Pagi Hari di Durham

So, I’m officially 24 years old. It’s kinda feel in between of 18-23 groups - the age where you just discover the world, and 25+ groups - the age where you kinda start taking responsibilities.

For this year, my wishes

I pray for my well behaviour

I pray for hurting other people less

I pray for having a smooth 3 years of my study, and produce an excellent thesis towards the end

I pray for my mom and dad, my family and friends to have a good healthy life

I can still remember my birthday last year. I was doing my dissertation as the dead line was 7th of Sept. No party whatsoever, but I feel fine.

A year before that, I was on the bus to BTN camp, as I had to go through BTN and guess what, it falls on my birthday. I was fine.

2 years before that, I was watching Puteri Gunung Ledang on my own in Bukit Jambul. I kinda hate the story, but it’s okay.

I am getting used to celebrate it on my own, honestly speaking. It is a right time to reflect on my journey as human and see what’s awaiting in the future.

But this year is kinda different. I should say thanks a lot to everyone involved including people who send their greetings; and as mom and dad are here, it is so much special.

We had a birthday iftar at the Bruneians house. My house is small and cannot fit 15 persons. I told them not to get me a birthday present, but well, they don’t want to listen.

It started with a surprise birthday cake. It’s a Nintendo DS birthday cake with New Super Mario Bros game decoration on it. Even the Mario picture is eatable. I was touched. It was so sweet… I mean, the icing. Lol.

And Yasmin kinda acted on - she doesn’t get me any birthday present. And on that time, I was buying it. Honestly, birthday presents are tricky. I hate to choose present for someone else especially for their birthday. It is like trying to hit a bulls eye. I gotta choose a correct one, or otherwise it’s gonna be a turn-down for the day.

But they did hit bulls eye. They came out with quite a lot of presents and I really appreciate every single things I got.

Let’s see what’s first. I got cards, chocolate and chocolate biscuits - calls ‘Sharing’ which meant to be shared:)

Then, a mug of ‘High School Musical 2008′. I was like - I saw this mug in the Disney shop last week, but that’s gonna be ‘too old for me to have it’. But hey, I like it for the fact that I’m a big fan of HSM.

And a Disney box (which stored the HSM mug) and UNO - one of the addictive game I’ve been playing lately. So sweet - and I’m not referring to the cake anymore.

I also get a mug and a file of… er High School Musical with the cast picture on it. It’s Pink! Yes, Mahadi, it is pink and I’m sure not gonna bring it to the department. The files contains some 3-4 pages self-made greetings poster (I don’t even know what should I call it) contains their wishes and our pictures.

Honestly, the most touching gift should be the Lego!

Yeh, I know I’m being a lil bit materialistic here (Damn, I’m so easy to be bought:), but last time I was arguing with Kak Nur about buying Lego. I wanted to buy a Lego. She asked me to but this model (the one in the picture coz it is a nice looking car), but the price is kinda double the price of the other model. So I settled down for the other cheaper one.  But then they get me this very nice 3 in 1 model. Damn, I do look like a ’so happy kid’ in the picture. But anyway, thanks for the presents. Hope I didn’t left mentioning any gifts that I got.

Er… HSM mug, HSM files, UNO card, chocolates, chocolate biscuits and Lego; I’m so celebrating my 12th birthday instead! (And the Lego box even said that it is for 8-12)

P.S: Zeah, thanks for the one of the best present I have ever get, ‘you losing UNO game’:D Ha ha.

[Picture;
5 in the front from the left: Nurul, Huda, Zatul, Kak Nur and Yasmin
6 at the back: Arni, Zeah, Kak Zila, Putri, my mom and Shaheera
Then you can see me, my dad, Amirul and Andros standing:]

I edited this video last week, but forgot to upload it

So here it is, the video of my mom and dad’s activity for Week 2 to  Week 4 they were here.

Banyak gak klip-klip orang tengah makan, so sorry for those who are fasting.

Selamat berpuasa.

I’m counting down the days. Mom and dad is going back to Malaysia next Monday. We’re going to London by train and sleep a nite there this Sunday.

People asked, what do I feel of my parents going home?

Kinda mixed, like I wrote before. I still remember when mom and dad were going back to Besout (dad’s work place in Felda) while I was left with my grandma, and aunts, and cousins, and cousins’ children. I was Standard 6 back then. Abah was going to retire in the middle of the year, so he wanted me to have a better focus for my UPSR, so I stayed with my late grandma for half a year before mak and abah moved to Kedah.

It is much easier to answer ‘what do you feel of my parents going home?’. Lol, it was always easier at that time of answering ‘how are you doing’ rather than now.

Oh, back then it is gonna be - ‘miserable’.

Now?

Hmm..

I prefer to say mixed feeling. Of course if I say that I feel mixed-up when people asking me ‘how are you doing’, then they will require further explanation which left me feeling annoyed.

When I was a little kid, it was all about me, especially when I am the youngest, so I don’t have to compete much.

Still nowadays, it is still about me; I won’t deny it. But when I grow mature (a friend won’t agree on this) and older and wiser (perhaps, I doubt it sometimes); I start to put things around me into consideration.

Like having my parents here for their own experience and repay a tiny bit of debts - which is a way of treating them.

But UK sucks badly - too cold, and hardly to get around especially in Durham where the bus costs a lot and the shop close at 5pm and tarawih in the mosque is too far away from home (yeah, I’ll be using this excuse for the next few weeks).

So, seeing them go home is kinda bad and good at the same time.

Bad for saying goodbye and having months to wait to see them again, InsyaAllah.

Good for knowing that they are going back to the land we called home where Bazar Ramadhan is deviating people from the essence of fasting and place for people to gain weight during the month of fasting. Damn, I was being sarcastic there.

But yeh, place where mosque isn’t too cold to get to, and fish is not in the fillet form. I feel kinda relief that in next few days, mom and dad will return to their old life which doesn’t sound posh like a trip to Scotland or Amsterdam, but cosy enough to live a happy life.

So next time you ask me of what do I feel of my parents going home?

I’ll be giving you some weird face of sad and fine, saying like ‘ok ja’, perhaps sounded like trying to be manly or something. You should know that I mean it cuz in my mind I’m thinking of everything regarding to this (like what I wrote on here) and some other non relating stuff (like High School Musical reality tv or the new season of One Tree Hill which I haven’t watch or etc - I get easily distracted).

7.30 petang (tak Maghrib lagi), mega merah di angkasa.

Aku melangkah kaki ke rumah bebudak Brunei. Membawa cakera keras mudah alih ke rumah Arni. Gambar-gambar Amsterdam masih belum diambil. Juga gambar Scotland.

Aku melalui jalan potong di belakang dewan. Ternampak sekumpulan remaja perempuan dan satu dua kanak-kanak sedang melepak di sebelah jalan kecil itu. Dalam lingkungan 10 hingga 14 atau 15 tahun. Adalah dekat 8 orang.

Tangan diseluk ke dalam poket depan baju panas. Mata memandang ke depan. Kontrol macho. Haha.

Tetiba seorang menegur, ‘hey!’

Dan lagi seorang, ‘hey ya’.

Aku terkesima. Aiseh, terasalah macam perempuan-perempuan Malaysia yang diganggu dengan lelaki-lelaki di pinggir jalan. Tapi, terbalik kes lah pulak.

Nak buat tak tahu ke, nak senyum? Teringat kawan aku kena sumpah seranah. Aku kena ‘hey’ dengan nada gersang elok, sudah cukup baik.

Aku memandang ke arah mereka, sedikit tersenyum. Kalau reaksi negatif, nanti lagi teruk kena, ye tak? Lagipun setakat senyum. Lelaki bukan boleh kena rogol, ye tak? Oops, teringat pulak cerita panas di Malaysia. Betulkan kenyataan - lelaki bukan boleh kena rogol dengan perempuan, ye tak?

Lagi aku senyum, lagi banyak pula yang ber’hey hey’. Sampai ada salah seorang menjerit, ‘hey baby!’

Aah, nasib baik muka aku memang tak boleh merah, kalau tak dah tentu merah padam.

Kena komen racism - sudah
Kena campak dengan telur - sudah
Kena tegur dengan budak perempuan 5 tahun yang suka basikal aku (Imagine when she’s grew up she’s gonna go like, ‘uuh, nice bike’) - sudah
Kena kacau dengan bebudak perempuan bawah umur - hm.. baru sudah.

Basikal

Aku dah jual basikal aku yang aku beli kat Brunel dulu. Disebabkan bebudak rumah sebelah tetiba membuat onar gara-gara tak pinjamkan basikal (kitorang suspek itu sebabnya), aku terus listkan basikal aku dalam ebay. Tapi delivery method : PICK UP ONLY. Aku pun tak tahu berjaya dijual ke tak pada mula-mulanya.

Alih-alih, aku kat Scotland hari tu, aku dapat email dari seorang nenek, dia nak beli basikal untuk cucunya. Dipendekkan cerita, basikal tu pun terjuallah semalam dengan harga 30 pound. Daripada dibiar berkarat dan tak boleh naik, okey lah juga dibiarkan ia pergi. Boleh la belanja duit tu untuk benda-benda yang perlu (dan tidak perlu juga)

[Gambar: Basikal yang banyak berjasa di Brunel dulu. Meredah kedinginan siang dan malam berulang alik ke universiti. Uuh, those sweet days]

Sweet Days?

Walaupun aku dah duduk luar, aku, Andros dan Kak Nur selalu gak gi shopping kat Tesco sama-sama. Oh, lupa nak boh Andros dalam senarai ‘So Long Farewell’ September. Andros pun abis bulan September nih. Agak sedih gak la sebab dia jer orang UK yang aku kenal sekarang nih yang aku bleh talk in a real friend mode.

Dah la dia nak gi Cyprus lepas abis sebab nak gi rumah ayah dia.

Takpe takpe, then I got a reason to visit Cyprus.

[Gambar: Aku dan Andros. Aku dan Kak Nur celebrate belated birthday Andros itu hari:]

Waktu aku dalam perjalanan pulang dari Scotland, aku terima email dari host brother aku di Jepun, Ken.

Dah lama jugak dia tak contact aku, alih-alih dia hantar email sebab dia pergi Kyoto dan dia bergambar

dengan bukit yang ada diorang bakar huruf [rujuk gambar]. Kat Jepun ada festival selepas musim menuai, diorang bakar beberapa huruf kat gunung untuk meraikan tamat musim menuai. Semua informasi ni aku tahu dari membaca Detective Conan.

Host brother aku Ken teringat aku sebab dalam salah satu buku Detective Conan (kalau tak silap aku No 7), ader citer fasal Conan ke festival yang macam ni.  Dia tahu yang aku suka sangat Conan.

Aaah.. damn, I do easily attached to people. Now I’m thinking of going visiting Japan again. But hey, I’m doing PhD, not suppose to berjalan giler2. Aaah.

Mom & Dad

Dah kurang 2 minggu mak dan abah nak balik Malaysia. Seriously I’ve changed a lot. Kalau waktu aku kecik dulu (dulu waktu Darjah 6, aku duduk dengan tok aku sebab abah nak pencen tengah tahun, taknak kacau UPSR), aku sure nangis kalau mak dan abah nak balik. Biasa la kan, anak bongsu.

Tapi Alhamdulillah, kalau kat Brunel dulu, okey jer walaupun time-time raya. InsyaAllah okey jer kot kalo parents aku balik kali ni. Bukannya apa, perasaan aku sedikit bercampur baur juga. Memanglah seronok diorang ada kat sini, tapi selalunya aku kesian dengan parents aku sebab takde apa nak buat. Bila gi Amsterdam atau Scotland, kira ada la aktiviti. Nih dah balik dari Scotland, diorang tak keluar mana pun sebab aku kena recover study. [Sigh]

For the story, please refer to Arni’s blog entitled Amazingly beautiful =). Arni is one of the Bruneians who was in the trip.

Being kiddos on the way to Nairn. Damn I look like a chimp.

Mom and Dad by the Scottish houses.

Everyone by Loch Ness

In front of Urquhart Castle

Dunrobin Castle

Playing Uno in the garden by the sea and castle

Dunrobin Castle

Inverness Castle

August is approaching its end. Bulan puasa dah nak tiba. Tapi kiranya ramai jugak orang-orang kat sini yang nak balik Malaysia.

Mak dan ayah aku balik 8hb dari London.
Hairi akhir bulan nih dah balik.
Putri, Yasmin semuanya dah habis dan nak balik.
Singaporean Shaheera as well.
Bruneian is on the line - balik ke tak…
Abg Tra pun cakap dia akan balik pada bulan September.
Mahadi pun ada cadang nak balik beraya di Malaysia.

Well..

On the other hand, a lot of tv shows starts this September. Here are the release dates:-

1 September - One Tree Hill Season 6
1 September - Gossip Girl Season 2
4 September - Amazing Race Asia Season 3
22 September - Heroes Season 3
25 September - Survivor : Gabon (Season 17)
25 September - Ugly Betty Season 3
28 September - Desperate Housewives Season 5
28 September - Amazing Race Season 12
29 September - Chuck Season 2

Oh yeh, socializing with the tv-series, that IS adorable. Duh

Tengah taip dalam phone. Lokasi - Nairn, dekat Inverness di utara Scotland.

Lepas balik dari Loch Ness, mak dan abah lepak kat caravan, kitorang berlima jalan-jalan di sekitar Nairn. Pusing Brody Castle dan ke tepi pantai waktu matahari dah terbenam.

Lepas kitorang beli barang makanan kat Somerfield, kitorang pun masuk town centre. Alih alih kitorang salah masuk one way dari arah bertentangan. Waktu kitorang perasaan yang kitorang salah jalan, terus nampak ada kereta polis kat sebelah kitorang.

Zeah tengah drive waktu tu. Aku dah kecut kat belakang sebab aku yang suruh masuk ikut situ. Polis tu minta lesen dan dia teka yang kitorang naik kereta sewa.

Dia tanya kitorang nak pergi ke mana dan dia cakap,’ikut saya…’ aku dah berderau sebab ingatkan dia nak suruh ke balai. Dahlah kitorang sebelum ni dah sesat ke balai polis.

Dia sambung, ‘…saya hantar ke tempat tu’. Semua orang lega tapi masih lagi tergamam.

Fuh, nasib tak kena saman. Kami akhiri perjalanan malam ni dengan mengekori kereta polis balik tempat caravan.

8 lebih malam.

Status di YM: ~ membakar CD lagu untuk dibawa berjalan esok. Mahadi, bakar format audio kalo hang nak lagu-lagu hang. JANGAN BOH LAGU HIP HOP

Satu

Aku chat dengan Ina (x-USM, x-The Mole USM Version), tetiba bercakap tentang kawan dia (budak USM gak yang aku pernah nampak) yang tengah buat Master kat Sussex (selatan England).

Aku tanya Ina, sama ada budak tuh bawah USM, sambil otak memikirkan sama ada dia dapat sambung PhD kat UK ke tak sebab isu KPT sekarang nih.

Amri: ghause tu dok online lg kah?
Ina: aah
Ina: nape?
Amri: dia attach ngan usm ke?
Ina: ye la kot
Ina: tp phd die dh mcm nk sngkut
Amri: ish, macam tahu jer nak tanya

Wah, cam tahu-tahu jer apa aku fikir. Takpelah, kebetulan kot.

Dua

Pada waktu yang sama aku berchat juga dengan Zeah (Brunei, budak Durham).

Cakap fasal insuran kereta sebab sewa atas nama dia. Pada ketika itu aku memasang lagu David Cook - Always be My Baby. Tetiba aku teringat yang aku tak burn lagi CD audio untuk didengar dalam kereta esok.

Amri: aah, tak burn lagi cd lagu
Zeah: arni dah
Zeah: aku dengar je
Amri: aku nak burn
Amri: skarang nih
Zeah: ko ada lagu si david cook?
Zeah: burn sekali eh… yg mariah cary
Zeah: tq
Amri: mariah carey?
Amri: mana ada
Arni Brunei: ohh
Arni Brunei: yg lagu always be my baby tue

Eh, dapat tahu ke aper yang aku yang aku tengah dengar sekarang nih. Hmm… kebetulan yang menarik:D

Tiga

Berchat juga dengan Kak Khalidah pada masa yang sama. Sedang mengeji dia dalam hati (dan tengah tulis dalam blog), nak buat eksperimen; dia terperasan ke tak. Haha

p.s: Amri melepas aura!

Pukul 2 petang. Masih belum mandi. Bukanlah teruk sangatpun kalau belum mandi pukul 2 petang di UK. Badan tak berpeluh dan alasan-alasan yang sewaktu dengannya. Tapi hari ni, aku punya sebab baik kenapa tidak mandi. Tuan rumah aku bertukang di dalam bilik air. Oh, tiada apa-apa benda buruk berlaku, sekadar budak nakal sebelah rumah mengorek lubang di atas bumbung rumah (bumbung rumah rata macam dalam video Simple Plan  - Perfect tuh, tapi yang ni bumbung rumah yang ground floor, so bleh nampak bumbung tu berlubang dari rumah aku).

Budak-budak nakal…. Kecoh sebenarnya rumah kitorang fasal isu ni. Bumbung tu pecah, jadi air masuk dan bertakung dalam siling kat dalam bilik air. Mak aku suspek diorang buat macam tu sebab tunjuk perasaan sebab tak bagi pinjam basikal yang aku bawa balik dari London hari tu. Duk tersadai basikal tu kat belakang rumah, menarik perhatian kanak-kanak inilah.

Tegang sedikit suasana dalam rumah. Yer la, memandangkan kitorang ni foreigner, rasa la semacam sikit. Sebab bebudak tu rasanya tak berani buat bebenda macam tu kat rumah orang UK.

Mak dan ayah aku berjalan-jalan ke kawasan sekitar nih. Alih-alih ader orang Malaysia yang dia terjumpa cakap, ‘jangan jalan ke situ, ada budak-budak baling batu’.

Aku sebenarnya kurang sedap sikit dengar fasal tu. Sebab mentaliti aku tak sama. Aku tak berapa suka kalau mak ayah aku balik nanti, diorang cerita budak-budak UK nih kurang ajar.

Nih kawasan kampung, memang bebudak dia ganas sikit. Kawan aku pernah kena swear words waktu mengayuh basikal kat area ni. Aku pelik. Aku lain jer.. Aku dah cerita ari tu - aku kayuh basikal, sorang remaja perempuan (yang nampak liar) mendekati aku sambil menyanyi lagu Cranberries - Zombie; aku nyanyi sama-sama dia. Mungkin aku yang weirdo, boleh turut menyanyi tengah-tengah orang tak berapa betul buat macam tu. Tapi, esoknya waktu aku berjalan merentasi denai ke arah rumah Bruneian, budak perempuan tu tegur, ‘hey, aren’t you the guy who sung the other day?’

‘Yes, I am’, aku tersenyum sambil menangkat tangan menandakan selamat tinggal.

I dunno man, this kids are naughty, but you gotta treat them with respect! Entah, mungkin pengalaman mengajar kelas-kelas hujung waktu kat SMK Merbok dan SMK Bedong waktu jadi guru ganti dulu mengingatkan aku kot.

Aku cakap kat mak aku, ‘mak, kita ni orang luar. Kalau orang putih datang masuk kampung kita pastu menyombong jer, sure la orang-orang tak suka’. Analogi.

Harap-harap takde dah isu-isu nih berbangkit waktu parents aku ada kat sini; dan selepas itu pun lah.