Exam Fever.

Finally exam is over.

Shakira is so relieved that she can now play computer games and watch Michael Jackson's video clips on 'you tube'. And of course it is relief for yours truly as well. It was a gruelling period for me sitting down with Shakira and did lots of revisions. Not to mentioned the screaming sessions....

Today she brought home her Math 1 and Math 2 exam papers. Shakira did quite well. 40 marks for Paper 1 and 58 marks for Paper 2. However after I went through her exam papers I found that Shakira had actually scored 99 out of hundred instead of 98. Emmm...macamana cikgu dia check hah?

Ini tak boleh jadi. I insist that she bring back her exam paper back to her Math teacher on Monday to pin point the error. I mean even though one mark, it does makes a lot of difference in terms of overall performance.

Shakira longed to go for a swim. I told her if she could achieve numbers from 1-3 in her class, I will take her swimming . This time her swimming trip will be an expensive one. I have another surprise waiting for her....a trip to Bali next week. It will be her first trip traveling on an airplane.

Each day after her exams, I would asked her, how did she do? She sounded confident that she answered all questions correctly. She said she wants to be better than Anis Balqis. Anis is her no. 1 competitor in the class. So far Anis has been in the top three in all past 3 terms. Whereas Shakira got numbers 2,8,3 respectively.


I pray that Shakira does well.

But what happens if she did not make it into top 3? HELP ME KUTUK!!

The Dance.

Please don't think that I do not like Malay songs...Never my intension untuk mengagungkan lagu 'mat saleh'. I do have my share of 'feeling' sorang sorang bila dengar beberapa buah lagu melayu. Ada yang boleh buat I sebak, hiba, menangis dan ada kalanya lagu melayu tu akan membuat I senyum sendiri. MMmmmm...

One that crossed my mind was a favorite of my dad's...RINDU BAYANGAN. I asked him once why did he like the song very much? He just smiled, raised his thumb and push his nostril to the side. Emm?

The opposite with my biological mom...her westernized upbringing, and her father being a respectable high rank army person....she enjoyed English songs. When I was 7 or 8 years old, I used to peak through her door key hole. I saw her holding a microphone like taping her voice or recording what she sang. I listened her singing FEELINGS, DO YOU KNOW WHERE U'RE GOING TO by Diana Ross. Of course yours truly pun nak enter frame...so my mom locked herself in her room...away from disturbances.

I notice my dad liked Rindu Bayangan just after he met my step mom. Guess at that age dia pun nak 'feeling'. Ha Ha Ha maybe itu lagu cinta mereka. Who knows, what ever the song meant to him.

Anyway, on his retirement night at Bukit Aman...it was simply amazing. The experienced watching a group of bagpipers playing in the hall. Berdenggung! For a moment I rasa macam jantung I dah roboh but I was proud and full of semangat kemalaysiaan. Is there such as word? KEMALAYSIAAN?

Later he gave his speech and of course yours truly was mentioned, something about being sick and now she now can fight against a sumo wrestler...never mind...I do not care to elaborate much....

Then there were the police combo playing some tunes and guest appearance by ND Lala and Nona Manis. Hahaha imagine that...I can remember Nona Manis, a twosome female artist. After their performance, I approached the MC and asked her if she can persuade ND Lala to sing Rindu Bayangan in Abah's honor.
(In 1985, N D Lala was renting a room at my ex-school mate's house right behind Assunta Secondary School. He was a rising actor at the time. I took the opportunity of having him signing my autograph book. Thank you to Zalina.)

Well, you cannot have things go your way all the time. So, I had to settle with the Police Combo playing an instrumental tune of Rindu Bayangan. But to top the cherry on the icing...Abah's asked me for the first dance!

Embarrassed? HELL YEAH! In front of hundreds of people and the Chief Police of KL , Datuk Ismail Che Ros and his wife, sitting right there! THERE!!!

But, that was a personal moment for a father and daughter to bond. I never been to a prom so that night was my prom night. And my dad is my date.

Next thing I knew, everybody clapped and the song ended. Oh Well.

The picture of me dancing is in Parit, sitting in an album. Kalau ada kesempatan I will try and scan untuk tatapan umum.

That! I will not forget for as long as I live!

AMIN.

Fly me to the moon.

Another of my favorite song is FLY ME TO THE MOON by Frank Sinatra. It's an oldies and I first heard it about 15 years back...I think. It regularly played in the movie called ONCE AROUND and among the main character in it was Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss. It was like love at first sight with the song. I love the part when Danny Aiello sang this song at his daughter's (Holly Hunter)wedding.

Once Around is a 1991 romantic comedy/drama film about a young woman who falls for and eventually marries a wealthy and an overbearing older man who proceeds to rub her close-knit family the wrong way.

Here are the lyrics.

Fly me to the moon
Let me sing among those stars
Let me see what spring is like
On jupiter and mars

In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby kiss me

Fill my heart with song
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

Happy Birthday Abah.

This photo was taken a few years back. I cannot actually recall the correct year but it was Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and it coincided with Abah's birthday. A happy and cherished moment of Abah and his grandchildren.

I remember some years back my sister and myself did not know what to get him for his birthday. I mean what could we get for some one who can actually afford everything and anything, materialistically. After approaching Abah he listed out things he would like us to get him. We saw the list and of course.....all were golf accessories. So we cut the list into square pieces and draw lots...just like macam kita main kutu - cabut nombor. Mom had to but him a new golf shoes, Sheri got golf gloves and I,...kena beli golf balls.

GOLF BALLS? Murahnya I thought. That was until I got to Golf House outlet! I was suprise how expansive golf balls can cost!

Abah and his passion for golf.

Since today is what supposed to be his 70th birthday, I want to say...I tried to be the best daughter for you. I am not perfect. All I want you to know is you are always in my heart. There have been so many regrets in my life but I use it to build a stronger and tougher character of who I am today. You thought me that Abah. What I had gone through since mummy passed away in 1977...the anger, resentment, frustration all towards you and all the history in between thought me to be come a stronger person.

No one person's history can be the same.

Al Fathihah. I love you very much Abah.

One Day in Your Life

I have been a great fan of Michael Jackson since the early 80's. But as I grew up and mature (chey....) his antics irritates me. Although I enjoyed watching his world video clip/trailer premier on MTV in the early 90's when I was studying in the States. It was something to look forward to...Black or White, Do you remember, Jam, Blood on the dance Floor and a few others does remind me of his glory days as well as downfall.

Yeap, like everyone else, I too, had his posters pasted all over my bedroom wall. Newspaper clips, infact anything and everything about Michael i read and bought. Siap kirim posters kat Acu (my uncle) whom at the time continuing with his studies in UK.

But dalam banyak-banyak lagu Michael, I dah lama suka lagu "One Day in your Life". Don't know why but I just love it and it is a beautiful song. Lama lagu ni....masa tu dia with his afro hairdo and large nostrils. Unfortunately this song is seldom being played on air or included in his CD's collection or all time hits. Tried searching for it at CD outlet but na da.

Anyway, these are the lyrics.

One day in your life
you'll remember a place
Someone's touching your face
You'll come back and you'll look around you

One day in your life
You'll remember the love you found here
You'll remember me somehow
Though you don't need me now
I will stay in your heart
And when things fall apart
You'll remember one day...

One day in your life
When you find that you're always waiting
For the love we used to share
Just call my name
And I'll be there

You'll remember me somehow
Though you don't need me now
I will stay in your heart
And when things fall apart
You'll remember one day...

One day in your life
When you find that you're always longing
for the love we used to share
Just call my name
And I'll be there

Rest in peace Michael.