My train ride - Part 16

Salam…hi all…

I'm back! Pheeww…finally I can log-in to my blog account. It has been 2 days I was like a mad man trying many ways to access to my account but to no avail. And today, the blog account loves me dearly… :-)

I left the house pretty early this morning to ensure myself on getting a parking spot. Dead wrong again! I was going circle and circle for 20 minutes to find a spot and luckily I managed to find one and it’s all the way back in basement 2. It’s pretty quiet there and its lack of lightings too. I started to wonder; is it safe to park here? There are no humans around….spooky…. :-)

I boarded the train at 0915hrs local KL time. It’s fairly full. But as expected and as usual; it’s very sombre mood on board. Everyone seems lost in their own world. And so I started to play my cell phone just like the rest.

I disembark at Dang Wangi Station. It’s only less than 7 minutes ride from Damai Station. Pulled out my Rapid KL card, swiped the card at the exit and off I went.

At the escalator to go up to the main entrance of the station, I was stop by a middle age couple…probably mid to late 50’s…well dress…

Man: Maaf Pak…mau nanya, kalo dari sini mau jalan kaki ke stasiun monorail lewat mana yah? (Excuse me sir, need to ask a question. How do we get to monorail station if we walk from here?)

Me: (Oh…the couple is Indonesian) Ya Pak..kalo dari sini gak jauh. Kurang lebih 10 - 15 minit kalo jalan kaki. (Yes sir, if you walk from here it’s only about 10 to 15 minutes)

It’s common for an Indonesian to address a person as Bapak or Pak; meaning “Mister or Sir” or some will address you as Mas; meaning “Brother or someone older…”

Man: Oh..Bapak bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia yah. Lancar yah…nama saya Hendra. Ini istri saya… Surti (Oh, you can speak Indonesian and fluent too…My name is Hendra and this is my wife, Surti) and he smile…

Me: Nama saya Shamsul….yah…lumayan lah Pak…dulu saya sering bolak balik Jakarta..Bali…karyawan, cari makan pak...(My name is Shamsul…yes I can speak Indonesian quite fluently. I used to go back and forth Jakarta…Bali…as an employee making an honest living)

Me: Emang nya saya mau ke arah yang sama. Yuk kita jalan bareng yah…bisa ngobrol ngobrol (I’m walking towards the same direction. Come, let’s walk together and we can continue our chat)

Man: Wah…makasih banget Pak…yuk…(Thank you very much sir…let’s go)

While we were walking towards the monorail station….being the usual “me”, I started a conversation….

Me: Bapak ama Ibu asli mana? Di KL berdua aja? Anak-anak gak ikut? (You and your wife originally from which part of Indonesia? Only the two of you? Where are your kids?)

Man: Oh…kalo saya asli Jakarta…istri saya asli Surabaya. Anak-anak saya gede gede semua nya pak..1 di Australi yang satu lagi di London…masih kuliah…dua cowok  (oh..I’m from Jakarta and my wife is from Surabaya. My kids are grown. One is in Australia and another one in London..both still studying and both are boys)

Me: Jakarta di daerah mana Pak…? (Which part of Jakarta…sir?)

Man: Saya di Tanggerang…pak…Kalo bapak ke Jakarta telpon saya dong pak…bisa saya jemput bapak di hotel kita makan sate! Saya ama keluarga sering makan di resto…kalau malam minggu. (I’m from Tanggerang district. And if you are in Jakarta, call me so I can pick you up from the hotel and we can have “satay”. My family and I always go out for dinner during the weekend)

Me: Wah…saya kalo ke Jakarta, yang saya suka makan di daerah Kebun Sireh..pak…nasi goreng nya! Mantap! (If I go to Jakarta, I love to eat at Kebun Sireh area…the fried rice! Excellent!)

Man: Nasi Goreng Kambing! (Fried rice with mutton meat !)

And we both laugh…..

Man: Bapak tau juga yah..nasi goreng kambing di Kebun Sireh? (You also know the Mutton Fried Rice in Kebun Sireh?)

Me: Ya  iya lah pak…saya suka makan pak…kalo di Jakarta saya sering ke Medan Baru, Sup Kondro di Kelapa Gading, Coto Makasar di daerah Tanah Abang, Restoran Garuda di Hayam Wuruk…ayam goreng nya…enak banget! Panas..panas! Pecel lele yang di samping Sarinah…sambel nya tuh…waduh..mantap pak…tenda biru tuh pak…di pinggir jalan…tapi enak sih…gak peduli ah…(Yes.. I love food. I like to eat. If in Jakarta, I always go to Medan Baru, Soup Kondro in Kelapa Gading, Coto Makasar in Tanah Abang district, Garuda Restaurant in Hayam Wuruk…the fried chicken is very delicious! And they serve it hot! Pecel Lele near Sarinah. The “sambal” (chilli paste) is so delicious. It’s a shop by the road side. But I don’t care)

Man: Ya ampuuuun….bapak tau semua nih…gak perlu saya nih…(Oh goodness…you know everything…you wouldn’t need me) and we laugh…..

Man: Pak, ini kartu saya…telpon saya yah kalo ke Jakarta. Kita makan makan…(This is my card, call me if you are in Jakarta so we can go out for dinner)

Me: Insyallah…pasti pak…ini nomor hp saya…(Insyallah..God willing…I’ll call you. This is my hp number)

At this point, I showed him the entrance to the station and assist him to buy the train tickets…

Man: Makasih pak yah…sampai ketemu lagi…(Thank you…till we meet again..)

Me: Sama-sama pak…Kalo saya ke Jakarta saya pasti telpon bapak yah…(You are welcome…if I'm in Jakarta, I’ll call you)

I walked away…crossed the road to Concorde Hotel…and I was thinking to myself; people seems comfortable to approach me. Is there a sign on top of head saying; “if you need help, I'm your best option”? 

Weird but funny thou…

But I always enjoyed it. It gives me an opportunity to get to know new people.

My father used to tell me; if you are nice to people, they will be nicer to you and you lose nothing to help others…

Moral of the story: Being a Good Samaritan is not something you can learn from a book…

Be honest or lie?

Is honesty the best policy? A million dollar question it is. Is there such thing as “white lies”?

One of the most honest persons I’ve ever known recently said to me, "I struggle with honesty every day of my life." I was both surprised and curious at his remark, so we ended up having a long talk about it. I went away from that discussion realizing that all of us are caught in a battle between right and wrong, good and evil. They’re life forces that have been around since the beginning of time, and it’s impossible to escape being in the middle. That’s exactly where we were placed and we have to make a choice; seldom tough.

Sadly, we’re surrounded by all forms of dishonesty. Even more sad is seeing that what we can "get away with" has practically become a sport. Being able to "pull off" something is often considered an achievement, a feat worth openly bragging about. Proud!

Only the dumb or unlucky ones get caught. "Everybody’s doing it" once said by a friend. To reinforce it, there are a number of movies and TV programs which seem to glorify deceit and deception. They virtually exalt them to fine arts. To top it all off, the advertising world bombards us daily with not-so-subtle messages that we should be someone other than our real selves in order to make a good impression on others.

Another reason we all struggle with honesty is that it’s hard work. It requires more time, thought and energy than we’re sometimes willing to expend. Every day, we get a steady barrage of messages that we deserve things, we should have them now, and there’s a quick and easy way to get them. So we often choose expediency over integrity. Why slave away on an assignment when it’s easier and faster to copy someone else’s? Why follow all the rules in a business transaction when a little manoeuvring here and there can close the deal quicker?

Why re-invent the wheel? Its round enough!

We not only buy into the "everybody’s doing it" mentality but also develop a short-cut philosophy of life. Without realizing it, we become morally lazy. It’s easier and quicker to be dishonest.

Since our childhood, we are taught the importance of honesty and why we should be honest. We do try our level best to be honest to our parents, teachers, friends and almost everybody with whom we meet and succeed in achieving this. However, when we come across, how dishonesty helped some people achieve some great things quickly and in a better way than us, we tend to go the wrong way for quick success. This, often results in creating more problems, which sometimes cannot be solved at all.

Honesty is essential in each and everything we do to create a good impression and ensure the other person that we are capable and trustworthy. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a doctor, a business person or an employee, honesty takes a person a long way in the journey of life. Even if you find it difficult to perform well at your place of work or in studies, honest and sincere people are given many chances to prove themselves in their fields. In case of dishonest people, second chance is very rare to come because the society feels that he will keep on repeating his mistakes. Thus, this is a lesson to those people who think that honesty is not the best policy.

The honesty is the best policy quotes of eminent thinkers suggest that, one can gain respect in the society only by being honest. People adore only those who make consistent hard efforts to achieve their targets and overcome all the obstacles which may come in their way. Thus, once we enter the viscous circle of dishonesty, it becomes very difficult to come out of it and lead a normal life.

However, is honesty the best policy? Answer is yes, because instead of living a life under constant fear, we can live it with pride and honour with our head held high, if we follow the path of honesty. Being dishonest for a small gain is really not worth in the long term perspective considering the evils through which we have to go once we drift away from the right path. Is there such thing as “white lies”? Answer is no. You lie once, you’ll have to lie again to cover-up the first lie..and the cycles continues.

But there is also the other side of the coin of which we should consider. Sometimes, there are situations wherein you have to be dishonest to save yourself or someone else when we know that the person is innocent. In such cases, speaking lies may not come under 'Dishonesty' as we are not doing anything wrong. Thus, it depends entirely on the situation, and smart people realize and know how to deal with a difficult situation by not compromising on their principles and ideals. However, a dishonest way to protect yourself should not be made a habit and you should recall the values taught to you, if you feel like going with the wrong way by proper self-control.

Moral of the story: Honesty indeed takes a person to the level where he deserves to be…

Have a good day peeps!

Women, weight and age...

Salam…hi all…happy Friday…Day of all Days…

Ehem ehem…I just need to clear my throat before I continue writing on the above topic. This topic is so sensitive to the female “species” and I may leave myself wide open for a lot of whacking…oh dear…here we go…

Why women are so obsess with their weight and age? Have you ever wondered? If you ask a woman on their weight and age (if you dare or if you got the b***s of steel to ask…), will they give you a straight answer; the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me god?

A female friend once told me; “No one is more aware of the fact that I’ve gained weight than me, because I go to my wardrobe on a daily basis and hell no I’m not gonna make an announcement that my waist line just grew another inch! Not even to my hubby!”

She is not the only one, obviously, but most women are very secretive. If you ask them the question they will give you a number that they wish it’s the truth. They’ll reduce the number by at least 15% from the actual weight. Assume actual weight is 60kg, they will tell you that they weigh only 50kg! And they will say it with lots of confident straight to your face so you’ll believe them.

Would you believe me if I say that if a group of women sits together at a table, the most preferred topic that they will talk about is hot gossip or men in general or sex!? True or false? They won’t talk about weight loss program or dietary supplement or some diet juice recipe! No way! Why? Because they can call a bluff! On this specific topic, a woman can’t lie to another woman. It won’t work! It’s called woman’s intuition.

They become paranoid, stress and panicking the minute they realize that they have gained some kilos. Of which they didn’t realize that by worrying and thinking about the issue too much it will only resulted to stress. And stress will lead to hormone imbalance. And hormone imbalance will lead to? Your body resist to burn fat! And you’ll continue to eat and eat and eat! The end result is; here comes the fat….going sideways…unfortunately…the truth hurts…

What I’ve failed to understand is; rather than you spend too much time worrying about your weight, just go back to the very basic. I.e. Eat moderately, spare some time to exercise, sleep well…(for a start…)

Some female friends that I have known are just born lucky. They can eat so much and the weight still remains the same! The body metabolism must be working well burning fat very fast and working double overtime. Lucky you!

Same goes to their age. Another sensitive issue! Women hate to talk about their age, what more in the presence of a male species!

If you ask a lady on her age; the most common answer is “Pick a wild guess!?”

Oh dear…this is a very dangerous respond; a question as an answer. Guys, if you are reading this; and if you are on a first date; never ever ask a lady on her age. Never! It’s a curse! It’s a sin!

She’ll not pick up your call the next day. To her; you are just being plain rude. Period!

But if you insist on responding; pick the lowest number possible. So long as the number doesn’t sound like you are trying too hard to impress her.

As for me, I’ll say that I’m pretty lucky. I can gain easily and I can also lose weight easily. Last year during the Fasting month, I lost 8kg! But after the Eid Fitri celebration, I gained back. And now, I’m trying to lose at least 5kg.

My method is simple; I eat moderately, I’ll try to spend some time to exercise and I sleep at least 6 hours a day. Alhamdulillah…thanks to the almighty it’s working.

Ladies, my two cents, if you lead a simple and a happy life you’ll discover that age is just a number. Yes, I agreed that weight is about one’s appearance. However, if you are not happy in the “inside” you’ll than realize that beauty is just skin deep.

The minute you understand the meaning of leading a happy life; your inner beauty will shine.

But how can a person lead a happy life? An answer within you…

Moral of the story: Help yourself to be what you want to be coz nobody can help you…

P/S: There will be no posting on Saturday and Sunday…its “me’ time with the family… J

Have a good weekend peeps!

Beauty is skin deep? hmmmm...After looking at the picture above; I'm having second thoughts now...LOL!

To leave or not to leave?

Salam…hi all…

I’m driving again today….sigh…and parking was a nightmare in Bangsar! I ended up at a basement parking that cost me $1 per hour…can’t complaint thou. It’s affordable.

I met a dear friend for breakfast at Devi’s (yes, it’s an Indian restaurant). And it just so happen that my youngest sister was in that area too and she joined us for a glass of “pull tea” :-) and thosai (it’s an Indian delicacies…it is something like Roti Canai but its thinner and less cholesterol…I was told. I’m not sure if it’s true).

We chat for 2 hours or so and it was an eye opener! They gave me lots of feedback and ideas on my next stories for my blog. To Sharina and my little sister; thank you. It was a time well spent with you both.

Last night at approximately 10.30pm, I received a bb message from a good friend (a lady). Shocked to be honest because for almost 5 years I’ve known her and her hubby, we never communicate over phone or bb or text messages in the late evening.  

And the chat goes like this (bbm language…I copy/paste from my bb…I just change her name):-

Friend: Hi…u up?

Me: Hi…yes…what’s up? U ok?

Friend: Not ok..need to chat. Free?

Me: o dear..yes can chat..H with you? (H is the hubby)

Friend: Travelling..as usual. Me alone. At home. I think my marriage is in trouble

Me: o my…I’m all ears…

Friend: Me and H hardly spend time together. He travel all the time and when he’s home he is too tied up with his mother.

Friend: You know that he is close to his mum…mummy’s boy..sigh..

Me: Yes...i know…but i thought you guys r staying on your own?

Friend: It was a plan…and still remain as plan…sigh..

Me: I remember once I had a chat with H and he did say and agreed that staying with the parents is not a long term plan for you both. What happen than?

Friend: Seems difficult for him to leave the house. His mum disagrees. She said wasting money. The house is big enough for everyone

Friend: But u know….we can’t even have our own hubby wife privacy…everything mum will get involve! I’m losing it!

Me: Hmmmm…(I’m speechless)

Friend: I don’t know what else to do

Friend: Tried to talk to H but he’s like stuck in the middle

Friend: What do u think I should do?

Friend: Maybe u can have a chat with H? Coz he listens to u

Me: Hmm…this is a very delicate situation…I dare not jump into this

Me: Unless H approaches me…u know what I mean..?

Friend: Yah…understand…but I’m losing patience. Can’t take it anymore! Everything mummy 1^st, wife 2^nd...

Me: Let me bb H...will try to start a conversation…lets c if he opens up…u know how H is....will give it a shot

Me: That’s all I can do…for now

Friend: Yes please…I love my marriage but I can’t stand his mum…too much!

Me: Understand…stay cool ok...try to talk to H again. U’ll never know…don’t stop trying

Friend: Ya ok…i will

Me: He loves u much…I know that…so give him a chance…speak to him

Friend: Yes…I know…

Me: Hang in there...ok..

Friend: Thanks yah…and bb him please…

Me: My pleasure…I will buzz him tomorrow

Me: Don’t think bout it 2 much…now…get some sleep

Friend: Yah ok…thanks SS…let me know if he responds to you

Me: Ok..will do…sleep now! Don’t think 2 much…Nite

Friend: Ok…nite

Conversation over bb ended at 11.18pm

This is a tough situation or issue to handle. The wife wants to leave but the hubby feels that his responsibility to the mother is more important than his own marriage.

I stayed with my parents for 3 years after I got married but I decided to move on for the benefit of everyone. But so far, I’ve never fail to visit my parents at least once a week during the weekend. To me; it’s not a matter of right or wrong to stay with the parents. It’s very subjective. The couple must decide what’s best for them. Staying on your own will not separate the ties between a son and a mother. Weigh all your options and reason things out with your parents. I’m sure they will understand that the time has come for them to let you go to lead your own life.

Moral of the story: You must know your priorities…

To H and wife; please talk it over….I’m sure you both can sort it out. Love you both dearly and if you need my help; you know how to get me... 

It’s getting cold out there and I’ve got nobody to love…

Is there anyone out there coz it’s getting harder and harder to breathe….sing it like you mean it babe!

Yes, it’s from a lyric of a song. Its Maroon 5 “Harder To Breathe”…

Salam..hi all..

I didn’t take the train today. I had to meet someone in Bandar Sri Damansara and there’s no train service to that area so I had to drive…hate it! But the traffic loves me dearly…amazingly! Driving was a breeze…I wound down the window and enjoyed the morning air…KL oh KL…traffic is so unpredictable…

Last night a dear friend called for a drink – Teh Tarik (its tea mix with milk and the Mamak or the Indian Muslim in Malaysia call it; Teh Tarik or the direct translation is Pull Tea! WTH! LOL!)

Mamak oh Mamak…can’t live without them…they came to Malaysia and reinvent everything from tea to “Roti Canai” and many more.

Many years ago I spent some time in Hyderabad and Chennai, India for work. And the Indians there don’t even know what “teh tarik” or “Roti Canai” is. Roti Canai is better known as Roti Pharata. But I guess the Indian Muslim in Malaysia had to have their identity…

Roti Canai – Roti Pharata, Potaytoes – Potatoes, Tomaytoes – Tomatoes…all the same… J

Coming back to my outing last night, as I parked the car and walk towards the “mamak” shop, I saw a homeless old man and his young child sitting by the pavement. Trying to figure out where to sleep…sad…so sad…

I stop and approached him and said:

Me: Kenapa tak pergi ke Masjid atau ke Balai Raya di Kampung Baru..dekat je dari sini (Why don’t you go to a Mosque or Community Hall in Kampung Baru? Its nearby…)

Me: Kesian kan anak awak…(Pity your kid)

He just ignored me. Maybe he doesn’t understand what I’m saying? Maybe he is not Malay?

Me: Dah makan? (Have you eaten?)

He ignored me again…I pulled out my wallet to look for some money and I only have $10 ringgit in 2 Five’s…oh dear…

Me: Ambil ni $5 pergi makan dgn anak…(Take this $5 and eat with your child)

He took the money and smile…he didn’t say thank you…I take it that he doesn’t speak Malay or English…so its high probability he is a foreigner…

And I walked away…

It reminds me of my days living in the States. During winter, Chicago can be very very bad! Temperature drop to minus and sometime it’s not only snowing but more like blizzard! And Chicago is known as a Windy City. The wind chill is just unbearable. I lived approximately an hour from downtown Chicago in a suburb called Naperville.

The number of homeless people died in Chicago becomes three fold during winter! And luckily KL weather is very much opposite of Chicago….or else only god knows the fate of the homeless man and his child that I just bump into….

Moral of the story:

Adam Levine - Its getting cold out there and I’ve got nobody to love…

As for the homeless man and his child – It’s getting cold out there and nobody cares…

Be thankful on what you have…

Have a good day peeps!

My train ride - Part 15

Salam….hi all…

Tok Selampit is back on the train! And the train is crowded like a “sardine tin can”!

As I boarded the train, I had to squeeze myself thru to find a comfortable spot and got it! The usual spot! Standing of course…I’m no VIP.

It’s very much a sombre mood on board today. Nobody seems bothered to talk to each other. Some were taking a nap, some busy playing with their cell phone and some looks lost in their own world.

Upon reaching Ampang Park Station, almost half of the passengers disembark and an old lady boarded the train and she stands next to me. She looks mid to late 60’s. She looks very worried and kept looking at the signage above the door trying very hard to read the names of the stations.

And I can’t help it but to approach her.

Me: Makcik ok? (Aunty, are you ok?)

Lady: Ok tapi susah hati nak turun ke station nanti. Tak tau arah nya. (I’m ok but just worried upon arrival later. I don’t know the direction)

Me: Makcik nak pergi mana ni? Pertama kali naik LRT? (Where do you want to go and is this your first time taking the LRT train?)

Lady: Ya, pertama kali. Tadi naik taxi dari Puduraya. Taxi turun kan makcik kat sini. Sekarang ni nak pergi ke Station Universiti. Nak jumpa anak. Anak makcik tinggal di Kampung Kerinchi. Dia masih belajar di UM. Makcik baru sampai dari Terengganu.(Yes, my first time and earlier I took the taxi from Puduraya and the driver drop me off here at this station and now I want to go to University Station to meet my son. He lives in Kampung Kerinchi and he is still a student at UM)

In my head I was asking myself why in the world the taxi driver drop her here at Ampang Park? sigh... 

Me: Oh…tau ke nak turun nanti kat mana? Anak dah tunggu di station? Makcik tak ada nombor hp anak? (Do you know where to meet your son later? Do you have his hp number?)

Lady: Ini lah yang masalah nya. Bateri hp dah habis. Hp dah mati. Nombor dia pun makcik tak ingat.   (This is the problem. My hp battery died and I can’t remember his hp number)

At this point I just realized I missed my stop! Oh dear…

Me: Tak pe lah. Saya pun dah terlepas station saya. Saya teman kan makcik sampai station. Lepas tu saya patah balik. (It’s ok. I’ve already missed my stop. I’ll accompany you to your stop than I’ll turn back)

Lady: Ya Allah…terima kasih lah. Makcik dah susah hati tadi (Ya Allah…thank you very much. I was very worried earlier)

Me: Tak pe…saya tolong makcik. (Its ok…I’ll help you)

At this point, she was telling me so much about her family back in Terengganu. Blah blah blah…da da da da…and I was just smiling and kept nodding my head.

As we reached University Station both of us disembark. And luckily the son was there waiting for her….pheeew…

We chat for a while and her sons thanked me and hug me for helping his mother. My job is done! It’s time for me to take the train again to go back to my original destination.

On the way back, I kept asking myself what if the lady is my mother. Would there be any Good Samaritan assisting her like I did earlier this morning? I’m sure there are many…it’s the Malaysian culture…(am I bluffing myself? I hope not……)

Moral of the story: You’ll find satisfaction by assisting others in-need…its time well spent…

Have a good day peeps!

Day 1 of blogging...

Salam…hi all…

It was approximately 2 -3 weeks ago I started writing short stories on my FB wall on my day to day experience specifically on what I see thru the naked eyes on board of a LRT train. There are so much stories of life on board the morning train that I love to share with my friends and FB was the medium that I choosed to share the experience.

Amazingly, my posting received a lot of “like’ and comments from friends and family that I didn’t expect at all in the first place. Some prefers to comment on my FB wall and many prefer to remain anonymous by only sending message thru FB inbox. To date; I’ve received 276 messages in total, some were very supportive and some just hate my writing big time!

                                       Yes, I'm fat...I know...


I write because I enjoy writing. It’s a self-satisfaction that if my writing can make people laugh. I’m not trying to please everyone because I’m not seeking popularity.

I write about life….life “As I see it….”

Enjoy...