to a warm meal and native culture.
The owner of the Lodge, Philip Kilewo, was most pleased to have 35 Malaysians at his Lodge for the first time. So we were entertained to local music and dance that took a little too long for our tired bodies to endure. Finally we found our ways to our assigned huts that sleeps 4 equipped with shower and flush toilets. Unfortunately, there was no hot water, so we all just dry-cleaned. The bunk beds were ok but I slept in my sleeping bag. Even then it was still cold.

Faritz designed and built his own guitars

Bicara Harta Pusaka Long Lah

Alhamdullilah, all settled. The formalities were completed at the Pejabat Pusaka Jabatan Ugama Johor in Segamat today. I have relinquished all my share of Long's harta to Timah for her to ensure that those that were not entitled to it under Syara'iah Law -- namely Normah, and Katek's three children -- get something based on budibicara among them.
Pix: Timah and Normah under the mangosteen tree
After the final due processes at the Pejabat Ugama and Pejabat Tanah, we went to Bumbun to see the land -- the tapak rumah where I was born. I felt a tinge of sadness to see the overgrowth that could hide a baby elephant. However, this piece of land would soon be sold off since that would be the best thing to do. After all, none of us, or our children, are living anywhere near Segamat to want to develop it or to look after it. And it would be sadder still if quarrels emanate over this small piece of property.

I am off to Africa - again

In Jan 2008 I did the African 4x4 trip from Cape Town to Mombassa. We covered seven countries -- South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya -- five game parks, two deserts, several rivers the famous of which is the Zambezi with its Victoria Falls at Livingstone on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was a most interesting experience. Read all about it in my Travel Blog website as noted on the right panel.

Now, I am going again to Africa; this time to do the northern half from Dar-es-Salaam to Cairo. We'll do five countries -- Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt -- two game parks, lots of desert in Sudan and lots of ancient history in Eqypt. There is a river boat trip also from Wadi Halfa (Sudan) to Aswan (Eqypt) over Lake Nasr. I am looking forward very much to this trip since it means that I'd have covered Africa from bottom to top; by road...

Akak Teh passed away

Akak Teh Madon, my cousin Zakaria Gadoh's first wife died at 4:00 pm on Tuesday 8 Mar 2011 at Sultanah Aminah hospital Johor Bahru. She was suffering from pancreatic cancer. She was 80. Funeral was on 9 Mar, attended by all her 8 children and their children, relatives and friends. She was buried at the Mahmoodiah Muslim Cemetery Johor Bahru at 11:30 am.
Ham and I drove to JB the night of 8 Mar and stayed at Kintan's apartment at Danga Bay, quite close to Akak Teh's house in Bandar Baru UDA. We left for KL after lunch and snooze just before 3:00 pm arriving home at 7:30 pm on Wed 9 Mar, 2011.