Puisi 'Dialog mimpi ngeri...'

....sudah due encik... hello, sudah due encik....
ok ok ok... early next week saya settle... saya outstation...
tq...

Encik dah masuk 3 bulan...
Ok esok saya masuk 1 bulan...
ok encik, cepat sikit ya takut sampai legal department...

Bro gua setakat ni saja boleh bayar bro...
oklah, kawan-kawan punya pasal kira ada rezeki jugaklah....
thanks bro...
ye lah...
tapi aku nak kau jugak buat macam kau buat ari tu untuk abang tu... orait tu bro....
ah ye lah, bagi je lah....

talian anda telah dipotong sila.............

alhamdulillah... setakat nilah rezeki hari ni....

JEJAK SENI HATTA AZAD KHAN: DALAM KETAWA ADA MAKNA

Prof. Dr. Hatta Azad Khan bersama penulis

Prof. Hatta, pemenang anugerah SEA Write 2008 oleh Raja Thai.

Mungkin anda pernah menonton siri televisyen 'Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu' yang popular dengan watak 'Mat Derih', 'Abon', 'Pak Uda', 'Pak Busu', 'Budin' dan 'Wan Ismail Golok'. Sebenarnya ini adalah watak-watak ciptaan Prof. Dr. Hatta Azad Khan, dalam karya dramanya.

Bermula dengan keberanian gandingan beliau dengan Othman Hafsham, pengarah yang popular dengan filem 'Mekanik' dan 'Adik Manja', beliau merupakan antara karyawan yang mula mempopularkan trend drama televisyen komedi berbentuk 'Sitcom'. Drama 'sitcom' pertama terbitan beliau dan Hafsham ialah 'Syy...', iaitu sebelum beliau melangkah lebih jauh dengan menerbitkan 'Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu'.

Anak kelahiran daerah Besut Terengganu ini mempunyai sentuhan yang tersendiri dalam mengangkat seni teater ke televisyen dan seterusnya mempopularkan teater dalam kalangan masyarakat Malaysia. Beliau pernah menerajui Istana Budaya setelah menubuhkan Fakulti Seni Persembahan di Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) dan kini menjadi Dekan Fakulti Teknologi Kreatif dan Seni (FACT) di Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Antara filem yang telah mengangkat nama beliau ialah 'Wayang' dan 'Mat Som'. Antara skrip drama yang pernah beliau hasilkan ialah 'Mayat', 'Jebat' dan 'Kerusi'. Drama-drama ini menjadi pilihan golongan generasi muda untuk dipentaskan kerana ada kelainan pada sentuhan beliau dan isunya dapat diselami oleh generasi ini.

Bekas pelajar Sekolah Tunku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh yang pada asalnya terdidik dalam bidang sains tulen ini lebih selesa berkarya dalam bidang seni kreatif dan ternyata bintang beliau menyerlah dengan penerimaan anugerah 'SEA Write' 2008 kurniaan Raja Thai, iaitu antara anugerah penulisan berprestij di Asia.

Bagi memberi peluang masyarakat mengenali beliau dengan lebih dekat, Pusat Dokumentasi Melayu dengan Bahagian Penerbitan Sastera, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka akan menganjurkan acara Astaka Minda yang berjudul JEJAK SENI HATTA AZAD KHAN: DALAM KETAWA ADA MAKNA pada 16 November 2009, bermula jam 9.00 pagi. Sebagai pemanas acara, satu tayangan filem bertajuk 3 BUDAK MELAYU terbitan UITM akan diadakan sebelum acara Astaka Minda.

Pembicara kita pada kali ini ialah Sdr. Othman Hafsham (Cinematic sdn. Bhd.) yang sememangnya amat mengenali karya dan juga peribadi Hatta. Acara ini bakal dipengerusikan oleh Sdr. Rohani Yousoff, seorang lagi penggiat dan juga tenaga pengajar bidang teater yang terkenal dari Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA).

Kepada yang berminat, silalah hadir ke Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka pada 16 November ini. Penyeertaan adalah percuma dan terbuka kepada umum. Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila hubungi saya Nik Aman Nik Yusoff (03-21481045 atau e-mel aman@dbp.gov.my) atau Sdr. Hiezam Hashim (03-21483540 atau e-mel izammh@dbp.gov.my). Kehadiran anda semua tentunya akan memeriahkan lagi acara ini.

Semoga kita berjumpa lagi.

Life is...

Enjoying Nasi Dagang and Roti Bakar at Hai Peng Kopitiam with my fellow office mates

It has been 4 months since my last post. Too busy to write and actually not in the mood to share anything at all. Life was a bit down for the past few months and so far I could not do anything to make it better, rather than pray to the Almighty. Sometimes it is good to be reminded by Allah that there is always the greatest one that controls everything. Luck is not always on our side. Just bear in mind that everybody has their own problems to solve, so don't add another to theirs with yours.

Sometimes I wonder if I could just ignore whatever problems that comes and just let them come and hit me right on my nose and just let it be. There are things that I could control but there are so many other things that I have to let them be. Better not pretend to be a macho man and say that everything is under control. From having problems we learn to know about our true selves. Never give up but take things as it comes because life is about survival and sacrifice. The saddest thing is when I look at my children and wonder what will happen to them if I fail to survive.

I still believe that there will always be some tiny light in the end of my journey and everything will be OK someday. I like challenges but this time around it has been quite on the high side. May Allah help me make it through.

Just got home from Kuching after a dreadful week of work from morning till night, but I just love the experience, especially when everything works beautifully in the end. Actually, having challenges at work is rather fun than having challenges in life because there is always an alternative to just quit my job, but I may never quit my own life.

Umrah Video

a video trailer of our Umrah

This video trailer is just a preview of part of our Umrah. In fact I have filmed quite a lot of footages while I had the chance to do it. The full version might be ready in a few weeks time only on DVD. Too large for the blog.

When you are armed with a videocamera in Makkah and Madinah you have to be extra carefull to avoid encounters with the authorities. A phone camera or a small digital camera might not be a real threat to them, but it is different when you are filming it like a pro. These people sure know the differences.

I couldn't get much footages in Masjidil Haram nor Masjid Nabawi because guards were almost everywhere. In fact I was lucky when I had the chance to shoot the Ka'abah from the roof top of Masjidil Haram. The next day onwards access doors to the roof top were closed.

I hope this simple video would bring some real knowledge on what Umrah is all about to my family and friends. It is a very small contribution from me and amoiglam.

Too Much To Tell, Yet Too Lazy

Salam to everybody. Dah lama tak berblog, lama-lama jadi bollog!!! kata orang Terengganu... Memang too much to tell. All these while I have been to Makkah with my beloved amoiglam and after I got home had to fly to Sabah for official duties.

I should thank my beloved amoiglam much too much because I also love her much too much for making the Umrah trip a reality for us. Jangan cerita kat dia ya? In Makkah and Madinah I had such a wonderful experience getting closer to Allah and learning more about the international Muslim community. Seronok, memang seronok especially when U see them from a different perspective. If not for the Umrah, Hajji or Makkah and Madinah I don't think I would consider having another trip there just for a tour. I have my own personal views about that.

At first I thought I would not have been accepted in neither Makkah nor Madinah for all my wrongdoings throughout my life and for not being a good Muslim, but Alhamdulillah everything was quite smooth for both of us.

Being to Madinah and Makkah armed with a videocamera was quite an experience to me. I am still working on the post production but till now I could not concentrate yet due to some health reasons. However I managed to cut a very short preview of 3 minutes which I will post in this blog soon.

I had never imagined the real size of the Ka'abah until I saw it right in front of my very eyes. I thought it was a huge structure, but to my surprise it was not that big and the size is just right for us to perform the tawwaf 7 times around it without gasping for air. However kaki I sempat juga kena gelek dengan wheelchair dengan Arab or Turki kurang ajar yang tak ikut rules (Wheelchairs are only allowed on the 1st floor of Masjidil Haram for Tawwaf). Lepas tu kaki I bengkak sampai susah nak buat Sa'ie. These Arabs, Turks, Slaviks, Afghans and Pakistanis are totally different from us. No wonder they are always at war with each other.

Maybe I am not that ambitious, but I only did 3 Umrahs because of my health reasons. My very first Sa'ie almost failed because my heart just could not bear and my face turned blue. The next Umrah I did better at my very own slow motion pace.. hehehe...macam film special effects pulak..

I always thought that Gua Hira' was just situated at the foot of the hill, but to my surprise it was high up on the rocky hill and you have to climb the hill for 2 hours just to reach it. Just imagine a 10 year old boy climbed it every day just to bring food to Nabi Muhammad. Kalau anak kita macamana agaknya ya?

If u wish to see the pictures, just visit amoiglam.blogspot.com. Dia lagi rajin tulis blog... hehehee....

Another experience is that there are lot of difference between the Makkah and Madinah folks. I still prefer the Madinah folks... sopan sikit lah...

Just dropping by

Last week I had a busy week at the office. We were organising this charity drive for the Palestinians in Gaza. I managed to borrow some exhibition materials from Malaysia Social Research Institute, an NGO who works directly for the Children of Palestine. Thank you to Mrs. Lia Syed and her loyal staff Andrea Fernandez and also my dear friend Khairiyati for the smooth deal.

We managed to raise slightly above RM100,000. Siti Nurhaliza sang only one song live for the night and was sponsored by Dato' Lim Kok Wing for RM20,000.00. Wow! Dato' A. Samad Said also managed to raise quite a large sum. Others were Ras Adiba Radzi, Lim Swee Tin, Kemala, Ally Iskandar and a few others. My department sold 4 sackfulls of Jagung Bakar and BBQ chicken. Bravo to brother Bob and his team with our beloved Pn. Aizan's full support.

I was also quite happy because a few days before that I received my PTK results for my Gred44 exams which turned out to be beyond my expectations. Thank you very much to my beloved amoiglam and my children. At least I would not have to sit for it anymore until my next promotion, if there should be any

This morning Atikah sprained her ankle in front of her school, so had to bring her to Putrajaya hospital. She's doing fine now, just a little torn ligament.

Now I have to prepare for my alumni dinner coverage coming next week. This time it's another collaboration with my network. Just pray for the best.

Shaking hands with Dato' Abdul Rahman, Chairman of Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce
after interviewing him. Witnessing was Prof. Madya Dr. Zahir Ahmad from University of Malaya.

I always wonder what I would be when I grow older. I have always dreamt of being rich and successful and also a philanthropist. If I were to be somebody like Bill Gates, I would have settled all my debts with extra bonuses to those I owed from. Well, I guess that's everybody's dream. I even wish to buy a bungalow for every brother and sister of mine and buy back our family's piece of land in Pasir Mas and rebuild our grandfather's house exactly like it used to be before. I hate to see people suffering without food and proper shelter.

I always think that the world is very unfair to the poor. I could not help from shedding my tears when I witnessed the real world of the Jakarta poor and homeless people. I have never understood the cruelness of the authorities and power crazed politicians who could have given some aids to these tramps. I always hate to see Jakarta at night. It was almost 9pm somewhere around the Sarinah complex that I witnessed how small kids around 1-6 year olds were playing around the walkways while their mothers were laying cardboards as their beds. I could not help but shed my tears. I have always imagined how it is going to be like if one of them were Afiq, Atikah, Marsya or maybe Arif. It is the world of survival for the fittest. I have also witnessed my cabby's home somewhere in Padang. There was no proper flooring, only the solid earth with bamboo walls. My cabby was a graduate in Engineering! One fine morning in Jakarta I again saw this sweet 2 year old little girl emerging from inside her mother's makeshift Teh Botol stall's cupboard. I was quite shocked.

I tried to befriend the little girl by offering her a piece of fried chicken that I bought from A&W for breakfast. She was quite shy, so I handed over the chicken to a security guard in-charge of our book gallery hoping that she would accept it from somebody familiar. The security guard simply took the chicken and ate it right in-front of me and said the girl did not want the chicken without even asking the girl!!! How cruel is the world! From that very day I just realized why Indonesia had never been a stable country both economically and politically. It's their own people's attitude and mindset! Never bother to help! Just Let it Be! So, young Malaysians out there, take a good look around your own people and country and hopefully you will be gratefull to what you have been enjoying all this while.

I had another tear jerking experience when I was filming in Kompong Cham in Cambodia., a Cham Malay village. Asmadi my cameraman tried to distribute some sweets to the little children which I brought all the way from Malaysia. At first the children behaved well but when they were getting impatient a boy grabbed the whole bag of sweets and the sweets were spluttered on the ground. Suddenly there was a brawl between every child and they started exchanging punches and rolling on the bare ground just fighting for sweets which were considered a luxury in rural areas like Kompong Cham. Surprisingly their parents just watched without any urge to stop the fight. There was no emotion at all. I thought I should have brought a whole lorry load of sweets for them so that none of them would be hurt. I really regret witnessing the incident. Innalillah! What a cruel world again. Ya Allah, may all the children of Kompong Cham grow up to be successfull people some day. May Allah bless them all!

Reminiscing my childhood days

An old photosent by Eddy taken somewhere in Kemaman during the 60's.
Back row From left; My father, my mother, Abang Nan, Abang Dir, Kak Som
Front row from left; Me and Eddy

A photo of our family when my father whom I used to call 'Wan' was still around.
Clockwise; My father(Nik Yusoff Nik Mat), Kak Yam(Hjh. Nik Meriam), My Grandmother (Cik Munah),
My mother (Hjh. Nik Fatimah Nik Ab Rahman), Abang Nan(Hj. Nik Adnan), Kak Zan(Hjh. Nik Haizan),
Me and my beloved and closest brother, the late Abang Tar (Haji Nik Mohd. Mukhtar).

I could not remember much of my childhood days but when one day Eddy mailed me these photos I was quite delighted to view these photos again. I could not remember my father that much because he left us in 1972 when I was only 7. From what my late mother told me, he was a very quiet man and hardworking too. He left us when he was only 59 after a heart attack.

My late grandmother, Cik Munah or we called Cik Nah is my mother's mother. She was a good cook and also very good at handycrafts. She was quite petite while my late grandfather stood at almost 6 feet tall. Me and Abang Nan love to create tales about her doing wonders. such as doing flying kicks or magics. Hehehee... Well, actually we were not among her favourites anyway... but we actually love her very much. Cik Nah was a wonderful woman and a very enterprising one too.

I have always wished that my father could have lived longer to know and love him better. That wish has given me strength to survive a longer life to see my youngest son Nik Arif Muqri grow up as a young man. Insyaallah...

I will be back

I am very sorry I have not been updating my blog for the past 5 weeks. Been too busy and occupied with too many things. Amongst all I was in Sarawak for a week on assignment, been busy with family matters, busy entertaining Abu and family from Brunei, busy preparing our kids for the new schooling season and busy, busy, busy...

I will be updating my blog soon. Actually I am supposed to be in Kota Bharu for another auditing assignment by monday but I am still finding replacements. Amoiglam is busy with her first day of lecturing tonight. Hope everything goes well. In fact I am in the middle of editing a video project but just took a break for a while to write something to let everybody know that I am still alive and kicking.

I will be back soon...