Life is like that!

All shops are manned by males - even the lingerie shops. This has caused many embarassing moments. For this reason LiL has never purchased any lingerie in Jeddah.

Life in Jeddah has been a lot of fun for us. It is only an hours drive to Mecca and four hours to Medinah. It also provides us with opportunitiesto meet friends and relatives who are here for their Umrah. We find it such a joy to be able to invite them home. To live here without stress, one need to have a good sense of humour. There are many things which do not go as one expected.

LiL has been collecting some cartoons from the local newspaper which she turned into scrap books. I would like to share a few which I could photographed - they represent the kind of humour about some of the unspoken truth.

A universal humour it seems!

Sad..but true.a common scene in Jeddah and Mecca!

Child driver is a common scene on the road - mainly due to the fact that women are not allowed to drive! Has been the cause of many accidents.

A common scene during Ramadhan! Unbelievable how people here queue for Sambosa for berbuka puasa. I have seen scenes of men fighting!

Aftersales service - any similarities to Malaysia?

On education system....this is so true of Malaysian Universities as well!


Welcoming Ramadhan....ah, truely is like this over here!


I have personally seen this happening on international flights as soon as the planes left the Jeddah airport.


We will definitely miss this place, this country and our friends here.

(Updated )All White...and shade of red.

UPDATED with Activity pictures.

The first day April 28th dinner was at a restaurent on the cliff over-looking the Meditteranean.

We took over the whole terrace - with a majestic view of the bay.



Morning of second day April 29th: Conferencing for 2 hours.





Afternoon of April 29th : Sight Seeing trip to a destination of own choice - I chose to visit the waterfall.

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"mirror mirror on the wall...who is has more hair of them all?"

This hotel in Antalya where I am staying is unique and worth an entry to share its features.
For the last two days, I have been fascinated with its simplicity, authenticity, and beauty. Everything is in white, with shades of red or red lighting for effect - from its lobby to suites, from their sofas to their staff uniform.
The hotel does not have furniture other than matresses wrapped in white linens everywhere, even in the lobby. There are also ipods with headphone available for people to relax to.

I will be here until Monday - three more days to indulge in Reflecting, Rejoicing and Re-juvenating! Those three Rs is also the theme of the conference which I am runnging here for 200 managers from the company - flown on two charter flights. They will be arriving today.

Another unique feature is how I can view the activities in the lobby area, around the swimming pools and the beach from the telivision, using their cctv. Ladies, this is ever so handy to keep watch on your hubbies.....are they really with their men buddies when they left your hotel rooms?

Some pictures - I hope you can appreciate the unique ambience.

Lobby at 8.30pm. Note the couple in embrace!

Yours truely lazing around at the lobby lounge.

Bedroom of my suite 324.

Sofa in my room. Also note the matress on the balcony outside.....This hotel puts its residence into romantic mood with so many matresses everywhere!

The name of the Hotel is on the signage found in the elevator. Note the SPA. I went for a swedish massage this afternoon - it was bliss!

Tomorrow real work starts. The group will be arriving. Look out to more posting and pictures about the conference.

An evening in Cairo

K from Casablanca, S from Dubai, N from Cairo and urs truely at the Khan El-Khalili.

I am here in Cairo for a business meeting. This is a city which runs deep in cultural and historical heritage. The people are generally very friendly, extremely polite and warm. This is also a city of great disparity between the "have lots" and the 'have nots'. Luxury cars are few on the road, and when you do see one, it almost certainly belongs to one of the elite few have lots. The have nots walk the street of cairo in the millions. The Have Lots continue to accumulate plenty more and the pitiful have nots continue to pass their poverty to their future generations.

This is a city which thrives on tourism as a main source of income. Be warned, behind the friendly smile and apparent politeness lurk a kind of entrepreunerial determination and wicked salesmanship which can persuade you to part with your hard earned cash.

My flights and hotel expenses are paid by the company - A priviledge I enjoy.
My experience of Cairo is, however, my own - an opportunity I maximize.
So on the one evening I have here, I went to Khan El-Khalili Bazaar and looked for the famous and popular Naguib Mahfouz's cafe for dinner. The food never dissapoint, and the ambience unique and memorable. Traditional musics, shisha and hush sounds of people in conversation can lull you into the heartland of old Egypt. Afterall, Naguib Mahfouz was a novel Laurette winner.

The business meeting I was chairing accomplished its objectives. The visit was brief, and stay was pleasant. An evening in Cairo is always memorable.

I have to stop from typing this entry as the driver has arrived. A new driver, one who looks more experienced. He is here on time to pick me up for the airport. That is a super improvement from two days ago - and with the hospitality I have received since, the delays and confusion at the airport on arrival seems so misplaced and best forgotten except for the lessons from the Arab with a beard.

added on from home after arrival, with a mug of hot chocolate:

(I dedicate this poem to my dearest wife LiL who waited by the door to welcome me home )
I sat watching the stars above
and listening to the dins of traffic below
it is so easy to think of love
watching reflections of neon glows

Cleopatra was as alone as this
When she prayed for Egypt’s ultimate bliss
The pulse of life which travels miles
Come wash their pain, oh River Nile

I dont have Cleopatra's magic
neither do I wish to be as tragic
but for love and affection I desired the same
before the sinners of Cairo got burnt in flames

I'd rather think of loving thoughts
of honeymooners by the Nile they walk
with future's hopes, they giggles and smile
'Keep their happiness afloat, oh River Nile'

Then I looked to the stars and think of you
just as the Nile's tide, when you’re pouring lean
How I want more, darker shades of blue
and when you’re not with me at any scene
I miss you dearly the whole night through.

Come join me tonight on my balcony
together let us create a future to be
let us plunge into the streaming flow
spread our wings to where the night breeze blows.

River Nile, Your mystic keeps me dreaming
Your wonder fills my longing
Your affection keeps me floating
Your endless whispering keeps me flying
without you knowing,
you're the wind beneath my wings.
Like a desert fertilized by the Nile
Love overflows - in the silent darkness I sat and smile.
.........forever, side by side we will walk the miles!

*balcony of sheraton on the nile. night of april twentytwo, twothousand seven.
with you in my mind - wishing you were with me - stone cold balcony could be heaven*

Missing Malaysia....

Bila melayu jumpa melayu di perantauan, ada yang senyum2 lalu memberi salam. Alhamdullilah......masih ada kemesraan persaudaraan kita dari serumpun bangsa.
Ada juga melayu yang memusing muka pura2 tak nampak. Alhamdullilah, kerana masih terbukti ada orang kita yang bangga dirinya mengatasi segala.

I am a traveller. Been to many places, seen and met many malaysians living and visiting places away from Malaysia.

Paling seronok ialah bila malaysians sudah menguntum senyuman walau pun masih tak terjangkau tangan untuk bersalaman. Bertegur sapa, bertanya khabar,
"Dari mana? Jalan2 ka tinggal sini?"

I am a lucky traveller. Have personally met so many kind hearted Malaysians; mostly strangers who have been warm and kind. In all those cases we parted as friends.
But I have not been lucky all the time. There was this one incident when I was in a city somewhere in Europe. Met this couple with a son aged about 6 tagging onto his mother's coat.
I thought she looked familiar, and her husband looked familiar too. The kind of familiarity which made me said to myself, "Eh I've seen them before....but where was it?!!"

So, i smiled...and approached with a greeting. MyW chose to stay on at the cloth rack of the mega store. He took one look at me....sneered, and looked at his wife and said loud enough for me to hear, "Tak kenal pun nak tegur!".
He could be about mid-to-early thirties. Younger than me.....
Age in a Malaysian culture plays a role as far as I know. When everything else is unknown, then one respects another who looks older. The flip side of that is, if the respect is not given - then the older person would feel more hurt than say, in the western society.
So i was hurt. I turned back to MyW who saw that I was offended, and she soothed my pain with a " Tak per la bang, dia orang busy nak shopping tu".
I left it at that. I never got to find out who they were, but until today after like six years i still remember not only the incident but also their faces vividly.
Perhaps, the hyper wealthy air of Harrods in the Knightsbridge have given them an altitude sickness - of flying too high on their own ego.

I have recently came across a community of malaysian doctors living abroad. Almost all have purchased their own houses, with intention to stay for a long haul. They were the most humble, hospitable and closely knitted malaysian community I have seen anywhere abroad.
At one of the dinner invitations, the host asked me " What is your impression of Dublin?"

I gave a quick fire of my impressions;
- That you guys are very closely knitted, more like relatives than friends.
- The practice of Islam is very apparent, where most would seek place to pray when it was time for prayer.
- You are all doing very well, and I am actually proud to see Malaysians doing so well abroad.

However, I rarely see Malaysians abroad integrating with the locals.

My personal view is a Malaysian abroad would gain much more if he makes an effort to intergrate with the locals. Afterall, part of benefits in living abroad is to widen our own outlook to different cultures and make new friends, especially the culture of the host country and friends from a global village. Our children, I must say, are all doing great at this.

It was a realisation moment for me when one day I accompanied my son to a birthday party for one of his friends. There were about 20 kids boys and girls, and I can see no less than ten different nationalities. And how they played and enjoyed each other's company - transgressing the colour of their skin or the passport they hold. One day, I hope to see Luqman grow up to be more tolerant of diversity and more appreciative .....that as long as we are human, no matter what our nationality is we can be friends and be nice to each other.

I myself am living in the Middle East - the gate way city to Mekah and Medinah. Tonight, when I was on YM with a friend who is living abroad as well, an Arab friend rang my door bell - stopping by for coffee. That is just lovely! It is not a culture for Arabs to just stop by. It is however our Malaysian culture. I am happy to see him adapting to my culture - to me a sign of friendship which has surpassed the surface of having small talk about the weather.
I greeted him at the door with a hug and kisses to his right, then left and finally right cheek. Not our culture to kiss another man - but in this case it is me adapting to his culture. That is only an example to illustrate my point about intergration.

No matter what, where or how long a Malaysian has lived abroad - he or she will always miss Malaysia and harbour dreams and hope to return. But everytime he/she goes back for holiday to homeland Malaysia - there is something that is not quite right. After spending three nights in a hotel room, and after seeing how everyone is busy with their own lives - our Malaysian guests start to miss their own home. And when that plane takes off the KLIA tarmac - they breath easy and feel relieve - that they are going 'home'.
Malaysia will always be a home away from home.


Why Malaysians abroad want to return to Malaysia
Below are a few of the reasons

1) Feels at home,
2) Familiarity
3) Food
4) Family
5) Friends


So what is stopping many Malaysians from coming back home

1) Financial
2) Foreign exchange
3) Quality of education - eroding fast
4) Lack of job opportunities
5) High cost of living relative to wage
7) Faith - lack of it in the Government under the current administration
8) Freedom - lack of it, in term of living one's life the way one want to live it.

If we take a closer look at the education of Malaysia in general with that of Singapore we are being left behind. NUS is climbing up the ranks but UM is sliding like there is no tomorrow. Even Thailand university seems to be moving in the right direction. Our ASEAN cousins are hungry for success but we are feeling relax and unaware of the competition surrounding Malaysia. My greatest worry is when Malaysia runs out of oil and gas, where will Malaysia stand. Singapore without a single drop of oil can achieve about the same GDP as Malaysia economy in USD terms. We cant always rely on oil and devaluation to make our goods competitive. Now China and Thailand cars are swarming the world. It is etiher we embrace the world or we force our citizen to put up the fact that people outside Malaysia can enjoy quality cars but Malaysian will need to pay more to enjoy the same things.

Isn't it interesting to see, most of reason why Malaysians abroad want to come home and miss Malaysia has got to do with emotion. They are reasons ruled by the heart.
While the reasons why they don't come back are actually logical reasons from their heads.
Perhaps, if our government exercise a bit more brain power in improving in those areas such as education and employment, then we will start to see a reversal of brain drain back into our beloved country Malaysia.