Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Tuesdays With Bapak (12)




The Red Sedan - May 1 2007
Kuala Lumpur, 1978: Toyota Corollas cutting in and out of traffic. Datsun 120Ys making sure their presence was felt on city roads.
There were Fiats too.
And everyone was competing with the mini buses that would make a deadly stop anywhere they wished to.
We were in Abang Med's mini minor trying to work our way around the traffic of Jalan Bandar, chasing a red sedan.
Trying, of course, not to be noticed by the driver and occupants of the sedan.

There is power in a mini minor driven by Abang Med. I suspect driving the way he did, was therapeutic for Abang Med.

Kak Eda and I were keeping an eye on the sedan which was not going fast at all. It was, in fact, cruising. But we were trying to keep up with it during lunch hour in the city and that was not exactly our idea of passing the time.

But, we had to know where they were taking Bapak. We had to know where they were keeping Bapak.

So far, we had a clear view of the sedan which was nearing the traffic lights. We kept pace while trying not to be too conspicuous.
Actually, it was easy because the mini was tiny and we could hide behind a mini bus or a Volvo. But that would mean we could not get a view of the sedan and risk losing it in traffic.

Abang Med's mini minor had no air-conditioning. How that never bothered us then, amazes me now. Strange too that we did not feel smothered by the city air.

The sedan, it seemed to us, was going around the city as though its driver was taking its occupants on a tour.

"You think they have noticed us?," Kak Eda asked.

"Don't think so," Abang Med said, quite confidently.

"So, why are they going round and round?," I asked.

"Maybe, taking Bapak for a ride. Hahahaa," Kak Eda quipped.

"Betul-lah. More like taking him on a tour. After all, he gets to go out only on Tuesdays. So, he probably wants to make the most of it," I remarked.

"But why the city, why not PJ or other places?" Kak Eda asked.

There were so many questions. And we could think of so many possibilities. We could be wrong on all counts. The SB guy driving the car was probably trying to find the best way out of the city. Or, he could have noticed us, and trying to shake us off.

How did we get involved in Abang Med's crazy idea to tail the SB car? We knew he had been wanting to do it but he never actually told us when.

Earlier, after the customary goodbye to Bapak, Abang Med told Kak Eda and I that we could get a ride from him as he was going home.

We were so excited when we found out that our aunts -- Wak Mah, Wak Lah, Wak Eichon, Cik Ah as well as our uncles and cousins -- were waiting for Bapak's car to pass by.

We wanted to see them but Abang Med hurried us along and asked us to get in the car with him.

"We'll meet them and talk to them when we get home. But now, come with me," he said, briskly walking ahead toward his mini minor which he had parked so near to the entrance of the police station.
As we got into the car, he told us that he was going to tail Bapak's car.
For a moment, we looked at him in disbelief. Just as quickly, it hit me that we really did not have a choice, because Abang Med looked so raring to go.

The sedan was now on Jalan Lornie (Jalan Syed Putra) and it was picking up speed.

"It's heading for PJ," Kak Eda said.

"Or Old Klang Road," I offered, dreading the thought of having to pass the road which was bumpy and so congested.

Abang Med stepped on the gas, trying not to lose the sedan which was already speeding way ahead, in the direction of Petaling Jaya. We were nearing Angkasapuri.

Federal highway was jammed with cars on both sides of the traffic. As Abang Med tried to keep up with the sedan, we noticed that there were other red sedans weaving in and out of traffic.

Ahead of us, just then was a Sri Jaya bus. Not good, I thought.

"It's okay, I can still see the car," Abang Med said.

Kak Eda got excited as we saw the car turning left past the EPF building, heading towards Jalan Gasing.

"They're going to PJ, they're going to PJ," she said.

In my mind were pictures of people in a detention camp hidden somewhere in PJ. I could imagine the red sedan entering a gate and then Bapak getting out and being met by camp guards.
He would be taken to his cell where he would have to change into his uniform. I could imagine just a small window on the wall.

But where in PJ was this camp? I have never heard of one in PJ. Was it anything like Kamunting where Pak Habib (Syed Husin Ali), Pak Cik Samani (Samani Amin) and Uncle Dollah (Abdullah Ahmad) and Pak Cik Dollah (Abdullah Majid) were?

Or, was it a safe house, as I had been told by the (NST) crime boys? There were several in KL and PJ, they told me.

And then something quite odd happened. As we were chasing the sedan, another car emerged from the left and kept speed ahead of us.

We didn't think much of it. We thought it was just one of those speed maniacs. Road hog! On Jalan Gasing too!

We were trying to follow the sedan which was now going down Jalan Gasing. By then there were other cars in front of the car which was ahead of us.

And then, we lost the red sedan. Just like that. And the car ahead of us sped off.

We were straining our necks trying to look for the sedan but it was nowhere to be found.

"Abang Med, it must have gone into one of the roads on the left... let's look for it," I said.

That was section 5, PJ. We used to live around that area from 1962 or 63 to early 1969. It was familiar to us.

So we set out looking for the red sedan. And then it hit us that Bapak could be staying in one of the houses in the area.

It was already 3pm and we were cruising the hilly road of section 5 in PJ, looking for a red sedan parked in a garage or compound of a house in the neighbourhood.

We drove past the government quarters --the bungalows and terraced houses. We went around the single storey detached houses and we looked at the beautiful bungalows in the upper part.

There were red sedans. But somehow it did not seem possible that Bapak would be staying in a luxurious double-storey house located on a sprawling compound, with a swimming pool! Unlikely too in another house full of kids.

It was a failed mission. We decided to call it quits and head for home across the highway to Section 16. Next time lucky, we promised ourselves!

Back home, we were met with excited and curious looks. Mak wanted to know what we had been up to. She was pretending not to know what we had been doing.
Everyone was just dying to know what happened.
Kak Ton went straight to the point and demanded to know if we found out "the location".

There was a little feast in the dining room. We were famished. As we sat down for tea, everyone gathered around impatiently waiting for either of us to tell our story.
Kak Eda and I looked at Abang Med. He got our message and told them how we attempted to locate Bapak's hide-away.

Our aunts who were so thrilled at having seen their brother, could not hide their emotion when Abang Med related our adventure on the road --from Jalan Bandar to Section 5.

We decided that we all should take a nice leisurely drive one evening around Section 5. Even Mak appeared thrilled.

We were looking forward for the following Tuesday for our rendezvous with Bapak. Perhaps we would be luckier.

Tuesday came. This time, Bapak was already in the room when we arrived.

Bapak smiled as we walked into the room. He asked how everyone was. We kissed his hand and sat around him as the SB guys stood behind us, smiling.

Then, Bapak turned to Abang Med and said gently, softly: "Lain kali, jangan ikut kereta Bapak."
He smiled. Abang Med's eyes almost popped out.
Bapak turned around to where the SB guys were standing. They smiled.

(Photos: 1.Studio photo of Kak Ton, Abang Med, Kak Olin, Kak Eda, Azah and Me, circa 1961: 2. Bapak and Tun Razak in Africa sometime in the 60s and: 3: Lalin and Nina in 1973)

154 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Nuraina

Gosh, reading this week's segment of TWB is like watching a thriller... you guys chasing the SB car weaving in and out of the traffic at peak hours.

So did you and your siblings finally find out where "they" had hid your dad? Were there any follow-up and a sequel to this episode?

BTW, I was the anonymous who had been eagerly waiting for today's TWB when I posted my comment to "Rubiah the Blogger" thread.

J.T. said...

Nuraina, wow... that was a thrill to read. I felt myself being in car and the traffic with you, Kak Eda and Abang Med.
So, the SB guys knew you were following. Just can't fool them huh? Or did Abang Med? Future episodes???
sigh... now I have wait again. :)

Rockybru said...

Ena,
That was a foolish thing to do, following the SBs and your dad! But I would have done the same if they had taken my dad. I would probably be "fooler" too, like organise an underground movement to free him from prison, launch terrorist attacks to undermine such draconian government, or (if i had the kind of clout and charisma Anwar has) spark a Reformasi!
I am sure Bang Med and you are proud of yourselves for doing what you did that day, foolish or not.
I am quite sure Bang Med must have done other things at the time to get even with the system and the people who took you Bapak away.
I wonder what the NST did for your dad then? Did they sit hack and take the whole thing in their stride, for the entire 5 years?

Anonymous said...

Ena,
Enjoy your journey down memory lane. Bila Pak Samad nak tulis memoir? Also, tell Maria to start her own blog.
Noraini Shariff

Anonymous said...

excellent read, nuraina!

just a suggestion. many folks - the younger ones especially - may not really know who your dad is . i think you should carry a little box of trivia on pak samad every tuesday. or you saving it for later chapters?

after 12 episodes, though, this is still a mighty good ride. thanks, nuraina.

p.s. which one is you in the picture?

Mat Salo said...

Damn...waited half a day for this. Was it the "Mie Rebus" that kept us waiting?

OK, OK... Now I got my fix. Time to climb that 'ol ladder to the rig floor . . .

A superb thriller-on-edge-of-my seat kinda thing!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Anon at 1:30pm: our hearts were beating. Abang Med was a very good driver. I think all of us watched too much TV and James Bond.
If we had an Alfa Romeo, I think we could have kept up.

JT: I think they radioed that we were following them or they came in two cars. one car was following Bapak's car. and that car intercepted us on jalan gasing.

the Razzler said...

Kak Ena .. wow! so thrilling like James Bond movie laa .. :) :) except in JB movies, JB usually gets to the ... guys!! hehe :) :)

Look forward to next Tuesday then!!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

rocky,

abang med had many ideas. he is a trained bio-chemist. can u imagine what was going through his mind?
but Mak never stopped telling us to be patient, to not curse those who put him in there.

if you asked my former NST colleagues (who were with me then), they'd know that i refused to go for King Ghaz's assignment. In fact, my editors were with me on this, i think they could see my eyes blazing with *****.

Yeah, we felt really good. but so puzzled how we could have lost the sedan.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

noraini sharif: noraini? datin noraini? wife of datuk rejal?

thanks for visiting and dropping a comment. Pak Samad's memoir? Tak tahu-lah.

Itu-lah. I have been bugging kak Ton to start blogging.

And what about you? You have some really good stories to tell....

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Mat Salo,

sorry-lah lambat. bukan pasal mee rebus/ today Kafe 4-teen closed becos of labour day. But, ada bad news... kak mariah wont be serving her mee rebus there anymore sebab ada problem dengan management. (tuanpunya kafe is her brother-in-law, so i dont know what the story is). But i can get her to prepare her mee rebus for us....


anyway, lambat sebab nak cari photos to go with TWB, as suggetsed by Shar101 last week.
By the way, Shar101 has already started his blog -- Old Blue Eyes.

Anonymous said...

NAS: In my mind were pictures of people in a detention camp hidden somewhere in PJ.

Ya! Ya! Like under Bt Gasing? ;D

You know what I think Nuraina... I think the red sedan probably turned left into that road where the WI was/is(?) [Jln Cantik?], drove uphill, detoured via La Salle and rejoined the Federal Hway...

Still, it was a thrilling chase!

Thank you for a selayang pandang of the KL/PJ I knew and love.

P.S. Love the pictures. Lawa anak2 Pak Samad!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

peminat awak:

thank u for visiting. and thanks for the suggestion.

i am (in the studio pix) the one standing left beside Kak Ton.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

the razzler: i know, i know.....tried to be like james bond... but you know how the federal highway was back in those days.
thanks for visiting.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

mekyam: hi there!

funny u should mention it. but the road where WI (still) is -- is Jalan Lembah (5/2) and we live on that road.. next to the chinese temple. right across WI. Our house is no:2. Mak used to go to WI for workshops and talks and forums...

Azah used to cry like crazy --"nak ikut mak, nak ikut mak".

one day, Mak was conducting a class or something at WI. U know, when u are in the hall of WI, you could see our gate because of the glass sliding door of WI.

That day, there was a kid trying to climb the gate, crying. No..wailing. the particpants in WI were distracted by this sight. And Mak just pretended like she didnt know who that child was.....(it was Azah, i think she was about 3 years old).

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

mek yam.... my tenses haywire..

we liveD on that road. Our house WAS......

sorry...

wanshana said...

Hmmmm...I REALLY thought we were in for a "Double Tuesday" treat when you started writing about the following Tuesday - only to be greeted by that gem-of-the-little- last-paragraph...(Eherks! Have to wait lagi...)

Your Dad must have felt really proud of the perseverence shown by his children that day. He must have been SMILING the WHOLE of that week - thinking about the whole thing and was eagerly waiting to tell you guys that he (and the SB guys) knew about the whole tailing episode!

I can just imagine the sparkle in his eyes when he finally got the chance to see and tell you all about it the following week.

Confirmed - I definitely have a date with TWB first thing I wake up next Tuesday...(or maybe even BEFORE I sleep on Monday night - considering the 7-hour time difference? Lucky Me!!)

Anonymous said...

mekyam said...

Ya! Ya! Like under Bt Gasing? ;D

You know what I think Nuraina... I think the red sedan probably turned left into that road where the WI was/is(?) [Jln Cantik?], drove uphill, detoured via La Salle and rejoined the Federal Hway...

=================================

What a give-away. Always thought mekyam is from Kelantan.

Now I know she is a PJ girl!!!

The Ancient Mariner said...

Ena, (I think I can call you Ena now) as a chronicler of events you are doing a fantastic job.

Went to Section 14 today but found the place closed. I wasnt really surprised, so went for a haircut instead ...

Anonymous said...

Just wanna add why I said that mekyam is a PJ girl or someone who had lived in PJ especially the area mentioned.

Mekyam is familiar with the roads and the route around there.

Anonymous said...

nuraina said...

if you asked my former NST colleagues (who were with me then), they'd know that i refused to go for King Ghaz's assignment. In fact, my editors were with me on this, i think they could see my eyes blazing with *****.

==================================

It was the same for me. My colleagues were very protective of me.

And my news editor, Musa Scully, spared me the agony of covering any assignments related to Umno or King Ghaz.

I covered the Foreign Desk (Foreign Affairs/Ministry) until 1980 when I was transferred to Johore Baru as Bernama's Bureau Chief.

Bapak was released a year later.

Anonymous said...

Ena wrote: "If we had an Alfa Romeo, I think we could have kept up."

I beg your pardon! Tak payah Alfa Romeo, ler! In city traffic, a Mini can hold its own. Does anyone remember The Italian Job (the original 1969 movie with Michael Caine)? In that movie, you see an array of police Alfa Romeos out-driven by Minis. Okay, that was only a movie. Still, don't underestimate the humble Mini.

Mekyam wrote: "I think the red sedan probably turned left into that road where the WI was/is(?) [Jln Cantik?], drove uphill, detoured via La Salle and rejoined the Federal Hway..."

It could have, though we would've caught up. I knew (still do...I think) the back roads of Section 5 like the back of my hand. That area was my driving playground before I got my driver's licence.

The car that "emerged from the left" was playing dodge with us, preventing me from overtaking. Actually, I don't remember that it emerged from the left. It was suddenly "there" before I knew what was happening. The red sedan wasn't going fast, so keeping up was not a problem. The intercepting car could have overtaken us from behind and cut in in front. But I don't remember.

Anyhow the car clearly blocked my way, as if on purpose. It slowed us long enough for the red sedan to be well ahead.

The stretch of Jalan Gasing after La Salle (Jalan Chantek junction) has an incline that curves to the left and then slightly to the right before the Jalan Changgai intersection. That was where we lost the car. Two possibilities:

- the sedan turned left at Jalan Putri, and henceforth straight into the innards of Section 5
- the sedan turned right at Jalan Changgai (opportunistically, just before the lights turned red, so that we wouldn't get through), and would thereafter have a choice of routes to shake us off if we were still on its tail

Anonymous said...

aduh kejar kereta SB, that's new. nowadays, kalau kita tau je kete tu milik Sb sure dah cabut siang2 hehehe

Anonymous said...

How old were you & your siblings in the black & white pix?

I presume Kamal, Lalin and Nina werent born yet that is the reason they werent in the picture?

In the pix of Lalin & Nina, how old were they?

shar101 said...

If you guyz were in a mini bus, driving like crazy, chasing the SB car, the car chase would have been a real thriller.

Just imagine tailgating with only 10 inch to spare between bumpers and incessantly toot-tooting away, or suddenly braking when in front.

The SB blokes would be asking for 'dangerous assignment' allowance. And dad would have grinned like the cheshire cat!

Talking about 'd.a.', I've been staring at my keyboard since noon and can't seem to figure out what to write on OBE. Arrrghhhh! Yeah, yeah, I know everybody sez write from the heart..blah..blah. Where's that 'idea just popped into me head' moment...Arrrghhh!

Anywayz, Nuraina. Glad you managed to get the old pics to flesh up TWB.
As the ladiez would say "Aiyoh..so cute lah. Comel-comel semua".

Anonymous said...

Why do you still call him King Ghaz? After what your family has
been thro', i would think of a lot
of names to call him. Very patient
lah you Ena!


Inderjeet

Anonymous said...

nuraina said...

Azah used to cry like crazy --"nak ikut mak, nak ikut mak".

----------------------------------

Azah is the only sister who used to wail NOT cry but wail whenever Mak went out to cover an assignment, attend her monthly meetings with "anak2 Singapura", attend workshops or forums.

She would not only wail but "tawab keliling rumah" and hempas diri on the ground. What a sight! We let her be cuz she'd stop when she was tired.

That was the only way we dealt with her.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

wanshana: sometimes when i look back at the things my siblings and i went through those days, I would laugh... and many things were not funny. we can laugh about it now. God! The things we did! or had to do.
the last time i followed a car was when a close friend, who suspected her husband of having an affair, asked me to "accompany" her in her car as she tailed her erring husband. that was years ago. aah...that's another story for another day.

thank you wanshana for visiting even though the time difference (bt here and England) is some hours apart.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ancient mariner: hello captain, sir.
thank you for visiting yet again.
so sorry about the cafe being closed.
at least u got to have your hair cut.


sang diva: betul-lah... kalau dengar special branch, SB....nak lari jauh, ek?

Adik: okay...now let's see. i think in the studio photo... it was either 1961 or 62... if it was 61, kamal wasnt born yet. if it was 62, then kamal was about 1 year-old, at home with Mak.

in that photo, ( i can only give an approximation becos i cannot quite tell the exact year): Kak ton was 13 or 14, abang med was maybe 11, kak olin, 8, kak eda 6, me, 5 and azah, 3.

lalin and nina werent born yet. in the other picture, lalin was about 6 and nina, 3.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

inderjeet: i know...sometimes can't help it. But then..it means nothing to us.

Shar101: have you ever thought of making a movie? Yusof haslam..eat your heart out!

Get started, man... dying to read your blog! how about.... sex and the single man? hahaaa.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

abu rabu (Abang Med): sorry... of course of course... the mini is one powerful automobile..

kak ton: i also get the feeling that they fear for King Ghaz's life if we ever covered his assignments! hahaaaa!
no-lah, kidding.
anyway, i had wonderful editors who were really good to me and treated me well, without fear or favour. at least, that was how i felt. i had some wonderful friends at the NSTP.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

abu rabu (abang med):

abang med. you are right-lah.. actually, the car suddenly overtook us. i am remembering now-- jalan gasing was only two lane-traffic, and the car came from the right.

i think years later, we were told that there was always another car that accompanied Bapak's car. Shoot! I was going to keep this bit of info for later.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

message to MEKYAM:

i know we know each other

we must.

or crossed paths?

i know we know each other

Anonymous said...

abu rabu aka ash wednesday said:
"I beg your pardon! Tak payah Alfa Romeo, ler! In city traffic, a Mini can hold its own."

Hear, hear! Mini minor was my dream car back in the 1970's, but was never fortunate enough to own one.

Nuraina, you have given us another thrilling episode of TWB. You have the uncanny ability to transport your readers into your world. In this episode, I was criss-crossing in and out of KL and PJ traffic (not that I know any of the streets mentioned) in hot pursuit of the red sedan.

You mean Kak Mariah's mie rebus is no longer available at Kafe 4-teen? I have had my heart set on tucking into a big serving (I mean B I G) of the famed mie rebus during my next trip to KL.

Anonymous said...

Ena wrote:
"message to MEKYAM:
i know we know each other."


Mekyam is one mysterious lady. Or is she?

If we pay attention to what she writes, we can sometimes catch the hints that she drops.

For example, in TWB10, Mekyam wrote of commentor Prufrock:
"But more than that, your nick [Prufrock] will surely get me rummaging for my TSE when I get home today."

Now, that's a shibboleth, a coded statement that has meaning only those familiar with TS Elliot's work.

Sure enough, it elicited a response from Prufrock:
"Mekyam and those who read English at the tertiary level will tell you..."

So, Mekyam and Prufrock probably read English at tertiary level.

And now, Mekyam leads us to conclude that she once lived in PJ, specifically in or around section 5. So she could have studied at Assunta, perhaps? Crossed paths (or swords!) with Ena a lifetime ago?

Aah... Mekyam, who are you?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

rocky,
u asked what the NST did those years Bapak was in detention.
It was 1976 when Bapak was detained. Lee Siew Yee was group editor. After Bapak was detained, Dr Noordin Sopiee took over.
I did my internship with NST, i think late '76 or early '77 and then again just before graduation in '78. And then, I got the job wiht NST. went on study leave (to Boston) late '79 for a year and was back just before Bapak was released in '81. When I returned from the US, Noordin was still managing editor until Munir Majid took over.

Now, what could the NST do for Bapak? Or could not do?
I really never thought about that. nor expected anything. While I was there, Bapak was not vilified. Nor crucified. I think the editors were sensitive to the fact that I was Samad's daughter. Some of them were close to Bapak. Also by the time I joined the NST, a lot of the journalists, including editors, subs and senior reporters (most of whom were close to Bapak) had left for the Star.

Anonymous said...

assalamualaikum kak ena,
love the photos. ye lah remember those days when we are dressed alike like that. sure not from kain langsir huh? hee...hee..just kidding!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Sesat : i liked Abang Med's mini. In my final years at UiTM, Abang Med who worked in Shah Alam used to fetch me from campus in his mini after work.
It was THE car people bought after their first job...(if they could afford it). Those days, if you could afford it you would not buy Japanese cars.
I think it was the Honda Civic that changed people's minds about Japanese cars.

On Mariah's mee rebus....i am afraid that's it. No mee rebus. well not at Kafe 4-teen.
So, not to worry. when you get home...do contact us. And we will have Mariah's mee rebus... not at the Kafe.. we'll find a place.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

assalamualaikum Accia,

adoi.... kita dulu pakai baju sepasang semua.
I remember dulu, masih kecik, kita beli baju di satu kedai di Batu Road (Jalan Tuanku Abudl Rahman). Nama kedai "May May". Kedaijual baju kanak2 dan permainan.
Kak Ena suka pergi sana, nak tengok anak patung dan dollhouses yg dijual.

Baju nak beli senang saja. Mak yang pilih. Uniform semua.

Anonymous said...

Abang Med a bio chemist. Lo! Nasib baik zaman itu belum ada al_qaeda, kalau tidak sudah tentu abangmu mendapat ilham yang bukan-bukan.

Untuk RajaGhaz manusia yang tidak berperimanusia itu, saya harap dia merana.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anonymous 12:08am: Tak payah AlQaeda.. dia sudah fikir macam2 dah. Tapi,hanya ketabahan, kesabaran dan keimanan yg menghalang abang med dari melakukan sesuatu yg tidak di ingini.

Ghaz -- bukan hak kita atau tempat kita nak minta yg tak senonoh utk dia.

Rox said...

What can I say except, wow, what a chase! I'm breathless. I was sure I was there with you ... hahaha.
Btw, the Mini Cooper is what trendy media folks are driving around in Europe these days.

Anonymous said...

Nuraina wrote:

...It was THE car people bought after their first job...(if they could afford it).

----------------------------------

Ena

Righto!

Abang Ani's first car was a mini cooper. Remember?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

rox,

did i keep u waiting?

the mini cooper? trendy in europe? on KL roads too... but they're bulkier now and p r i c e y!

thanks for visiting.
love yr poem in yr blog!

Anonymous said...

Anynomymous @ 12:08 AM said:
"Abang Med a bio chemist. Lo! Nasib baik zaman itu belum ada al_qaeda, kalau tidak sudah tentu abangmu mendapat ilham yang bukan-bukan."

Actually, I am (was? - I only practised for 5 years) a chemist as well as a biochemist (double degree, mah) - could be a lethal combination if the Dark Side had prevailed. Like Ena said, tak payah A-Q, dah pikir macam-macam (cannot be publicly revealed).

Fortunately, I also had other more constructive interests, and even a romantic pursuit or two (there's nothing like love to soothe the savage beast).

And of course, ketabahan dan keimanan (must mention this also, lah).

Anonymous said...

Ena,
Maria's stall dah tak ada? And I never tasted her mee rebus yet.
You know I cannot write my stories. Too sensitive for too many people. I'll just contend with reading yours.
Noraini

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

noraini: the thing is, it is not her stall. the cafe is run and belongs to her brother-in-law. she was just providing the mee rebus. actually it was for jasmine (her eldest) to have something to do. but jasmine decided that she was not cut out for this kind of thing so decided to give up. but by then, there were already people who got hooked on her mee rebus and kak ton didnt have the heart to disappoint these customers so she decided to continue since she had already retired from journalism and had passed her media consultancy to me.
The, Rocky and a few people who were on the look-out for a good (southern-style) mee rebus found out about Kak Ton's mee rebus. They came and liked it and decided to meet at the Kafe every Tuesday.
However. I don;t know what happened bt Kak Ton and her bro-in-law. I hear that he wanted her to pay rental or something like that. I really don't know., But I do know that she has decided
not to sell. BUT NOT TO WORRY, she said she will cook for any of us....

anyway..... of course you can tell your stories... just use mr X, miss X etc....

Anonymous said...

Nuraina,

You sister Lalin in the pix you posted in the story looked nothing like when I remembered her in school. Of course the photo is when she is younger.

I remembered her being taller, no nonsense and always get me into trouble!

Hahhaahhahahahahahahahahahahahahah a

(I used to not like her, Amy Hj Mahadi and this other girl, a lot!)

Well, I was a little puppy then. Mischievous like hell!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

BigDog,

How's your asthma? U didnt have the heart to tell FL to not smoke, huh?

anyway...yes, in that photo Lalin was a little girl.

remember when u pointed her out to me at Kak Eda's house when u came for the funeral?
after all these years, u recognised her, and she remembered you. And how she remembered you!
"Yang nakal tu!". and what did u expect from here, she was a prefect, wasnt she?
nobody was supposed to like prefects!
anway she rememberefd u for yr talent --- drawing..

aaah.... those were the days. young and a playful puppy..

Anonymous said...

Hey BigDog

Yeah, how can I forget you. But only after Kak Ena told me your name because you were, err, not so big then..he,he.. I sat next to you in std 4 Dahlia, you loved to draw and ALWAYS got into trouble with Mr Ong, our English teacher..

P/S Now I know where that pic disappeared to. Haaa, it was with you all along Kak Ena..

Keanorlinsya said...

Aunty Ena,
my mum told me u and your siblings use to be models. Seeing that i never knew how you looked like, i cant imagine.
Thank you for postings the photos. Now, i understand why!
By the way, she said hi too.

Anonymous said...

NAS: i know we know each other.
we must. or crossed paths?

Dear Nuraina,

I'm not sure, but I'd love to pare away no matter how many degrees of separation to see if we do or if our paths have crossed before. Privately ya... :D

Yep, as Abu Rabu and Anon cleverly deduced, I am a PJ girl. Or, was? Well, I still am at heart. As I commented in Roxanne's "dreaming" – tempat jatuh lagi dikenang, inikan pula tempat bermain.

Abu Rabu aka Ash Wednesday said: Mekyam is one mysterious lady.
Aah... Mekyam, who are you?

Dear Abu Rabu,

You would have made an awesome sleuth. Deductive mind – check! Dare-devilry – check! A way with words – check! Cool under pressure – check! Know how to handle women – growing up with so many (bet anything, headstrong) sisters, this is a given. ;D

I don't think I'm anymore mysterious than other visitors here. Like them, I'm enraptured by TWB. Nuraina, you, Kak Ton and your other siblings are mesmerising storytellers and what happened to your beloved father and his family is a pivotal slice of our history. If there was any sphinx-like pretensions detected in my comments, believe me it was quite unwitting.

Btw, my first car was also a Mini, a powerful 1275GT. To me nothing since has been comparable, not even the comeback models with their merc engines.

Anonymous said: Always thought mekyam is from Kelantan.
Now I know she is a PJ girl!!!

My mom's side hails from Kelantan. :-)

Lastly,

Kak Ton said: Azah ... would not only wail but "tawab keliling rumah" and hempas diri on the ground. What a sight!

LOL! LOL! @ "tawab keliling rumah".

Kak Ton, they say every mother has one. ;-)

Oh also wanted to say that from the photos, Nina kecik sebiji rupa Azah kecik, ek?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

lalin: the photo of u and nina is not the only copy.
anyway, you can't have it!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

keanorlinsya:
hello. hmmm. your mum told you that, huh? we did that for fun only.
thank you, keanorlinsya. that is very sweet of you.

and do kirim our salam to your mum.
also tell her that another classmate, raja amilia(Mia) also kirim salam.

bye. take care! and thank u for visiting me.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Mekyam:
Bumped into you at A&W, maybe?
U didnt go to Assunta, did u?

Yep. we deduced right. U must have lived in PJ.
U knew WI. Not many PJ residents even know of its existence. Though u got the name of the road wrong.
And u ended yr sentence with "ek"... hmmm, that's so Johor.

my curiosity is so p i q u i n g.

Anonymous said...

Ena

We'll get Mekyam to slowly reveal herself.

Next is Sesat: Born in Indonesia, studied (at least for a time) in Malaysia, travelled the world, now domiciled in Australia (Sydney, perhaps?).

Aaah...Sesat, who are you?

Pi Bani said...

Wow! So adventurous... beraninya chase the SB car!

Btw, this Raja Amilia (Mia)... is she from Perak? If this is the right person, well, it's been ages since I last saw her. Please send my salam to her. Tell her I'm "anak Bani Hashim".

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Pi,

adventurous sangat lah tu sampai tak berfirki panjang akibat perbuatan kami.
tapi rasa geram campur teringin sangat nak tahu mana diorang kurung Bapak.
dan tak terfikir pulak kalau dah dapat tahu, nak buat apa lepas tu.

Pi, Raja Amilia (Mia) is from Kuala Kangsar, perak. And I have already asked her if she knew Bani Hashim and she said yes and I kirim your salam. She will be checking out yr blog. She said memang lama tak jumpa yr family.
She kirim her salam.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Abu Rabu (Abang Med),

Oh dear.Hope Mekyam is sporting enough. We won't pressure her.
Mekyam,take yr time. take yr time. I like the mystery.


And Sesat. Yes, I gathered as much when she/he said she felt nostalgic when I wrote about singing "Bintang Kecil", an Indonesian nursery rhyme. But, she/he talks about Malaysia as home but is now in Sydney.

Anonymous said...

abu rabu aka ash wednesday said...
"Next is Sesat: Born in Indonesia, studied (at least for a time) in Malaysia, travelled the world, now domiciled in Australia (Sydney, perhaps?).

Aaah...Sesat, who are you?"

Abu Rabu, for a self-confessed non-sleuth, your power of deduction/observation is remarkable. Your one sentence neatly sums up my life from infancy to the present (read "wrong side of middle-age"); the ensuing question is thus rendered superfluous.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
"And Sesat. Yes, I gathered as much when she/he said she felt nostalgic when I wrote about singing "Bintang Kecil", an Indonesian nursery rhyme. But, she/he talks about Malaysia as home but is now in Sydney."

Nuraina, it is a she-sesat.

Anonymous said...

Talk about “kita dulu pakai baju sepasang semua...”

Imagine having to wear baju yang sama pattern with sisters whose ages ranged from three to eight years old when you were already 13.

The moment I reached that magical age (yes 13 & a teenager), I told Mak there was no way I'd remain a member of the Samad Boria Group. No way!

Yes, the dress that I wore in the pix was sewn by Mak & different from my other sisters.

I had told Mak I didnt want any more bajus dari "May May'. I wanted to look different from them kids. After all, I was already a teenager, a grownup and an adult. I wanted to dress & look like a teenager - not an overgrown child.

It might sound strange but Bapak was the one who chose & bought the materials for Mak to sew my dresses for raya that year (1961).

He always has good taste and an eye for colours.

And Mak was a good tailor having taken up a dressmaking course when she was in Singapore. All I needed to do was to show her the pattern that I liked.

Also, I had my first pair of “baby” heel shoes that Raya. Yaay!!

Anonymous said...

abu rabu aka ash wednesday said... We'll get Mekyam to slowly reveal herself.

NURAINA A SAMAD said... Mekyam, take yr time.

Guess I don't have to send Nuraina the email with my CV attached after all. Whew! ;D

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Sesat: Now that we know you're a"she"... can we now get a hint, at least, of who you might be?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Mekyam,

I am taking that back, about asking you to take yr time revealing yrself..
i'll give you my email if you'll give me yours..CV et al.

Anonymous said...

Mekyam,

When I wrote "We'll get Mekyam to slowly reveal herself", I took your words, "...I'd love to pare away...", literally (albeit out of context).

I care not for CVs; just a peel off layer at a time (with "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" - Rose Chan's signature tune - playing in the background).

Anonymous said...

Mekyam,

Should be: "...just peel off a layer at a time", not "just a peel off layer at a time".

The words got mixed up in my excitement, if you can believe it.

Anonymous said...

Dear Nuraina and Nurazlin,

I have had misfortune with female prefects, ALL my life! In std 4 were Nurazlin Samad and Alifah Tembon. In std 5 was Aidawati Abdan. In std 6 were Aminah Hj Mahadi and Barkeh Hanim Jumaat. Thats excluding Joanna Yeoh and Bettina Chua!

In secondary school, my luck was neither better. There was this Abrizah throughout form 4 and 5! Norwati Abas and this girl I so not like, I actually forgotten her name!

They got me into all sort of trouble. I was made to stand up throughout class, stand on the chair, stand outside the classroom, stand in the courts in mid day, slapped by Ong Beng Jin, slapped by Robert Yong, my tummy pinched by En Adam, whacked using the large ruler by Baharom and of course cained in the Principal's office!

Was I mischievous? What do you people expect. I was a little puppy!

All little puppy are playful. ( With the exception of Mr Ong Beng Jin, he calls me "You cheeky monkey! Come here!!!!")

Hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha :)


P/S

Yes, I drew and doodle a lot. What else could I do to take my mind of the boring stuff,i.e. made to attend school. Seriously, Nurazlin was no fun in school!

Hahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Anonymous said...

mekyam said: Kak Ton, they say every mother has one. ;-)

Yes, yes. I know. Am a mum...and a grandma. :)

Anonymous said...

Dear Madam,

Seperti biasa our date with Jalan Sudin is on Monday Nite, tapi kali ni tunggu lewat malam, TWB tak dak so I tidur dengan berfikiran suspen apa la cerita you kali ni. Frust jugak sebab Tuesday and Wednesday we are out of town, tak sempat jugak nak jenguk2 TWB, at last kempunan nak baca TWB for this week kesampaian juga akhirnya, walaupun lambat.

Nani tabik Abang Med yang so berani ikut kereta SB, plus you and your sister yang kat dalam kereta tu. Mesti suspenkan time tu.

Again, Kak Ena, thanks for this wonderful history of yours yang dikongsi bersama kita-kita ni.

Take care

Nani and Michael
Big Apple

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Nani & Michael:
Apa khabar? I was wondering about you? Kak Ena minta maaf-lah, sebab ter-lambat post TWB kali ini.
I am glad you've come over to visit.

Gitu-lah suspen kita orang ingat dapat ikut Bapak sampai hujung perjalanan.

Nani.... satu hari (beberapa minggu yang lalu) ada se-se orang dari sebuah agensi berita kerajaan mengirim salam Nani. Betul kah itu Nani Big Apple?

If so... that's nice to know.
Take care-- both of you!

Anonymous said...

Was away over the holiday break. No access to the internet...big mistake. Had withdrawal symptoms from not getting my weekly TWB fix.

So the story has now moved from tear-jerker to heart-stopper. Super! Can't believe it's real-life drama. The nerve of you guys...

And the comments are simply great, too. Instead of eavesdropping on the "secrets" of Pak Samad's children as they air their linen, this time it's listening to the amusing repartee between abu rabu, mekyam, sesat and yourself!

Looking forward to more such eloquent banter.

Anonymous said...

Dear Nuraina,

I sent a test email to your yahoo address earlier. Did you get it?

Anonymous said...

Yes Kak Ena, sapa lagi kan kalau bukan my x boss... hehehehhehe.

Blog2 by those SENIOR JOURNALIST ni la buat penawar hidup I kat perantauan ni..

Kenkadang tu rindu juga masa dolu-dolu kat tanahair, macam mana kena lari sana, lari sini, kejar orang ni, kejar orang tu.

Seperti biasa I am so so so so junior.

Thanks again for all the stories.

Nani-Big Apple

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

BigDog,

Yes... I am wondering what was it with you and girls! I know Aminah. Such a sweet girl.
My conclusion is -- it MUST be YOU!
You have this knack for misbehaving in front of girls to get their attention. You loved it when they reported you.
Admit it, BigDog.... you were a natural-born ***** haaaahaaa.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

MEKYAM,

Got it, got it. already replied!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Nani (Big Apple):

That is really nice to know. When yr X-boss asked me, we both laughed out so loud, becos it was just so amazing.

Have we ever covered assignments together? I know you are my super duper junior. What about Umno assemblies?

You are married to an American?
SO much to tell.
Nani.... B L O G!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Cheryl,

Hi Cheryl! I was really wondering about you. You know, I do remember TWB's regulars.
(Now one other person is aMiR. Haven't heard from him yet.)

I think, in a lot of ways, writing TWB has been cathartic for me.
I actually go with the flow (of my thoughts and memories).
As with what we went through, the earlier part of that part of our life, was replete with sadness, anger and all those emotionally-charged feelings.

I am just so glad I am able to reach out. It has been for me, a kind of journey, as it must also be for my siblings.

And now... our attempt at connecting to "friends" we have made here... MekYam, Sesat, aMiR, Hi&Lo, JT, Rubiah, Nani, Pi Bani and perhaps, you, Cheryl.

What a wonderful world this is...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

I have left out some names -- Razzler, and others whom I cannot recall.
Like I said, what a wonderful world this is.

I have got to know Raden Galoh and Mat Salo -- how wonderfully small the world is.

Anonymous said...

Yes Kak Ena, tak tau la ribut apa yang dah kena dekat I, sampai sanggup resign kerja just nak ikut mamat American ni. hehehehe.

Nanti la, kalau you terbang kat sini, let me know in advance - you are most welcome to our small place, boleh cerita panjang.

UMNO assemblies yes I do cover untuk beberapa tahun sebelum tinggalkan the agency yang I dah tabur bakti for more than 10 years.

I think memang pernah jumpa, lagi pun I ni kaki lepak kat NPC, tapi tak beranilah masa tu, admire dari jauh saja senior2 ni.

BLOG, oh ya, kak teh pun cakap yang serupa.. tunggu la, will let you know ok.

Apa yang my x boss cakap dengan you? Funny ka?. Nak share dengan I.

take care

nani-bigapple

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Hi Nani,

Hmmm... kita dah jumpa-lah tu. Mesti kak ena kenal Nani kalau kita bersua, Insyallah, satu hari nanti.
Anywhere is beautiful when u have the one u love with u.
Itu satu pengorbanan, kan?

Take care.... until the next time... as the americans say--- have a nice day!

Anonymous said...

Dear Nuraina,
Wahh, this week jadi James/Jane Bond, tailing the agents (SB). Must have given Bapak a chill to see his kids "berani sangat". Mesti lah, macam Bapak juga. Have the flu' (there was a downpour the other day and then lambat salin baju, blackout lagi, takda airpanas!) but did not miss TWB though. I will keep in touch. Salam to all family bloggers, family, self, and not forgetting baby.... muah muah

Rubiah Ariff

Anonymous said...

Nuraina

From the photo, the "hero" of Episode 12, Abang Med, doesn't look like one, does he? Bespectacled, like a bookworm - hardly the James Bond type. No offence, Abang Med ;)

But hey, looks can be deceiving.

About the regular visitors to TWB: Those with their own blogs, well, we can always read their profiles. Those without - such as mekyam, sesat, aMiR, sang diva, nani big apple and the rest - it takes a while before they feel comfortable enough to reveal themselves. Many of them are so articulate and eloquent, it's a pleasure reading their comments.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Nani,

lupa nak respond to yr question on what yr X boss cakap.

Tak ada yg peribadi. Kita laugh sebab bila he was going to tell me about you, he looked at me and said: "aaah. Jalan Sudin".
Then I knew mesti ada hal.
And then he tanya whether I kenal Nani.. I said tak kenal tapi, of course, i know you as a commentor. He said you were with the news agency but left after getting married for New York.
Actually, we laughed for no good reason, just that it was a great feeling to be talking about someone known to us..

ok...cheers!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Hi Rubiah,

Ingat mana-lah hilang Rubiah. Ingat Rubiah dah merajuk sebab Kak Ena highlight cerita Rubiah.
Take care, my dear. Good thing u are a nurse.
Everyone here kirim salam.
Kalau ke semenanjung, please contact us....
Thank u for visiting.
Kita orang ni, suka sangat tengok wayang dan cerita spy.
Bapak kak Ena tu suka cerita espionage dan thriller.

Nasib baik adventure kita berakhir gitu.
Take care....

PS: Sharmaine kata " hello aunty rubiah."

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

cheryl,

actually that was a very young Abang Med.
The Abang Med who chased the SB car was by then had long shed his "bookworm" look.
He had very long hair in the 70s. Cool jugak lah.

On TWB visitors/readers: I feel I know them already.

Keanorlinsya said...

Nuraina a samad: On TWB visitors/readers: I feel I know them already.

I think its the same for us too.
I may be younger than most of the readers/visitors here but to me its a fun community!

When i browse other peoples' blog, i make it a point to read every single post they posted. Not my fault, too hard too stop reading! I also read the comments, from there i can see how ppl interact. And mmg xleh resist nk join in. (Sebenarnye kepohci tapi taknak mengaku)hehehe

So everyone, nice to meet you! Please dont be offended if i address any of u as aunts or uncles. I am after all, 18.

Message from mum: Cakap kat diorang, mama pun kirim salam jugak!
(She read ur blog last night, but still learning how to post a comment.)

Anonymous said...

Sis Ena
Have read TWB12 but haven’t read all the 80 plus comments yet. Last week was so eventful and hectic for us here. We welcomed baby Elham into the world on Friday, Apr 27th. Both mama and baby were discharged the following day. However, on Tuesday we all slept at the hospital again because baby Elham had to undergo phototherapy as the bilirubin tests indicate high level. Alhamdulillah the next day, the Dr. cleared him of jaundice and we returned home. By the way, I’ve also just discovered, to my dismay, that paternity leave is not recognized in employment law here, well at least at the place where I work. And I also learned that there is a fine distinction between mabrur and mabruk.
Ok time to blog-hop now.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

keanorlinsya,

i am glad u think so..
it's good to connect and have a bit of fun.

tell yr mum i am waiting for her comment...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR,

Hello hello.
Tahniah on the new baby: Elham.. what a lovely name! Im glad he is ok. I think that's quite normal with newborns. alhamdulillah.

Were u on yr (own) paternity leave then?
Hmm...that Arab country.
Thanks for that bit on mabrur and mabruk.

Happy blog-hopping! And thanks for hopping here.

Anonymous said...

No, I didn't take paternity leave. But I took one day emergency leave on Saturday. The other show must go on ... dare not let down my "wealthy clients". Must say, Lalin and Nina are so adorable and full of characters in the pix.
aMiR

Anonymous said...

Hi aMIR,

Congratulations on the arrival of your baby boy & welcome to the world baby Elham.

Syukur & Alhamdullilah to know that baby Elham is fine.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR,

hmmm... like a true professional!

anyway--- lalin and Nina? they were 6 and 3, respectively. yes yes... so cute and adorable.

now, they are -- ok-lah still 6 and 3, respectively. maybe even adorable and cute still...
(cannot accept that they are so DEWASA, dah jadi mak! sob sob sob)

Jorji said...

macam dalam muvi! gila best!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

jorji,

actually, it was not as dahsyat as it sounds.. kita orang bukan expert, atau terror. of course, abang was really good behind the wheel. kept us on edge... but tak de-lah macam James Bond movie..

kita ekor sedan tu aje...on a route that was not macam jalanraya hari ni....

Anonymous said...

Wonder what the cute and adorable duo were looking at? Why such a contrasting look on their faces? The photographer did a good job capturing such moment? Is that photographer you, Sis Ena?
********************
You wrote: Hmm that Arab country.
********************
Is there something that I don't know?

Thank you Kak Ton.
aMiR

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR,

i agree, yes, that was a good shot of Lalin and Nina. But, it was not me who captured the them on camera.
hmmm.. can't quite remember who the pixman/woman was.

oh.. i am so sorry. i meant --that's Arab country. still, that does not explain anything. and i did not intend to give the impression that there was something to that remark. i meant, perhaps, they do things diffrently there.
i apologise for that. that was so careless.

Anonymous said...

Just finished reading all the comments to TWB12, in between playing with Elham and serving the kids their simple lunch. Cannot help but envy you for having the opportunity to be groomed by Malay intelligentsia such as Noordie Sopiee and Munir Majid. Some day, I hope you don't object to tell us how it was like working with them.
aMiR

Anonymous said...

Cheryl said: No offence, Abang Med ;)

None taken, Cheryl.

But me a "hero"?

More foolish than heroic, methinks, though some may argue that the distinction between the two isn't at all clear.

It pains me to say this, but I AM the meek geek you see in the photograph, then and now. Tailing the SB car was bravado in the real sense of the word, a display of boldness for the courage I didn't really have.

But thanks to Ena's superbly dramatic narration, TWB readers think I was actually "brave"... *cringes in mock horror*

Then again, who am I to go against the flow and shatter such illusions? Maybe I should just bask in the glory while I can.

(If anyone is making a movie out of this, please have Johnny Depp play my part. Get him to learn some Malay, darken his skin a bit, make him wear glasses...and...wallah, a spitting image! No?)

Anonymous said...

aMiR

Congrats, bro. Your baby should be a source of inspiration to you from now on.

For someone who's supposed to be blog-hopping, you seem to be rooted to this particular blog...

Anonymous said...

keanorlinsya:

Hey, nice to see some young faces in here every now and then! You can call me auntie any time... ;)

Anonymous said...

Abu Rabu wrote: (If anyone is making a movie out of this, please have Johnny Depp play my part. Get him to learn some Malay, darken his skin a bit, make him wear glasses...and...wallah, a spitting image! No?)

Unfortunately, Abu Rabu...No, no no!

Firstly, yours is only a minor role. Johnny Depp only takes top billing. That means he has to take the role of Pak Samad, not of you. No problem having Depp play Pak Samad in his 20's thru to his 40's. With CGI and makeup, maybe playing Pak Samad in his 50's and beyond can also be done.

Then there's the question of payment. Depp takes at least US$15 mil per show. Okay, assuming the best negotiators from 4th floor are hired to negotiate Depp's salary, we can cut it to, say, US$10 mil. Of course, we'll have to pay the negotiators a fee of US$5 mil. But that's fine, since we've already saved US$5 mil from Depp's pay cut. (We can save even more money by having Depp take a double role and play Ena as well).

Next, the movie's financers will only approve a budget of US$3 mil. This means that all the rest of the cast and crew will get NO salary, but will instead have to pay the production company a combined total of US$12 for the privilege of being part of the movie.

Total ticket sales are expected to be US$250K, tops. However, we can get Ananda Krishnan to take up the slack, as a project of national interest. Maybe make it tax deductible for him.

The bottom line is, Abu Rabu, it is a terrible idea to have Johnny Depp play you, seeing that he has to play Pak Samad instead. Even then, the project will be doomed, since you won't be able to make money.

So...forget Johnny Depp.

Sincerely,
Black Orpheus

P.S. However, I am available for any role (preferably the main one) should anyone decide to go ahead with making the movie. I am just as handsome as Depp, maybe even handsomer. I have two gold teeth to Depp's single gold tooth. And my fee is only RM10 an hour, all in, nett fixed price. Alright, alright...RM5 an hour, negotiable, and that's my FINAL offer, okay? Sheesh, you are one tough negotiator...

Anonymous said...

Your sister Kak Olin wrote about “playing house using Kak Ton’s shoes and make up and getting hell from her afterwards” in the thread "Allahyarhamah Kak Eda".

I can understand why you were mad at them, Kak Ton.

They must have turned your “baby” heel shoes into flatties.

He he he!

Anonymous said...

Abang Med wrote:
Congrats, bro. Your baby should be a source of inspiration to you from now on.

For someone who's supposed to be blog-hopping, you seem to be rooted to this particular blog...
*************
Yes, indeed and a source of rezeki too. The day after our first son was born in 1996 I received PhD offer from Warwick (only 1 in six applicants were successful I was told) after getting rejections from Cambridge and UNSW. After the birth of our daughter in 1999, my PhD thesis really took shape and I'm pleased to say that the examiners deemed it to be of "sufficiently high quality" that no corrections were required.

Rooted to Jalan Sudin blog - I'm afraid no one can cure me from this deliciously harmless vice.
aMiR

Anonymous said...

Abu Rabu:
Wah lao, Dad. XD
Chasing the SB car like that..
I have to agree with the rest.. Just like in a James Bond film XD
You look so cute as a kid. >D (Muwahahah.)

Tante Ena:
(Ahaha, I finally gave in. Just have to post something, now.)
Tante Lalin and Tante Nina look sooo adorable as children! [:
I love how you write, Tante. (It makes me feel so jealous~ XD)
The ending makes me wish it was already next Tuesday...
(Haiyoh, I got stuck here, unsure of what else to write. XD; Not too used to commenting on blogs, I'm afraid.)

~Julia

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR,

insyallah, one day I certainly will talk about my two former bosses.

and aMiR -- u are blessed!

Princess Fiona : greetings, your highness. thank u for visiting my humble blog.

Black Orpheus : Ayoyo...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Hi Julia,

what a pleasant surprise. How are u? and yr mom? and Elysha?

Thank you for visiting. So sweet of you.
I hear u have a great blog or myspace. keep it up.

salam to yr dad and mom! and kisses to yr sister.

Take care

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Adik,

if u had little sisters like us, you'd literally be driven up the wall.

we all sangat nakal... habis mekap kak ton and kak piah.

and yes...habis kasut heels diorang...

kita orang nak play role in "how to marry a miilionnaire" -- very popular TV programme in the 60s.

Anonymous said...

Tante:
Haha.. I don't really keep up with my blogs.. *sweatdrop* I just can't stay committed to keep updating. XD
Yeah, I've got myspace, but no blog on that. :D I believe Shaira's got the URL.

Ellysha says hi.
Dad says he's schizophrenic. o___o; (Must be where I got it from. Ahaha.)

Anonymous said...

Wow! This is one crowded house! Like Keanorlinsya so aptly put it, this blog is a fun community.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
"Sesat: Now that we know you're a"she"... can we now get a hint, at least, of who you might be?"

Nuraina, I am but one of many faces in the crowd. I can assure you we have never crossed paths (or alley ways for that matter) or swords (Heavens Forbid!). I came across your blog by chance one day and the rest, as they say, is history. Your blog rocks big time! (can't believe I actually use such juvenile language)

Anonymous said...

HR Princesss Fiona please say "hi" to Shrek for me.

Anonymous said...

Julia!

How did get to log in? Did I leave the password lying around? You are only supposed to use the computer on weekends.

And must you tell everybody I'm schizophrenic?

~ Abu Rabu

Anonymous said...

black orpheus aka Hamed aka abu rabu said: Julia! How did get to log in? Did I leave the password lying around? You are only supposed to use the computer on weekends.

And must you tell everybody I'm schizophrenic?

HAHAHA! THIS IS HILARIOUS. YOUR ABANG MED WEARING TOO MANY HATS.

I thought maybe, just maybe, Black Orpheas was prufrock.

Rupa2nya B. Orpheas & Abu rabu are one and the same person.

Ayai! Yai! Bersandiwara nampak nya.

LOL! LOL @ And must you tell everybody I'm schizophrenic?

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:45AM: LOL! LOL @ And must you tell everybody I'm schizophrenic?

I too LOL! LOL! hysterically @ And must you tell everybody I'm schizophrenic?

Anon, if you're thinking of sleuthing the sleuth, perish the thought! You're up against a Sybil, obviously! Hahaha

Julia sayang, what else did Dad say?

The Samad Clan slays! Hahaha!

Oh how not to love TWB and its visitors!

Anonymous said...

To aMiR in Riyadh,

Congratulations on your new Inspiration! :)

Anonymous said...

Kak Ena

I can imagine macam mana MR MOK start nak cakap dengan you - with his lengok, slow and soft tu kan.... hehehehehhehe :)

take care and have a nice day.

Nani

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

MekYam; Oh dear oh dear....
abu rabu, black orpheus. abang med. goes to show, you think you know the man ? ?

Nani : yes... Mok memang lah lembut and soft spoken.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Mekyam said:

"You're up against a Sybil, obviously!"

Mekyam, if you mean Sybil as in the sixteen-personality schizo... well, I haven't opened my closet yet.

You have to excuse me now. Off to see Norman Bates.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Sesat: I hope you don't think I am pushing you to unravel the mystery of
sesat.
plain curiosity, that's all. in time, i hope i do get to know who sesat is.
meanwhile, enjoy TWB.
My blog rocks? Sesat, you rock!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Julia,

if dad is going all schizo over you.. well, you know where to take him -- the closet! he'll have great companyh, i'll betcha.

how's yr sketching going?

tkae care now. see you at jazzlan's/mariam's/sofia's/soraya's joint birthday party tomoro! ooh. but i just remembered, yr dad sazid that the family will be at PD.
SO have fun at PD. Dont swim in the sea there, though... not clean.

Anonymous said...

LOL! LOL! LOL!

Now that everyone has stopped crying, look what's happened!

Like Sesat says, it's one crowded house. Yet we come back for more. 120 comments and still counting..

The schizophrenics in this room rawk!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Cheryl,

I dont know what i have done. What I have unleashed.

everyone's gone nuts. i can't stop them cuz they seem to be having fun.

aaah.... live and let live. tomorrow never dies, yada yada yada.....

Anonymous said...

black orpheus said:(We can save even more money by having Depp take a double role and play Ena as well).

LOL! Just becuz you wanna cut down on costs.

Dont be a cheapo lah!!

Anonymous said...

I think everyone's releasing their pent up feelings...dok asyik menangih from TWB 1-11.

Yup agree wholeheartedly with Cheryl - the schizophrenics in this room rawk!

How not to keep coming here & enjoy the exchange of bantering between the TWB visitors (especially mekyam & abu rabu) and members of the Samad clan?

And yes, Julia, tell us more. Tell us more!

Anonymous said...

Adik wrote:
HR Princesss Fiona please say "hi" to Shrek for me.

---------

Hello Dear Adik

Shrek says "Hello" in return. He says he's terribly sorry he can't say it personally to you.

He's immersed up to his neck in the bathtub - I mean, jacuzzi - at this very moment. Last night, he consumed more than his share of beans for dinner, and he is now suffering the consequence of his folly.

Rather than put so much gas to waste - oh, he is such a dear when it comes to being innovative, that's why I love him - he is keeping himself busy channelling the considerable amount of methane stored within his being to good use, by bubbling the jacuzzi with his own flatulence.

Thank you for the kind thoughts.

Yours graciously,

HRH Princess Fiona
(Member of the Royal Singing Quartet, "Fee Fi Fo Fum")

P.S. FYI, Shrek has a singing part in our group. "I smell the blood of an Englishman" is his line.

P.P.S. Do come to our concert at the Royal Albert Hall this coming Halloween. A famous singer from your country, someone called D'Tock (I believe this is a title of some sort, like a nobleman or peer of the realm) City Nor Something-or-other, will perform as our opening act. Of course, I may have gotten the spelling of your famous singer wrong - I write it as I hear it.

Anonymous said...

Abu Rabu aka Ash Wednesday (in TWB 10) said:
"But Samad flouted almost every single rule that was laid down for him."

If Bapak flouted the rules laid down for him, I guess I too flouted the rules he laid down for me. Well, at least some of them anyway.

Abu Rabu aka Ash Wednesday aka black orpheus said:

Julia! How did get to log in? Did I leave the password lying around? You are only supposed to use the computer on weekends.

He he he. Like the Greeks say: Di mana lauk jatuh kalau tidak di atas pinggan.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Mek Yam.
99% perspiration plus 1% inspiration and it is the 1% that usually makes a world of difference in the kind of work that I do.
aMiR

Keanorlinsya said...

I think kan... Abu Rabu/Black Orpheus itu bukan lagi schizo, sudah multiple personality. Developed from the schizo. heh heh heh!

Anonymous said...

Sis Ena
Elham’s bro and sis keep calling him Comel. Am not sure whether the two kids have been reading TWB although I will be thrill to bits if they do. Now that you have embellished TWB with cute photos, it should be an added attraction to the kids. Oh what a wholesome family entertainment/education/fun TWB is.
When my wife was about to deliver Elham, she kept egging me to humour her and whisper to her “sweet little something” to make her forget the contraction pain. At the back of my mind was “I will also take you to Mee Rebus Kak Ton” but inexplicably the words didn’t come out. Did I sense something then?
aMiR

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR,

woww.. if your kids do read TWB, I am so so touched, flattered and moved. oh my.
aMiR, amazing if they do call baby Elham "Comel". Unbelievable.
You're a suami and ayah mithali, aMiR.

and yiou must be a psychic. macam tahu saa mee rebus Mariah dah tak de.
not to worry. please please tell us when you are coming home, and we will certainly prepare the mee rebus. no problem at all. serious, aMiR.
as it is, Mariah is set on preparing the mee rebus for the usual suspects on tuesday. but not at the cafe, of course.
at her house.

IBU said...

Whoooaaaa.......

Reading this, seemed as if I myself was on a pick-up truck speeding along side Abg Med's mini chasing the red sedan, with me holding the camera - rolling, rolling, rolling .....

Heh! Lucky you didn't declare last minute "public holiday" on TWB! Otherwise all those followers will start picketing!

Salamssss
Ibu

p/s ehem...ehem... Kak Ena, I know who Kak Mek Yam is! yeay, yeay! 1-0 !

Anonymous said...

Abu Rabu/Black Orpheus:
Haiyoh, see lah, I don't know what to address you as.. XD
Daddy dearest, you left the computer on. I don't need to recall the password if you left the computer logged on, yo. :p
And you did say "I'm schizophrenic :D" (complete with facial expression) when I was typing out my reply..
So I just... added it in. [:


Tante:
Hohoho.. and if anyone has any alternate personalities, they can feel free to throw them into the closet as well, to keep him company.
(Now, let's see, where in the world did Valen go? He could sit with Daddy in the closet. :D)

Aw, dang, I was looking forward to taking a dip in the sea.
Ah well, I suppose I'll have to make do with the swimming pool.. XD


Mekyam & silent observer:
Actually, after that, he just told me to go to bed. :C *sniff sniff*
Then again, it was already a bit past eleven...

Anonymous said...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
"Cheryl,
I dont know what i have done. What I have unleashed."
everyone's gone nuts. i can't stop them cuz they seem to be having fun."

Nuraina, here is my dua sen. The thriller that is TWB (12) set the scene for some serious sleuth-playing. Lo and behold, your dear Abang Med (a-man-of-many-nicks and the I-was-too-nerdy-and-geeky-to-be-sleuth guy) sprang into action, right on cue, by initiating his now legendary who-are-you riddle. This promptly elicited the equally witty repartee from our resident wordsmith (Mekyam, take a bow) with some paring acts thrown in for good measure.

The "fun" continued when the articulate and adorable Julia entered the "room", spilled the beans and effortlessly let the schizophrenic genie out of the proverbial bottle. This triggered an avalanche of "schizophrenic" hilarity and reduced many a poster into mere hysteric.

It has been so much fun!

Keanorlinsya said...

aiyooo..cannot la like this everyday! i find myself clicking to ur link few times a day just to check if there is any updates here. addictive! i wish my blog is like this too. ade own community. meriah! hmmm...maybe i should write more. and better definately. tips anyone?

Anonymous said...

Dear Sesat... omg in the company of so many excellent wordcrafters, yourself included, I'm at a loss for words.

No, definitely no bow, I'm burying my unworthy head in the sand instead. Please excuse insolent derrière sticking out, people.

And with Ibu [you do? seriously? :D] smugly winking at Nuraina and everyone, it's probably timely too.

***

Julia and other 3rd generation Samads, and keanorlinsya, you guys are adorable!

***

I ditto Cheryl, this party in the wake of the exciting TWB12 is definitely a catharsis of sorts.

NAS, you rawk!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

julia & keanorlinsya:

hey you two are about the same age.... you should check out each other's blog/myspace.


and julia....the swimming is a better option. and wear proper attire for the pool.

keanorlinsya : aunty pun tak tahu macam mana dah jadi happening macam ni.
asal diorang semua bahagia, kan?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

sesat,

i suppose that's the best explanation.
it's like TWB12 has given a reason to celebrate. it is an explosion of joy, relief. like everyone's happy that they can express their happiness.

sesat. may I ask why you chose that nick?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ibu: alahai ibu..... apa khabar>
idin amacam? blog dia hebat, ek?

ibu tahu siapa Mekyam?
ibu kenal dia, ke?

to mekyam (wink wink) :)

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Mekyam,

I have had so much fun just moderating the comments.

all you guys really really really RAWWK --

for a blogger, this has been exhilarating.

thank you for reaching back to me.

Anonymous said...

HRH Princess Fiona:...someone called D'Tock (I believe this is a title of some sort...)

Ma'am, her full name is D'tock City No Hair Lease-Ah.

I also write it as I hear it.

IBU said...

Kak Ena,

Idin bengang with MU's defeat in San Siro.

Kak Mek,

Iyo lah, we know each other. Hi five!! Love reading your comments sis. Keep 'em coming.

Anonymous said...

Dear All

Everybody's been such a great sport in this segment of TWB. I had great fun with this unplanned rollercoaster of a ride.

I'm off to PD with the family now, so I have to put Black Orpheus in a straightjacket and send Princess Fiona back to Far Far Away Land, in case they run amuck in my absence. (No guarantee they won't be back when I return, though).

Sesat, you are an excellent wordcrafter as Mekyam noted, and, like Ena said, you rock.

Aah... who are you, Sesat?

Mekyam, I have read your posts in other blogs. You deserve to take a bow.

Aah... who are you, Mekyam?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

abang med the schizo:

even princess fiona????
got me really fooled.
i should have guessed.

anyway have a happy time at PD.

hi farrah, julia and elysha.
make sure daddy doesnt go schizo in PD!

Anonymous said...

A rollercoaster of a ride indeed. And fun we had! There's no denying.

And Abang Med, you Princess Fiona too. Lol!! I should have known.

Now for the next segment of TWB...just cant wait for Tuesday.

p.s. Enjoy yr trip to PD, Abg Med. You too Julia, Elysha & Farrah.

Happy birthday to your nieces & nephews who will be celebrating today. I'm sure you all gonna have a load of and lotsa fun.

Anonymous said...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
"sesat. may I ask why you chose that nick?"

My nick is the version of "sesat" that is without a sinful connotation. It is more like a harmless sesat than sesat in a wicked sense. "Sesat" is how I see myself - a creature full of contradictions and an enigma, even to myself. There is also this tiny little problem of not knowing where I am half of the time :)

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

oh sesat,

thank you for responding to this nosey (not-so-ex) journo's question!

i had an idea why you had chosen that nick. But, you explained it so well.
though i would like (again, nose nosey me), to know what you meant by not knowing where you are half the time. literally origuratively?

Hi&Lo said...

Me having fun time at all the wits and humour here and still flowing as the river. Wow, wow.

Anonymous said...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
"thank you for responding to this nosey (not-so-ex) journo's question!"

Oh Nuraina, please don't be so hard on yourself. I wouldn't call it nosey, it is just a case of your journalistic instinct coming to the fore.

I meant it in the literal sense; I am a hopeless case when it comes to direction or location. North, south, east & west, and their seemingly infinite derivatives (e.g. NE, SW, NNE, etc etc..... see what I mean?) are just too much for my "compassless" brain (I can't even tell left from right in a hurry, for crying out loud!). I am as blind as a bat driving without a map, even around my neighbourhood. But I have never let it stop me from wandering far and wide.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

sesat:

gosh.... you sound so like me!
thanks so much.... you're such a great sport!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

hi&lo: me too, me too.

Anonymous said...

Kakena, theme song for TWB (Tuesdays With Bapak-lah) .. if it ever turns out 2 become a TV series or a movie...dgr lagu nie sure nangis nyer!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZBfnccgNB0&mode=related&search=

Keanorlinsya said...

theme song? why not semalam di malaya!!!

adik said...

Yes, why not? Why not the song "Semalam di Malaya"?

I thought I read someone here said that it is Pak Samad's signature song.

faza said...

nice..