Ninety

The Invisible and the Price of a Smile

Without flashy clothes, these people put on their boring uniform performing their daily mundane routines.

Some clean the floor, or the toilet, or greet you at the mall, or looking after the cars we park at the basement.

These people, they must probably be earning an average of RM700 monthly. Some of them can't even afford to rent a room, they are the homeless you feed at night. They shower at the nearest mosques or gas station.

What do they expect from us? None. What do they expect, generally? Survivorhood.

The invisibles aren't asking a penny from you. Nor do they expect a Hello from you.

Being the 'luckier' or I shall say, the 'more privileged' ones, how hard it is to make someone's day by throwing a sincere smile. Afterall, since we might not be able to understand their struggles, we might as well acknowledge their existence through a smile.

It could provide them a sense of belonging to the society.

Eighty Nine

You can't control what happens around you. But you can definitely control how to react to it.

There's always a choice. Even if all lead to a dead end. There's always a choice.

I? I choose the one that gives me serenity.

Eighty Eight

Kadang-kala lupa untuk bersyukur atas nikmat yang paling asas.

Ketenangan.

Bila hati hilang rasa tenang, bila hidup hilang arah; kembali. 

Kembali pada fitrah untuk ketenangan itu.

Eighty Seven

You made this choice, but you dare complain.

You opted for the post-graduate studies, and you dread to write dissertation.

You made this choice, but you still ramble.

You had long wanted to go abroad, and you keep talking about home.

You made this choice, but you never stop sighing.


This life is full of choices. Stop complaining.

Eighty Six

When I was about 12, I had a cousin (I mean she still is my cousin) who had this boyfriend (now husband) who was a Manchester United die-hard fan.

I was giver (still am but not as much as before) that I loved buying things for other people using the allowance daddy had given to me.

So there was this one evening when we had some campaign running on behind my house (it was for DSAI's dismissal as the TPM... something to do with Reformasi) and there were like hundreds of stalls selling variety of stuff.

This one stall was selling metal badges including football teams'. Me, being thoughtful me, intended to purchase something for the M.U. fan. So I went looking around and I picked a red coloured badge.

Upon meeting him I handed over the badge to him. He shrieked, "Ini Liverpool. Bukan Man Utd!"

I was in awe. What difference does it make? They were both red and both are related to football.

LOL. The badge is still somewhere in my house today.

Eighty Five

I wonder why some people dread working when it is something that actually gives me fulfillment. Most probably people desire differently - which reminds me of a poem I learnt in the high school - about a man who retires early to live in an island and where his savings would finish when he was 60.

Sitting leisurely doing nothing isn't the kind of life that I look forward to. I love hectic lifestyle. I love dwelling in work, meeting deadline, having the adrenaline rush and tense of completing an assignment. Fulfilling.

Like today. I think I deserve a one day break of my super duper busy week of the past. But then I still have to clean the floor and do some ironing.

Let's just see where today goes later.

Eighty Four

I'm on a tight schedule, but it's really refreshing to start early, knowing you have a little time of your own. 

That sort of gives you the momentum to kick start the day. 

I like today. So far.

And it's only 7.39 a.m.