Thoughts 01JUN2010

Most successful people are people who take risks - calculated risks - but nevertheless, risks - Unknown
People who have good relationships at home are more effective in the marketplace - Zig Ziglar
Success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection. In fact, success represents 1 percent from the 99 percent that is called failure - Soichiro Honda

Thoughts 31MAY2010

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flights of a good drive - Arnold Palmer
The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection - George Orwell
To me success means effectiveness in the world, that I am able to carry my ideas and values into the world - that I am able to change it in positive ways - Maxine Hong Kingston

Thoughts 27MAY2010

We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find - Anonymous
Persevera y triunfaras / If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - Spanish Proverb
Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand - Mother Teresa

Thoughts 26MAY2010

Success is not a destination: It is a journey - Zig Ziglar
Always do what you say you are going to do. It is the glue and fiber that binds successful relationships - Jeffry A. Timmons
For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul - Judy Garland

Thoughts 25MAY2010

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go - William Feather
Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom - Unknown
Success is living up to your potential. That's all. Wake up with a smile and go after life. Don't just show up at the game or office. Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it - Joe Kapp

Thoughts 24MAY2010

Often the deepest relationships can be developed during the simplest activities - Gary Smalley
Man is harder than rock and more fragile than an egg - Yugoslav Proverb
You do not determine your success by comparing yourself to others, rather you determine your success by comparing your accomplishments to your capabilities - Zig Ziglar

Thoughts 21MAY2010

It's the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it's the little differences that make them interesting - Todd Ruthman
Love is what's left of a relationship after all the selfishness has been removed - Cullen Hightower
The relationships we have with the world are largely determined by the relationships we have with ourselves - Greg Anderson

Thoughts 20MAY2010

Life is a beautiful journey. Each one of us must travel our own way, with memories behind us, and dreams up ahead and a brand new beginning each day - Author Unknown
Effective leaders are not preachers, they are doers - Peter Drucker
A love that can last forever takes but a second to come about - Cuban Proverb

Thoughts 19MAY2010

Don't let someone become your everything, because when they're gone you have nothing! - Kenya Mitchell
The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love someone else - Anonymous
I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you - Roy Croft

Thoughts 18MAY2010

The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs - Joan Didion
Don't celebrate closing a sale, celebrate opening a relationship - Patricia Fripp
Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing you best - Sir Laurence Olivier

Thoughts 17MAY2010

All my successes have been built on my failures - Benjamin Disraeli
Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind - Henry James
I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow - Maya Angelou

Thought 14MAY2010

General Eisenhower used to demonstrate the art of leadership with a simple piece of string. He'd put it on a table and say: Pull it and it'll follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It's just that way when it comes to leading people - Source Unknown
When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams - Dr Seuss
Soulmates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you - Author Unknown

Thought 13MAY2010

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express - Joseph
Success is doing your own thing, for the benefit of others - Denis Waitley

Thought 12MAY2010

My mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart - a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it, and hospitable accommodation - Mark Twain
Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some - Charles Dickens

Thought 11MAY2010

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful - Buddha
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them - John F Kennedy

Thoughts 10MAY2010

You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy cars, but because they sing a song only you can hear - Source Unknown
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it - Confucius
Success is when your mother reads about you in the newspaper - Source Unknown

Senaling : Revisited

Kampong Senaling, Kuala Pilah
Negri Sembilan Darul Khusus
5th May 2010

After golfing at Kelab Golf DiRaja Seri Menanti; we decided to pay a visit to my 'Abah' and 'Kak Ngah" in Kampong Senaling (the house where I grew up until age 13). Abah and Kak Ngah lives alone now as the children are all working either in KL or in Seremban; and Anin is presently working in Sudan.

Kampong Senaling have not changed, not a bit; since I lived and knew that place. However some of the shops are not opened anymore, maybe due to economic reasons; but the main reason is that the younger generations have all migrated to the cities (also due to economic reasons).

I have not been back for about 3 years and I was glad I made that stop yesterday afternoon!

Ni rumah Cikgu Taib (the late). I used to spend a lot to time here playing with Abang Dil, Bang Teh, Kak Ain, Abod, Ayang together with Ajih Baroh and Ajai.

Bang Teh is now lecturing in UPM, Abod have grown up children (Gerek Itu Alia - on FB is her eldest daughter, Ayang is a remisier (so I heard); Ajih Baroh is doing well with his Insurance Agency in Ipoh (but I have not met him yet). Met Ajai a few times in Komtar Penang, where he runs a health supplement shop.
This place have not changed, save for the scary Pokok Pulai which have been taken down, unattended and wasted padi fields and some of the shops are already closed. Met Abang Usop (tukang gunting) and had a chat with him for a while.

Abah and Kak Ngah looks okay, however like everyone else they have grown a little bit older (like me) cos everything is Senaling is now 'smaller' that it used to be!
Nobody lives in this big house anymore, as the windows are all shut down and closed. I peeked, but seems that no one is around.
And this is the 'surau' where I learned and khatam 'mengaji'. Lebai Awal was the one responsible guiding and teaching us and I was one of those mischievous one (as I got whacked by the small tiny rotan). Haji Rahmad Latif (Police Officer working in Kuala Pilah), who lives next to the 'surau' is now the "Imam", so I heard.
The side of the original house; built by Atok Usop for RM700.00 way back in the 50s. The other side of the house have been renovated and extended. It was at this space where I used to plant lots of vegetables; after I finished my MCE exam but before the results (1973). Even the coconut tree that I planted in the 60s was not there anymore.
The front and the other side of the house. Abah Rahman is standing at the door. In front of the house there used to be a 'yellow rambutan' which is so 'lekang', sweet and juicy. But that tree have been brought many many years ago as it is then dangerous if it were to fall on the house.

So this was that little small village that I started life until the age of 13, taken care of by 'my Atok Usop', Abah Rahman and Kak Ngah (who happen to also have lots of children). The place where I go ngaei, ngoca, learn how to bud graft rubber trees, do all the kampong thing's and moved from adolescent years to become a man (after the sunat thing).

That's why I called myself and trade mark me as "Budak Senaling"

The three rows of shop as how it was originally 50 years ago.

The corner lot (junction to Royal Seri Menanti) used to be a restaurant run by Pak Cik Jamal, who actually lives in Ulu Pilah (on the way to Seri Menanti). At the far end of the row is Ah Hock's house and in the middle was where the roti churning shop - run by Mohd Tasadukkhan (have children : Hassan, Hussein and Ali - I cannot remember the rest).

I don't recognise many folks no more. It has been a while.

The end shop was kedai Tam Be Liong (still is I guessed). His son was my age and we used to go to school on the bus together. We also play in the same school percussion band together. He plays the tamborine and I play that silly little triangle that goes ting ting ting.

The junction to Seri Menanti, facing us used to be kedai Pak Cik Jamal and where that person in red stands is the Tam Bee Liong's shop (still standing). Once every hour, the 'Malay Transport Bus Company' will ply Kuala Pilah - Seri Menanti through this junction.

The bus that passes by running from Kuala Pilah to Tampin is 'The Eng Giap Bus Company' which passes by my house.

Some of these shops are still running and supplying foods, goods and the necessity to the village folks. But there are no more fish mongers (used to be Ah Sin) and no more 'laundrette' neither is there still Kok Thai's shop (I used to date his daughter once or twice : but got scolded by everyone and many cos' I was going out with a 'chinese' girl)

Senaling will stay as it is; not that we know whatever will happen to it in the next 50 years. Since it has been around for more than 70 years, I believe it will still be there for the next 70 more years.

The late Tan Sri Nazimuddin of NAZA Empire was from here!

This is the road from Seri Menanti to Senaling. This little cute charming village called Peraku is home town to Icham Zainal (Meeky); my friend on Facebook.

And if you have heard about 'tahi lembu' all over the road; that you have to navigate carefully when driving in Senaling or Seri Menanti - it is very true, even until today!!!

The road between Seri Menanti and Senaling is still 'small', but alas it is always lonely. If you are driving a van as big as an Alphard; you'd better drive carefully.

Kampong Peraku and all other little villages along the Seri Menanti-Senaling route or the road to Seremban from Kuala Pilah are full of 'telur itik', 'itik salai', 'daging salai', 'gula enau (kabong)', 'kueh gesirat' and other 'kampong products' that are not normally available in TESCO or GIANT!

In conclusion, I am still a "Budak Senaling" in and out; even though there was "Nor Yus Mee" from Facebook (who lives in Soromban) who questioned my roots from Senaling ! When I replied her email, she never came back - suspend kut !!!

Who said my village folks have no money : look at the number of cows, goats, sheeps and chickens on the road ...

Thoughts 07MAY2010

Life gives us brief moments with another ... but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime - Author Unknown
If you love someone you would be willing to give up everything for them, but if they loved you back they'd never ask you to - Anonymous
Leadership must be demonstrated, not announced - Fran Tarkenton

Thoughts 06MAY2010

Your relationships can be made to increase in value by investing more time in them - Brian Tracy
A cat can be trusted to purr when she is pleased, which is more than can be said for human beings - William Ralph Inge
Success in the modern world takes far more than knowledge. It takes stability, stamina, level-headedness, courage, a desire to learn, and the ability to make good use of one's learning - Alice L. Dement

Thoughts 05MAY2010

Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different - Katherine Mansfield
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying - Brian Dyson
I don't care what you do for a living. If you love it, you are a success - George Burns

Thought 04MAY2010

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Author Reinhold Niebuhr
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings - Hodding Carter, Jr.

Thought 03MAY2010

YOU'D BETTER RUN
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up you'd better be running.
From Siemens Nixdorf Welcoming New Customer Card (many many many moons ago)
The best things in life aren't things - Art Buchwald