Saturday, December 17, 2011

Rambling while shivering

Nothing much to say really. I have been in Kendal for almost two weeks now. My flight in wasn't so nice because my 'best friend' was accompanying me, so for the first time ever I got airsick, even my asam didn't help nor my minyak angin. But seeing Phil at the end of it was worth it. I love being with him, he had a few days off when I arrived, so he spend it kitting me out with winter gear. He was worried I'd be bored when he starts working, he works night, so he sleeps the day away, but he has a lot of books I can read, so I am fine with that. He also bought me a swimsuit and got me 12 entry at his gym, so I get to swim and laze around in the Jacuzzi and sauna. So all in all, it has been good.

The second day as we drove home from his mother I saw snow falling, I thought it was rain, Phil told me it was snow, when we got out I tried to catch it with my hands and yes indeed it was snow, but it was wet so I couldn't see the ground blanketed with snow, but a few days later I did see it and I went out to play with my first snow. I am not dealing that well with the cold of course, Walter laughs every time he sees me bundling and shivering at home, but I kind of enjoying it masochistically.

So far I am enjoying my time here, I don't think I'd be miserable, friends has been commenting I look really happy. Well I hope so. Till later guys.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

My Birthday Story at last!

After months and months of waiting and hassling Phil about it, I finally get my birthday story. I am glad I get to read the end of my story before I make my way to him tomorrow. I once joked that I’ll only get to see the story when I get back to Kendal to see him for Christmas, I guessed he remembered that and finally decided to let go of his baby and sent it to me. He let me read A Tale of Three Princes Part One about two months ago, I loved it. It was real charming and I could foresee it becoming a long running bedtime story for our children. Today when he skyped me Part Two, I adored the heroine even more as she was dashingly rescuing the prince. It was real exciting and again he ended it with room for more adventure for the Princess and the Prince of the Rats.

Well I know what I’ll ask for future birthday presents, I’d want more of their adventure. I know Phil was worried about the story, he finished writing it a long time ago I think, but he kept editing and polishing it and I know he wasn’t happy with it still, but I love the story as it is. I wonder if I can convince him.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Letters to Mummy 9

Dear Mummy,
It has been a long time since I wrote you. It is not because I have forgotten, or I have nothing to say, but I have been wrapped up in a whole lot of misery and I didn’t want to dump it on you. I am a bit happier nowadays; I am getting what I have been praying for, I get to see Phil before next year. I am going to try to see if I could stand wintering in Kendal and being on my own mostly because it is Phil’s busiest time of the year. Phil is worried that I’ll be bored and miserable, what he left mostly unsaid is he is worried that this experience would make me think the sacrifice is too much. He ask me once how can I think of leaving my family behind to live with him in a strange land full of strangers. I don’t know Mum; I wish I have you here with me to talk things through. I once told Phil I am not afraid, I trust him, and he says I sound real young. Well let me clarify, I am not afraid to marry him because I trust him with my life and I know no matter what he wouldn’t hurt me intentionally. I am afraid of taking this big leap, of adjusting to a whole new life in a new place away from my anchor – my family – and I have been thinking a lot about it and I am not naïve enough to think everything will be all peaches just because I am in love. But it is exactly because I am in love I am willing to undertake this albeit with open eyes not blind to the challenges ahead.

Dad has been my strongest support, you know that Mum, however unwilling he is to pick me up when I fall, he has been there for me for every spills and mistakes. He has done all he can to make sure I stay all right and that I get everything that I want. I don’t know how I’d survive without him near me, but he raise me well enough I know I could grow without him, but it will be really hard. The funny thing is Dad and Phil is so much alike, but Phil already told me he can’t take Dad’s place, and I said of course not, though it is a comfort sometimes when I see him react exactly like Dad. It is like having something the same in different context, I don’t know if that make sense, Mum, (oh what I’d give to hear you say, I know).

I don’t know how Adik is going to handle this; I wish you are with her to help her go through this. You remember of course how when we were kids we were the worst of enemy when we were together but separate us and we’d be miserable. She had a miserable time when I went for two weeks, and she is already kissing me obsessively every hour of the day when I am sleeping or napping, saving up for my month away I guess. We’ll stay in touch of course, but I guess it is not the same.

Then there’s Abang, what more can I say Mum. You know he has not left my side since he was that clingy, needy baby. He has grown up Mum, if you could only see, but there’ll be moments when he reverts to that kid who needs me all the time and I’d think how could I leave him, he’s already lost you. But then again, if Allah is kind, he’d give us a chance to see each other often I hope, boy has some schooling left to do, and since his school is making him take ICGSE instead of SPM, maybe he can do his further studies in UK. Hopefully.

I guess that is it Mum, I know it is a jumble, but that is what have been on my mind, getting ready to leave for one month has me thinking of me leaving for so much longer. If dad is my safety, you were my comfort Mum, always making me feel that everything would turn out right somehow, I miss you Mummy.

Love,
Along

Friday, November 4, 2011

A Year Without Mum

Dad was complaining to sis that I must be going cuckoo because I was playing with my hair again. Hmm the thing is he is not far off, I am trying to stop thinking and remembering today. It is exactly a year since Mummy went to her final resting place, a really lonely and painful year for me and the rest of the family. I don’t want to remember how I had to suck blood out of Mum’s mouth every half an hour, and how her blood pressure kept dropping and dropping, and I don’t want to remember what I whispered to her in the end. It hurts too much. Even when I was preparing the bunga rampai today, slicing the pandan leaves and rose petals, I intentionally put music on and made myself sing along, I didn’t want to prepare the gift for Mum with tears, I want her to receive happiness not grief.

I don’t know how long a person grieves anyway, I think I haven’t skipped any steps, but it still hurts, is it always going to hurt this way. I wish I could have a chat with Phil, he usually says stuff that makes me feel better, but he is paying for our indulgent 10 hours chat the other day, he is really tired, barely could even say hi to me today. Well that’s about it. I am too sad to write. Al-fatihah, Mummy.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Songs and I

I am tired of writing about how dark I am feeling nowadays, so as a way to cheer me up I was listening to Lady Antebellum’s Just a Kiss, it reminded me how I felt when Phil came for his first visit. We were both unsure and scared to ruin a real good friendship but the feelings were really strong. As for me, that 2 lines in the chorus, “Just a shot in the dark that you just might/ be the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” really described how I was feeling at that time, and explained how despondent I felt when he was real quiet and wasn’t online on Valentine’s day, and like the guy in Vanessa William’s Save the Best for Last, he came on the 15 and ask me if I felt as strongly as he did and if we want to take it further.

The truth is throughout my friendship with Phil, songs played an important part in expressing how I feel, when I was still refusing to believe what I felt for Phil was more than that of a friend, I was singing a lot of Taylor Swift’s You Belong with Me, especially after Phil confess he was having a crush on an acquaintance of ours online (well this was way before he came to visit me, I think I have just known him for about 3 or 4 months about then). But believe you me, whenever I was singing that song I was imagining I was singing it to Phil. Yes adik, I knew how I felt about him then, but I can’t admit it to the world, I still have that much pride, even with you, until I know the feeling was reciprocated I can’t shout it to the world, can’t I?

I have written before how from time to time Phil would link me to songs he is listening to that reminded him of me or of our relationship, so I am not alone in using songs either to express how I feel or to soothe the hurt of being apart. Lately I have been singing Owl City’s Vanilla Twilight, although I know the song is singing about a departed lover, but most of the lyrics echoes how I feel so perfectly. At night when I can’t sleep missing Phil, I’ll sing the first verse as I cry myself to sleep.

The stars lean down to kiss you,
And I lie awake I miss you,
Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere,
‘Cause I’ll doze of safe and soundly,
But I’ll miss your arms around me,
I’d send a postcard to you dear,
‘Cause I wish you were here.

(Adam Young, Vanilla Twilight)

Well I guess I am lucky that so many songs seems to apply to so many phases of my life, it helps when I myself ran out of ways and words to describe or express how I feel. So before I start wallowing again I’ll go hear Auburn’s All about Him. (Lol, Phil hates this song, sorry hun I think it’s cute).

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Depress???...

For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like I want to read. It is funny really, I have just bought a lot of books at a recent book warehouse sale, and I am not reading. Sis says I must be real depressed, because only depression makes a person not feel like doing what she likes to do. I don’t know whether I am or not, I don’t feel that really sad feeling when I am depress, but I have been sad so long I might feel it is normal after all to feel the way I feel. I admit I am tired, dad has been dragging us around travelling, because he can’t stand being at home when boy is not around (he’s most probably having the time of his life in Taman Negara), so not being home and always driving is making me tired and therefore more susceptible to feeling down. It also means I have been missing a few chats with Phil, I am never happy then.

I don’t know, I guess I will just have to hang on until this phase past and I can get back doing what I like, and who knows maybe tomorrow I get to have a long chat with Phil like we had a few days ago, that always make me feel happy for a few days. Until then I’ll just sing Vanilla Twilight and make me miss Phil all the more, I do so like to make myself miserable. :)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

There are Days...

There are days
I don’t remember how to smile,
I don’t know what the sun feels like,
and I wonder why my heart still beats.

There are days,
I think it’ll be dark forever,
and that the slow twisting knife in heart
will never stop bleeding me dry.

There are days,
the pain constantly makes me
want to end it all
so that the silent do not deafen.

Days like that
are when I think of You most
and remember only You
will be my savior
and Your blessing comes in
various, mysterious ways.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Rambling On

Well I don’t know what to write actually, have no clear purpose really, but so many things running through my mind that somehow I find myself opening up words. My mood is on a roller coaster ride lately, but somehow this roller coaster is designed to ride on really negative emotions, I have been going up and down on sad and angry tracks. I spend the whole day yesterday crying, one of the reasons is because it is that time of the month, that just leave my mood unstable, another reason is missing Phil and Mom, and as the days go by any little reason seems to feed the tears as well. Actually I have been sad so long; I don’t really recall how it feels to be happy yesterday. I told Phil about it and as usual he gave me a simple answer, but somehow it made me feel better. Let me quote verbatim, it’s better that way.

[3:14:30 PM] Phil McQuinn: Ya the trick I find is not dwelling on sad stuff. I can get really down but then I think about you instead. I don’t think that thinking about problems helps if you can’t solve them they just upset you and make you feel helpless, better to just go do something you can do.

So I guess that is why I am typing now, to just do something I can do. I wish I could write stories, but I seem to be like Mom, I like writing about stuff that happens to me, I get stuck when I try to invent stories. I am good at poetry but Phil summed it up it nicely, poems are good for awards not for financial health. I am still thinking about that story idea I had, and from time to time have ideas on how to expand it, but for now it remains as ideas, I can’t seem to put it down on paper, or more accurately type it out on screen. Well maybe one of these days I will.

On a different note, all my friends know I love to sing and I always have a book full of lyrics around me always, I used to print out lyrics that I like to sing and keep them in folders. The problem is it is too bulky to carry around. I know I need to have something small and easy to carry and slip in my handbag, it occurred to me on my road trip to Wales when I needed to sing to accompany the beautiful scenery and can’t recall a lot of songs, showing my age of course, I used to remember 20 songs at least. So I bought this small notebook and been trying to copy down lyrics in. What I found out is that, my fingers are so used to typing that writing now is agonizing, so my project is going slowly, one lyric a day is all I can manage.

Well I guess that is all for now, enough rambling for one day. Hope I’ll write in a better mood next time. Happiness to all.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

When Words Fail

Words failed me again
I tried to write how I felt
but nothing seems to fit
how could I describe
a pain so exquisite
that no simile could compare
how could I explain
a loss so huge
no hyperbole could fully express it
I tried and I tried
with every poems and stories
but nothing really could ease the fact
that I do not have you here with me.
I miss you!

rya
6/10/11
11:45 a.m.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Pretty is as Pretty does

I texted Phil one day that he makes me feels beautiful when he looks at me. A couple of days later, he asked me in Skype, does that mean I feel I am not beautiful? So I said, yeah, there are days I don’t feel beautiful, I’d feel fat or something about my skin, my teeth etc would make me feel less than perfect.

My honey being what he is was like, to be honest you are a bit fat by European standard, and he went on and on telling me why, but of course he was quick to tell me this is him being an objective observer and not my boyfriend who loves me as I am and will always love me (girls, aww).

Well so I went on to tell him of course I am aware that I have a bit more to love, but I don’t think I was explaining it very well to him, but the way he looks at me makes me feel all my flaws does not matter, because he when he looks at me he sees me whole physically and spiritually and it is clear in his gaze he finds me as a person, beautiful, and he tells it very clearly that he loves that person he sees wholly and honestly.

When I tried telling him that, he just said, ahh so it is not just a body thing then. Well he went on to discuss self esteem stuff after that, but what strikes me is it surprises him that I would doubt that I am pretty because to him it is a fact just that it is fact he is tall. I really don’t know where to go from there, I am grateful that he sees me that way, but I know for a fact love has a way of skewering our vision, but I am assured by the fact that he loves me for the person and not the body, because I know there are a lot of more girls out there who has beautiful bodies, but not a lot of girls who sees the world as I do of which incidentally is how he perceive his world and so we could say it is a perfect match of world view. :)

Friday, September 16, 2011

35th Birthday



Almost a week has passed since my birthday, and as usual when I am really depressed, I can’t write. I had an excellent birthday, really – nice cake, lots of books for presents, even had birthday money and my facebook wall was flooded with well wishes. But as usual however nice people around me try to make me enjoy my birthday, there is this core of me that is never happy I am year older. I figured it out years ago; a birthday is just another marker of another year gone by at me failing to achieve my life goals. It is no celebration, it is a deadline I fail to meet and each year I get more desperate as I failed yet again. Well enough about that, if I keep on about it I’ll fall back into doldrums which I don’t like to wallow in too long.



On my birthday, we went back to Kampung Awah to finish ordering Mum’s kalang (grave base), I wished we had time to visit Mum’s grave, but we were pressed for time, but even without going to her grave I was already crying as I was driving there and back. But I was real happy we get to finalize that on my birthday.

A friend in her birthday wish teases me what Phil gave me for my birthday. So I told that to Phil and to my amusement he said :[9/7/2011 2:10:53 PM] Phil McQuinn: well bit hard hun seeing as we dont play games together any more[9/7/2011 2:11:05 PM] Phil McQuinn: we should try and fix thatIt seems Phil is going to stick to his tradition of gifting me in game gifts and since we don’t really play together anymore he ran out of idea. So because I know he loves buying me stuff when I am with him for no reason but that he likes doing it, I won’t ever be without material stuff, so I ask him for a birthday gift that would be special and something I could cherish and share forever, I ask him to write me a story. He let me read one story he wrote a long time ago, it was short but it was really good, that I have been begging him to go back writing stories down, of course he is too busy.

So with him having no idea what to give me for my birthday, I requested a story and he said ok. A few days later he told me he has the story down but the ending and will polish it in the weekend. I was so thrilled and impatient to read of course, but during the weekend he admitted to some teething problem in writing the story. So I asked him what the problem was. It turned out he was trying to write it in Malay, how sweet, I thought, but I know how difficult it is to translate English to Malay even when you have good grasp of both language, so I can Imagine the trouble he is having. So I told him he could give me both version and he went straight ahead to work on that and I am still waiting. He did warn me I might get it closer to my 36 birthday, oh surely not, I can barely contain myself even now. :)

Friday, August 26, 2011

When September Comes

My birthday month is coming around again, not something I enjoy, not when last year proof to be one of the worse I have ever had, it was the month that Mummy fell, it was the month where I was looking after Mummy, and at times so frustrated, I wish it was over soon, and to my horror it ended definitively with Mum passing away. I am not looking forward to turning 35 this year. I know I shouldn’t be this way. I have so many things to be grateful for, but my glass is always half empty when September comes. No matter how I try, I can never think happy thoughts. I have always felt I was alone in this until I met Phil, he hates his birthdays too, and he is the first one who ever understood why I might be so miserable on my birthday.

For a moment this year I thought I might be happy on my birthday, thought I could be with him this year by the time I turn 35, but it is not meant to be. Funny though, I have managed to have Phil here to celebrate two of his birthdays, but never manage it for mine, and sometimes I wonder if he’d even remember. I remember the first year we knew each other, I was so desperately wanting for him to wish me happy birthday that I blurt out after about an hour of chatting, “Aren’t you ever going to say it?” Which got me a startled, “Say what?” So I just said, “Happy birthday of course, it is my birthday today.” He was sweet of course after wishing me, he got one of his friend to swear as power 20 lady to my Knighthood account, and I think that was his only birthday present so far, I can’t recall what he did for my birthday last year, but understandably so, last year was a terrible time for me, I can’t recall much of anything else.

This year I am just hoping I’ll get through it without much tears. I don’t think that would be very achievable, because I am already crying now, thinking about it, thinking just how last year Mum was celebrating it with me in pain, that I would have never imagined that was my last birthday with her. I miss you so much Mum. How am I going to get through this month without you? I never knew anyone could live and be this sad for so long. Phil mentioned today, that all my SMS to him has been really sad, and I can’t deny it. I live in perpetual sadness now, from missing Mum and him every day. I do try to be happy in all the little moments that I can, like finding joy in being with the family, smiling at cute happy song, or learning to braid my hair in different styles, little things like that. But it seems like I am enfolded in a thick cloud of sadness that will only be penetrated by the shine of joy now and again. Well I am grateful for that I suppose and try to find happiness more often until I really could be happy again always.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Abang Yasleh Khaliff Amri

Happy birthday, Boy! I can’t believe you are sixteen already. It feels like yesterday that I was holding you in my arms at 3 a.m. begging you to sleep. I think that started the ritual of singing to you as loud as I can until I go hoarse or you got back to sleep. It was funny that neither you crying nor my singing would wake up Mummy, Daddy, or Adik. They would continue to sleep knowing I’d take care of you. Well I did and loved every second of it, even though those 3 a.m. walkabout would made me sleepy in class the next day. Those were crazy times, after so long of asking and praying for another sibling, a baby I could play with, well I know you are not a doll, but I was barely sixteen when I started asking, so to me babies were like live dolls to be played with. I guessed that is why God waited until I was 19 to answer my prayer. Mummy had quite a relapse that year, so I took over right from the start, with Adik as my back up when I had to go to class, she was in form four, her honeymoon year, so we figured a few miss days wouldn’t matter much, to the consternation of her teachers of course.

So there I was taking the first bus out to KL , so I could take the earliest bus to UPM Serdang, meaning I had to wake up at 5 a.m. and then as soon as my classes are over rushing back home to you. I basically had no idea how to deal with a baby then, I learned firsthand from you and whatever little dad knows, and a few lucid moments from Mum. I made a lot of mistakes, I knew that now, but I guess I didn’t screw up too bad, you turned out to be quite a good young man, maybe more you than me, but I am really proud of you.

You have a long way yet to go, and I know you despair sometimes what the future might bring for you, but I believe in you and I know you will find your way somehow. I know you are sad to be celebrating this birthday without Mum, I am sad too, I wish you had more years with her, but the wheel turns when it wants to turn and we have no say in that. Please know that I know Mum loved you very much and she would be very proud of you. Happy 16 birthday, Abang, the family and I love you very much, no matter what.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Day in Day out

With every beat of my heart
I am calling your name
With every breath I take
I am crying for you
As each seconds ticked by
My thoughts are on you and only you

I live for moments we are together
But as each new dawn appears
Too many miles still separate us
And as each day comes to a close
I know no end of this separation

Tears are my constant companion
And pain a loyal friend
Will it ever end?

Rya
6.02 a.m
15/8/11

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Trip

I am going to try to recall my journey to UK last June. I don’t know how accurate this will be, my memory is not the best, I tend to forget a lot the longer things happen, unlike people I know that can tell a story years after it happen. Well here goes.

The trip has been planned for quite a while, Phil really wanted me to come and meet his family, his mother in particular. So I said ok, get me a plane ticket and I’ll come during boy’s 2 weeks holiday. I wish I could have bought my own ticket so Phil didn’t have to work so hard, but the fact of the matter is GBP900 is easier to achieve than RM4500. Even then I know it was quite a while before Phil figured how to manage that. Well then once he kind of figured how to get the money, he had to figure out how to book the ticket, Phil is at a disadvantage when it comes to online form (I booked his first ticket to here, his sister did the second one, and his friend did the third, lol), he is so smart that it is so cute that online forms defeat him. But one lucky thing is Phil is always surrounded by people who love him enough to help him, so his friend again volunteered to help. What they found out was in this time of a lot of online scamming, airlines won’t accept an online payment of another person’s credit card for another person’s ticket. So that was a hurdle that took them a month to figure out, which sees the ticket price rises from GBP800 + to GBP900+. I don’t know what they did finally, I think they used a travel agency in the end, but they got me the tickets.

The day Phil told me it was settled I was so happy, but the wait for the online tickets was quite long, about two weeks I think, which set me worrying again. Once Walt emailed me the online ticket confirmation, I was like really relieved. Of course then I was a bundle of nerves of waiting for the day to come, planning what to pack, and worrying about the trip in general. I have never travelled anywhere alone. The last time I went oversea, I was 19 and had an aunt, a family friend and sis accompanying me. Even travelling in Malaysia, I think there was only two times I went alone for a holiday, once to Genting, and another one was to a hotel in Chow Kit for a brief three days break from routine. So safe to say I was worrying like hell about travelling out of the country alone.



I had to pack and repack so many times, I don’t know how I manage to actually bring anything lol. Next time I am so going to buy a scale so that Dad won’t make me take my third pair of jeans out, I really miss having a third pair of jeans, lol. The funny thing was with the limit being 23kg, my bag only weighed 16kg when we checked in, and I was like that jeans did not need to come out, lol. I went early to checked in so that I could ask for aisle seating because I know I am going to need the toilet a lot, but the flight was full and I got a window seat (which would have thrilled me when I was a child, lol), but he said I’ll be near the toilet and that was the best he could do. As usual, dad who doesn’t like goodbyes, told me to go in even though it was quite early yet, so I did after hugging them all half to death that is. The passport check was a breeze, slot in passport and hope to hell the thumbprint scanner can read my thumbprint (I always have problems with thumbprint scanner, lol) but this time it was kind, it decided my thumb was human and detectable, lol. So there I went onto the train to bring me to my gate and I went straight and waited for my gate to open, I waited nearly an hour I think, that was how early I was. But I had like four books in my handbag, so I was not bored, antsy I was, bored I was not.



Finally the gate opened and I went to wait inside the waiting hall for another half an hour, and finally the boarding call and I went on the plane. Found my seat, got comfortable and watched how my seatmate was trying to get a different seat because he requested to be near an exit or something. So after a bit I got a new seatmate, a 40 something Middle Eastern gentleman. I was careful not to smile, lol, (read my first post in this blog) I didn’t want anything to happen during that long flight lol. So when the plane took off I was like, finally, all the worries and anticipation of the past months left me. My seatmate don’t like to sit so I had no problem going to and forth the toilet. But he sure likes to drink, I think he ran the stewardesses haggard with his drink order, lol. Halfway through the flight, he was really tipsy and happy and started being very friendly. He told me he was an Iranian businessman who has been living in Malaysia for the past 2 years. He asked me where I am going and stuff, but he was really funny. He told me as he indicate to his 5th wine bottle, in Iran I am Muslim, I don’t drink, everywhere else I’m Christian, I drink. I was like he must play WoW lol, he is dual-spec. Well I don’t judge, people live as they want to live so I smiled (by that time I told him enough about Phil, I was not worried of my smile, lol). Then he proceeded to tell me about all the girl-friends that he has in every country he does business in and of course the two wives he left back in Iran. So safe to say I was not bored as the plane flies to Doha.



But in Doha was another matter, I landed around 11.45 pm and my flight out to Manchester is at 7.45 am the next morning. I had to kill 8 hours in that terminal, eating can only take so much time, lol. There was a quiet room provided for traveler in the terminal with lazy chairs and a darkened room in which you can rest, but it is always full, so I end up napping on the chair in front of my gates, it wasn’t very comfortable but I was real tired that I did manage about an hour nap I think. I didn’t want to be tempted with all the duty free shop so I didn’t window shop, I used the free internet service to logged in facebook and spend 15 minutes identifying friend’s tagged pictures for security purposes ( please I beg u fbers, tagged ur friend’s face, it is hard to identify which friend, lol when they are tagged to a picture of a handbag). Finally after going round the terminal a dozen times, lol I am very bad at waiting, and I found out when I am tired I don’t read really well, my gate opened, so I was among the first to go through. After waiting for a bit, the bus came to take us to the plane. I hardly recall the trip, I was that excited, and I have described how I felt when the plane first went through the thick cloud and I saw England or more accurately Manchester for the first time in my post before. Oh yeah one thing I have forgotten to mention, the food. I had an interesting food experience. Walter was worried about my food, he knows I have certain restrictions, so I told him if Halal is not available then he can put in for a kosher meal, that is the closest I think, but what Walter didn’t figure was Qatar already serve food that is prepared in the Islamic principle, so he put me in for kosher meals, so I was served kosher meal which came in sealed boxes I have to open and asked to be heated, lol.

So I guess that is it for now. Maybe I’ll write about my actual visit sometime when I am inspired. :)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

My Hair and I :)




I saw Da checking out my blog the other day and overheard him saying, “always with her hair or stuck in her own world,” LOL. Well Da I make no excuse, my blog is about me, myself and I. As I basically said in my description whatever outburst I have at that moment in time I am moved to write. If it is about my hair, I’ll write about my hair, if it is a poem, then a poem, if it is about how much I am missing Phil, then it is about Phil and if need to talk to Mum, then a letter to Mum.



I went down today after doing up my hair in another do wanting to get the camera, which is inside the drawer at Da’s lappy desk. So I had to ask from Da, and he looked at me for the longest time, and ask, “Taking picture of your hair again eh?” and I nodded and smile, and he said, “Why don’t you just be a Mak Andam (a traditional Malay wedding make-up and hair specialist), because you like to play with your hair so much.” LOL Da, I like playing with my hair not other people.



Well Da playing with my hair now gives me something to concentrate on, rather than just mope around on how a mess I have made of my life now, on how much I miss Phil and how much I regret not being able to be with him this year as planned, on how much I miss Mummy and never seeing her smile at me ever again. Playing with my hair makes me happy, for a while, it gives me a sense of an accomplishment which I am short of at the moment. Basically it takes my mind of things that I don’t want to think of, like it is the first puasa without Mum , abang’s 16th birthday without Mum, first raya without Mum, my birthday without Mum and remembering my last birthday when Mum first fell and how I never thought that I wouldn’t see her this one, another birthday without Phil. Basically playing with my hair now is helping me not to drown in my despair.

I am kind of tired rereading my old books, so my hair is the other avenue to keep me on the sanity track. So Da, for now you’ll have to put up with me and my hair. And heads up, the latest Trudi Canavan trilogy would be good as my birthday present. LOL

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Unaware

Surely time has pass enough
and taken the edges of pain away
but from time to time
I’d be caught unaware
and a thought
or a memory
flickered by
and it seems I’ve just lost you
and tears run down
and my heart ache
with the pain
I miss you Mum
all the time
I’ve learnt to deal with that
it is this stealthy pain
that’s hidden
that I don’t know what to do with.
Would it always be this way?
I wonder?

rya
3/8/11
12.46 p.m.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jumbled Mind

My mind has been invaded by a jumble of thoughts lately, that it has been hard trying to stay focus. My mood also has been tumbling around more than tumbleweed would. I have been thinking about writing for days, but just couldn’t find the right mood. I have been missing Phil really bad lately and whenever that happen it awakens another hurt, missing Mum. I can assuage missing Phil by skyping with him, but even reciting what people tells me to recite in honor of Mum would not take away the pain. I know from what people told me that I’ll always miss her just that with time it will get easier, and I guess not enough time has pass for me.

These past few weeks I have been thinking about her desperate request when she first woken up from the induce coma and she was quite lucid, she ask if I was married and when I told her no, she begged real desperately for me to get married. Since I finish my degree Mum has been teasingly requesting me to get married, and I would always teasingly tell her my destiny is to look after her and not some man, and she’d refuse that and said she wants to have grandchildren and I have to try hard to give her that. Well on that day after jokingly telling her I can’t get married because I have to look after her and she seriously told me my husband would look after her, so I push the joke aside and promised her I’ll try to fulfill her wish if she would only get well fast. It is my biggest regret I can’t fulfill that wish in her lifetime and no one would have known how my heart bleed when someone said at her funeral, it’s a shame she’ll never see her children married and have children of their own. Some people never know how thoughtless and insensitive their innocent comments could be, I guess.

Then my mind has also been swirling about this fairytale mom use to tell me when I was young. It was a long story, told to Mum by her grandmother as reward for pulling her grandma’s grey hair, so you can imagine how the story was dragged out so great grandma can get the most worth out of the story. I have an idea how to retell it with the protagonist who just lost her mother and in her nostalgia of recalling the story her late mother told her somehow stumble into the story itself. I have been trying to start writing it for days now, but as usual my muse stay silent, and stories are always harder on me than poetry. Well praying I can get this done, just for the satisfaction it’ll bring me.

I have also been thinking about Phil and I, I can’t believe it has been 2 years plus since we first said hello in the knighthood forum. Knighthood is already canceled but it has forged a strong bond for us. I have been meaning to write about us just to clarify it in my mind, but again my unfocused mind is not letting me write anything I want. I am amaze I get to write these few paragraphs today, that is how jumbled my mind has been these days.
Well I guess that is all for now. What the hell am I going to title it now? It is always a problem. LOL

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Idup coceles

I was barely 2 years old, and living in grandma’s house, a staunch UMNO supporter, and I was spouting Hidup Sosialis (Live on Socialist) taught by my dad who was in Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia then. It amuses him until now that I with my two years lisp would shout it loudly in a household and family who was pro-government, but that was how I was taught from the very beginning to always choose for myself what I feel right and not what the majority thought was right. Dad raised a rebel right from the start. All my life my dad taught me to look at things from all sides and he also taught me to look for things beneath the surface because so much is hidden if we are not taught to look, so many things easily manipulated so we are fooled, that it became second nature for me to think differently from others because my eyes saw different things than others.

Because of his lessons I was supplemented in my political intelligence so it took over the spoon feeding culture of our school and I always question everything that was told to me, so that I never take things at face value. As I grew up though, I noticed that I become too passionate about stuff that I care about that it threatens to overwhelm me, I put the brakes on and tried to be obsessed about natural teenagers stuffs like boy bands etc, and to my dad dismay I seem to limit my reading materials to romance novels, he is still upset I won’t read ‘The Lords of the Rims’. But I guess I chose to keep my sanity rather than be consume by a cause that will sapped the life out of me just by the fact I will be in the minority and it can take me to the end of my life without any result, so I chose to concentrate to personal causes I can win.

But from time to time, I will be affected especially when I see so many not seeing the right things, and I will speak up and then of course time and again be disappointed because not many could accept what I say because they weren’t expose to the same thing I was, wasn’t brought up the way I was, of course I’ll find a few who could agree, but too few to mention, so then again I decide to keep my peace ‘til the next time I am roused again. LOL

Phil was brought up in a different culture altogether, where how I was thought to think was an anomaly, in his it is the norm, and he is of the same mold of dad, you have to know and be aware of all these things and fight for the cause in any small way you can, both of them passionate but strong enough to not be consumed, so like dad, he does not really get it why someone like me choose to avoid or to be more accurate hide myself. So the way Phil sees it maybe she does not know what to read or what to look at, so he started giving me books, and pointed out news for me to look at, and yes I admit, I should try be like them, be aware yet not let it affect me too much, care but not let it be my whole life, which I must say is very difficult. But as Phil says, I am still growing up, so I will learn.

So for my friends, this few days I finally snapped and couldn’t keep my silence, if my opinion differ from yours, I hope you know, I come from a different angle altogether, not that I don’t respect your opinion but I am trying to give a different view which you might have missed. But I know everyone of you appreciate that others can disagree and not be frightened by it, because the right to having a different opinion is what being human is all about, there are times when we are individuals and there are times when we are part of a collective. Live and let live!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Playing with My Hair

One fine day as we were chatting on Skype, Phil linked me a youtube video, he is wont to link me things of interest from time to time. That day it was a how to video of different style of braids. I found out that to relax my man likes to watch hairstyling videos done by cute girls, LOL. But, I don’t know how he knows, I love to play with my hair, I learned to do French braids, French twist and stuff by watching others as I grew up. I never thought to go google it to learn more, so Phil gave me a whole afternoon of pleasure just going through one how to videos after another. It set me off learning all this different styles of braiding, and a whole few weeks of practicing it and it took my mind of missing him and worrying about my flight to UK, oh yes my honey really knows how to take my mind of things, one of the reason why I love him.

Ok, let’s get back to my story, yesterday Phil linked me a video of an interview of Ukrainian Opposition Leader, Yulia Timoshenko, apart from discussing her political troubles, I mentioned sheepishly to Phil that I like her hairstyle.



So lo and behold, Phil said let me dig up something for you, and he linked me a youtube video of how to do the hairstyle. The video was very easy to follow but it seems a bit complicated to me, so Phil linked up other videos of different way to approach it, bless him, instead of laughing at me for being such a girl and noticing the hairstyle instead of seriously discussing the issues he was trying to highlight, he understood and actually paid attention to my interest.



So here are different angles of how my first try at the braid turn out. I could use more practice and most probably a mirror, I did it while watching Merlin on tv, but I think it turn out quite nice.









Well thank you hun for being the man you are, it gave me hours of pleasure and yes took my mind of missing you so much. :)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Is it Worth it?

Sometimes I wonder
if it is worth
all this tears and heartache
all the agony of missing him
and
all the pain of longing for someone so faraway
trying to remember
what it felt like to feel
so alone
so lonely
so unwanted
so loveless
and I know that it is worth it,
because there will be an end
to the pain,
and the pleasure will be more appreciated
when its time come
and ‘til then
I’ll just bask
in the memory of
his smile
his loving eyes
and hold on
to our talk
on cyber space
‘til we meet again!

rya
26/6/11
12.12 a.m.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Windmills in my mind

I don’t know what to write actually or whether I should even write this, but my mind has been going round and round it since I have been back, I just can’t keep it straight anymore, I need the clarity that writing it out would give me. Phil’s friend keeps telling me that I got to learn to be selfish, that in life in order to get anywhere we have to think of ourselves first. He was telling me in regards of decisions I have to make in life especially in regards of what is good for my relationship with Phil. I know he sees it as easy as choosing what is advantageous for us rather than thinking of the good of everyone else. Well the thing is he sees it from his point of view, but in a way what I am choosing now is quite selfish, I am choosing what I want, to have him and to have my family happy with me, though in the end the one that is suffering for now is me. But all the compromise that I have been shown won’t give me what I really need and want, so I am being selfish for wanting it my own way and not willing to compromise that. I am lucky though that Phil is willing to accept that however it pains him and I guess that is why I love him so much and respect him for it, for that ability to see my point of view despite how it goes against the grain of his worldview.

Another thing that is whirling in my mind is Phil’s insistence of the freedom that I’ll have to face when I am with him and his wanting me to embrace it. As he sees it I am too confine now and that the freedom that will be mine will be a problem and I am in need of some training for it. But the funny thing is as he says that, I don’t think he sees what I am choosing now is because I have the freedom of choice of what I want, and he is the one who gave it to me, lol, an irony and the funniest dichotomy ever, what he sees as me being restricted to tradition and culture, I see as a freedom of choice that he keeps insisting I have. Well again, it shows me that however different a background we both come from, however different our worldview is because how our world shape us, we share a core similarity that will make sure we go through all our differences as easy and painless as possible. As day goes by, I am more sure than ever that this is meant to be and that we love each other enough to make it till the end of our journey, maybe not unscathed, but strong enough to withstand it all, insyaallah!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Missing and Longing



“We may only have tonight, but till the morning sun, you’re mine, all mine,” kept singing that over and over today. Heard Plain White T’s new single Rhythm of Love a few weeks before I went to UK, liked it, but today as it plays on the radio and my heart was in pain with missing him so much, it eases with the simple lyric and easy on the ear melody. As always when I don’t get to chat with him I miss him a little bit more than usual, nothing really helps till I get to chat with him again or get a short text, but both didn’t happen yet, but listening to the song again and again online helps. Thank god, it is never comfortable this hurting, and I think my eyes is relieve for the break it is giving me because true to the lyric, “all your tears will subside, all your tears will dry,” I have stop crying for the day.

I don’t know why I am missing him this much, it feels like a part of me is missing, boy is furious with me moping around all the time, but I can’t help it, it is just how I am feeling all the time now. Before I went back I ask for him to give me something to wear to remember him by, I was actually aiming at his chains, but I couldn’t do it, I knew how he loves it, but to have something he has worn so long, and on me all the time, would be cool. Instead he bought me clothes, lol. Well the t-shirt I wore home is good for everyday use, but not till sis noticed that I am kind of wearing it every day. Then when I sent that to the wash, I start wearing the cute dress he bought me, lol, which starts boy asking why am I wearing such a nice dress just to sent sis to the market? Well I can’t actually tell them it is because I miss him so much and I need him near, they will laugh or shake their head, so hun do u see how the chain would have been easier, lol.

Well till we don’t have to say we may only have tonight I guess I got to learn to cope better and trust that soon we will be together. I love you hun, so much!

p.s Plain White T's Rhythm of Love

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Letters to Mummy 8

Dear Mummy,

I am in mess, both body and mind. I know the last post I made was a part 1 of my visit to Phil. I was supposed to write many more, but I got too busy and too tired to write. I am home now, I am happy I am home, I missed the family, the food, but at the same time I am extremely sad. I hate leaving him Mum and I hate that it is for indefinitely. We were supposed to get married this year, but financially it is just not doable, and the postponement hurts. I can’t bear to be without him anymore, but I can’t see a way out. He can, but he understand why I can’t and it is tearing us apart that it is me that is not making it possible. I know I have to talk to Dad and sees what he thinks, but I don’t know how Mom, since you are not around he has not been in the best of mood, and you know I don’t deal well with Dad. Phil don’t get it why I am so scared to talk to Dad, to his observation Dad is not a monster and he doesn’t get it why a 35 years old still cringe thinking of asking her dad stuff. But you know Mom, you and Adik has always been my buffer, Dad and I we are too alike, that we actually rubbed each other the wrong way sometime, and I have learnt to fear the consequences, he can hurt me like no one else can, with just a word, and he can comfort me like no one else can, with just a smile. Mom, I miss you, I miss talking to you, sounding you out before talking to Dad, having you intervene if things get too tense, Mummy, I need you, now!

I know it is not fair, but there’s no one I could turn to anymore. I know Phil has my back, but I know in this he is not objective either, Mummy, I don’t know what to do. Mummy, I need you!

I am sorry. I shouldn’t do this. But I am that lost now, Mom, I can’t stop crying, I can’t stop thinking, but the thing is I can’t make myself talk to anyone, alive that is. I am just too scared and my mind to scattered to make myself heard right. Had a long talk with Phil, but it just get short of an argument, with him going back to his prodding method trying to get me motivated, and thank god I am calm, or is it passively tired enough, not to rise to his trolling, because I don’t think I could handle a fight right now. It would be just the thing to just push me all right, but I don’t think it will be the direction he wants me to go. I don’t know Mom, right now I feel like I am being pulled in two directions, and that soon I might just fall apart. All I am doing now is praying for strength and clarity, but neither seems to be coming in just yet. So I write to you, which make most question my sanity anyway, but what else can I do. I can’t let this starts tearing holes in my mind, trying to sort itself out. I don’t know if it is the best idea to do, but it is the only thing I can do. Forgive me!

Along

Sunday, May 29, 2011

My Visit Part 1

It finally happened, I get to visit Phil instead of him visiting me. (Now that I have been through the long flight and transit, I apologize hun, it was horrid, and you went through that three times, ouch!) It was an experience, first time I travel alone, all my life I have been sheltered, even when I was in boarding school I only had to take the bus alone from kl once, mostly dad picked me up for the holidays. When I am not so tired I might write the things I had observed and experienced on the flight, but let's just say, it wrecked me inside out.

Throughout the plane ride to UK I was nervous with anticipation and impatient for it to end. By the time I arrived I was a bundle of nerves, and too tired to actually enjoy it fully. But what I can say I was inspired when looking out of the plane's window I saw a blanket of thick clouds that at times looks like a vast ocean and at other times seems like a beautiful valley, and once we descended and got past the cloud my first sight of Manchester was beautiful, it is so green, what came into my mind, and the tiny little houses were adorable. But then the long wait for the passport check and the longer search for my bag, I was ready to faint, countless of times of staring at the carousel for my bag after a glimpse of it while I was getting to the carousel, but then it never came out again, I think after about half an hour of inspecting each bag even though it is of different style and colour than mine, I finally thought to checked out the bags that I saw someone had lined up nicely on the other side of the carousel, and straight away I saw it and saying to myself how stupid can I get. Well that was why by the time I saw Phil with a bouquet of flowers, though I registered it and thought it was damn sweet (btw hun that was the first time anyone gave me flowers), I barely could thank him because I was holding on to him for dear life afraid my dizziness would turn into a faint, which would have been embarrassing.

Well I guess that is about it for now, will be writing when I have the chance, thought I get this down while it is still fresh, have fun everyone, I surely aim to. :)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Goodbye Knighthood. ;(

(One of my favorite avatar on KH)


Hmm, I started the day quite fresh, happy and was sleepily watching American Idol. Then I had to go out to pay bills and nearly was hit by another car as I was making my way out of my housing area, shook me to the core, one more day before I make my way to see Phil and his family and I nearly died.

I have been having mix feelings about tomorrow, I am supremely excited to go a bit nervous of course but at the same time the game that is the major reason why I am going tomorrow is ending its run. Knighthood helped me at the time I needed it most and then introduced me to the love of my life and brought so many interesting and kind people to the sphere of my existence and to think it is going to end without me ever taking my Marquise to war is real sad. Only people who have played Knighthood would know what a huge impact that game has had on our lives. I still remember the thrill of attacking and seizing every time I hear Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, because that was one of the songs I listened to when warring, I was glad I had the chance to war on Chivalry and KH MySpace, and as I said my biggest regret was not warring with the original KH, but by the time I knew enough to war I was too scared to go, a personal phobia that I am very sad I can’t overcome now that it is ending.

I don’t think I would ever have the sense of fun and camaraderie and intense competition that I have had playing Knighthood. I shall miss it and shall ever be grateful for its existence because my chance encounter of playing it helped me through the worse depression I have yet to face and then as a bonus it threw in a Knight to share my journey in life. So I guess thanks for all the good times and memories. Goodbye!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Letters to Mummy 7

Dear Mummy,

I was going to visit you yesterday, but as usual something happened and stopped me from visiting. I so wanted to go, I guess it is kind of silly to actually think I need to be at your grave physically to tell you of my upcoming visit to Phil. I know I could just whisper it and you’ll hear no matter where I am, but I haven’t been there for quite a while now, and I miss you Mum. I have been crying a lot lately, when I think of you, so many things are happening in my life that I want you to share, that I need you to know, and it hurts that I couldn’t.

So Mum I just want your blessing and please watch over me on my long journey, I’ll be travelling alone for the first time, and to be honest, though I am excited, I am terrified. I would have done anything in this world to have you calmly telling me that everything will be alright now, I miss you so much!

I’ll try to visit you when I come home. ‘Til then, Alfatihah.

Love,
Along

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Get It Right

I was watching Glee because sis was watching it. Little did I know I would listen to a song that strikes a chord in me, the original song Get It Right, touched how I am feeling most of the time now. The chorus:-

What can you do
When your good isn't good enough
And all that you touch tumbles down
Cause my best intentions
Keep making a mess of things
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take
Oh how many times will it take
For me to get it right
To get it right

I quoted this to Phil, and he was like, kind of depressing isn’t it? But I guess with how I am most of the time now it aptly describes my feelings. How I wish I could just turn around and fix all my mistakes, and that my best effort would pay, but I don’t have a magic wand, and life does not work that way. Somehow I have to find the strength to go on, and face the consequences of my mistakes, when all my instincts tell me to roll up and cry. But I can’t, so as usual I get up, and try my best to wade through all the muck I have made of my life and I am grateful that I don’t have to do it alone, my loved ones, thank god for them, would be holding out their hand to drag me out of this quagmire. Lord help…

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day! Though to be honest, that greeting feels kind of hollow to me this year. It also make me sad, because for a couple of years I have been meaning to write about Mum, how above all odds she was the greatest mother to us children, but postponing it year after year because of writer’s block, and now it hurts too much to write it because Mummy won’t be able to read it. I miss her still, and funnily enough though time has tried to do its work, the pain still hurts as much, just that it has become familiar and not in the way anymore. Life is moving on for us of course, nothing stops, and problems are still there to be faced, changes coming to be dealt with but at the back of my mind thoughts, memory and longing lingers. I miss you Mummy, I wished it could have been another year of cakes and flowers but I know you know we love you so much wherever you are now.

Adieu for now, the tears are coming down too heavily to continue. Till next time, have fun!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rambling on!

I don’t know why, but I have been super stressed out lately not to mention extremely sad. Phil has been extremely sweet this couple of weeks, and I should be happy, he spend a lot of time making sure he chats with me, I mean really chat, instead of just hi hun, how are doing, I really got to do my chores in wow, catch ya later, we talk and as always he really knows how to make up for those breezy chats. I guess I am antsy about the trip, worrying things would go wrong and I wouldn’t be able to go and couldn’t see him, I am having nightmares about it. I miss him so much, and the constant pain is like my best friend now, a familiar ache that just wouldn’t go away. If anyone would have told me that love hurts this much, I wouldn’t have been praying for it. Well as I wrote long ago, if you never taste pain you wouldn’t know what pleasure is. Well as always, limited pc time, so ‘til I get inspired to write, have a good time. :)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Letters to Mummy 6

Dear Mummy,

Tomorrow is your birthday, and I am feeling so sad. No longer do I need to think what cake to get you this year, you loved your cakes so much, and each year it was fun thinking what you would enjoy. It was also fun locating the most practical gift to give you, you always had this weird fond smile when you opened my gifts, I knew you wanted frivolous stuff from me sometime, but I leave that to the sibs, practical is the way I roll, when you can read, books you like, when your eyes gave you problems, it is stuff like bags to keep your combs, pill boxes, things you can use. I miss that, thinking what to get you and searching for it.

The rose plant dad gave you for your anniversary last year is blooming it single red rose, as if it knows tomorrow is your birthday and how much you love blooming roses. Mummy we are moving on though we miss you so much, that we have to learn to face each moments lost now that you are not here and it still hurts, like the other day, I went to trim my hair and I cried on the way back because I would never have to bring you to trim yours anymore. So I asked Phil, would it always be this way that each moments lost to me would hurt? I don’t know Mom, but know that I will always try to honour your memory by going on strongly as you did in your life; I love you Mummy, Happy Birthday!

Along

Friday, March 25, 2011

Hurting

You did it out of love
worried that I have lost my way,
I guess it hurt you to hurt me,
but was I so lost,
that it needed
that big a shock,
that big a hurt?
My eyes still sore
from two days of crying,
knew you wouldn’t apologize,
but because a hug
can’t be given,
can’t I at least get a
sorry for making you cry hun
plus the ‘you so needed that’
because I love you so much
the hurt multiplies
what would have stung
bled
what would have bled
festered
know that I know
it was done out of love
still didn’t take away the pain

rya
10.50 p.m.
21 March 2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Help!

I don’t know where else to turn. Only to you, the Almighty could help me now. I have royally screwed up my life and I have no idea how to fix it. You have given me glimpses of how great my future could be, but this could put a halt to everything. Oh Lord, only to you could I ask to make this burden easier, because right now I don’t see a way out of this mess. The eternal silence of that dark deep place is tempting now, so tempting, but hopefully my faith in you and my love to my beloveds would keep me safe from it. But Lord, I am really at the end of my rope, I am confuse, worried, guilty, and so many other things. Could you please show me the way out. I need to hope that things would turn out all right, that happy future you showed me glimpses of is possible. I know Lord, I haven’t done the best that I can, and I have gotten lost so often, but I have faith in Your love and it keeps me hanging on. Please, could you show me the way because I am truly lost.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Letters to Mummy 5

Dear Mummy,

He made me cry today, I think for the first time since we knew each other. I have cried before because of him, but mainly because I miss him too much or he ignored all my whispers in WoW, but today i cried because he hurt me, and I don’t like it Mum. I don’t like people having the power to hurt me like that when they hold my heart in their hand. It is too painful, and you are not here to hug the pain away.

It was just a stupid joke; I know that but it being a joke did not take the sting of the hurt from that statement. I love him Mum, so much, but today reminded me how much those you love have the power to hurt you. I need you Mummy, I need you to tell me it is alright, I need you to hug me, I just need you! Abang is already asking why I am crying, I can’t tell him Mum, you know how defensive he gets about me.

Well Mummy, as usual I don’t have the computer time to actually write you a long letter, so I guess that is it for now. I miss you so much!

Along

Friday, March 18, 2011

My Prayer


once upon a lonely night
i whispered a desperate plea
to the constant best friend
in my life,
Lord,
i said,
know that i am grateful
for all You have given me
and i accept everything
with the grace You have bestowed,
but,
would it be too much
to ask for a companion
to accompany me on this hard
lonely road you have set me,
someone wise
so he can guide me
someone with humour
so he can laugh with me and make me laugh
someone kind
so he’ll be gentle with my capricious mood
someone with the strength of heart
so he can take all the blows we’ll face
and Lord,
if it is not too much
can he sing too?

Well now after another lonely night,
all i can say Lord,
thank you, Alhamdulillah,
my lonely nights are because of missing
that someone You sent,
my prayers You answered so spectacularly,
but the singing was too much to ask, eh?


rya
18 March 2011
7.25 a.m.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Who?

there are times like now
when things are coming at me
too fast
everything is hurling its way
onto a collision course
with my troubled mind
I just need to
hear you say
I got you
don’t worry
I got your back
who do I depend on
now
Mum?

rya
15 March 2011
12.54 a.m.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Whispers

Each night as the moon shines on,
ushering dreamers on their journey
to dreamland,
I whispered to the breeze
to sent my longing to you,
not even the sweetest dream
could assuage my love starved heart,
however bright the moon shines
it couldn't light the darkness
in me
alone without you,
so as the wind blows on its journey,
on a wing of a prayer
I sent my love to you,
in hope that soon
the moon would be shining for us
at the same time in the same place
while we dream the same dream!


rya
13 March 2011
1.45 a.m.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Letters to Mummy 4

Dear Mummy,

I don’t know Mummy how healthy is it for me to write to you. I know I am basically writing to the ether, and I don’t know if this is what Phil would call my not accepting that you are gone and still wanting you to be here. But Mummy I don’t know why, I find from time to time I have this need to talk to you, I tried writing down what I am thinking but I couldn’t , it only work when I write to you, like if I can’t talk to you writing to you is the next best thing. I don’t know how things work your end, how it is like, I know there’s literature covering afterlife but let’s face it no one knows for sure, and those who knows can’t come back to tell us about it. I am just hoping somehow this would get to you because Mom, no one listens as well as you. I have been missing you so much, you were always there when I am hurt, you never ask, except be there for me, and understanding me, and lately I seem to be too sensitive and get hurt more often than usual. I am also too snappish, there’s an underlying anger that seem to simmer and I am afraid when it does blow up I’d do terrible damage. Mummy you know how unstable my emotion could get, before I could always rely on you to hold me back or reel me in, but who is going to do that now, Dad have very little patient with my ups and downs, Adik has her own ups and downs to deal with and Abang is too young, I know I have Phil, but he is so far away and at times too tired or too engrossed in WoW to actually noticed that I am at the brink of emotional disaster. Dad said he lost his anchor when he lost you, I not only lost an anchor Mom, I lost my stabilizer, my sympathizer and my haven. Who do I go to now when I feel so lost and unsure? Who will make sure that I always come home when I wonder too far in my mind? Who is going to threaten me with a long bamboo so that I’d behave when I go too far? This couple of days I have never felt so alone, Mummy, I tried reaching out, to Phil, to the family, but no one noticed, you wouldn’t have missed my call for help Mom, I wouldn’t have to call even, you’d immediately know and be there for me. I am tired of crying mummy, I want to be able to smile again and I want not to be too sensitive that stupid stuffs hurt me. Basically I want to be happy again Mom, I know I promised to let you go, to let you rest, but Mummy it is so hard. You were everything to me, and now that you are gone I am like kite with no string, flying endlessly nowhere with no direction, no ties, just blowing with the wind waiting to crash down to earth, broken.

I miss you Mummy!

Along

Monday, February 28, 2011

Letters to Mummy 3

Dear Mummy,
Today would have been your 36th wedding anniversary, it makes me recall all your story of how you met dad and dad telling me why he married you and stuff. As you know Phil was here for almost three weeks, it gave us time to discuss what we are going to do. He asked me why I want to be with him after I told him of the reason why dad married you mom, Phil ask am I with him for the same reason. He caught me there for a moment, I couldn’t give him what I really felt because I was too shy to blurt it out, so I gave him the obvious answer, I told him we click, we just feel so right for each other. But the truth is, one lonely night over 2 or three years ago, I cried and broke down and begged God to send me a companion, someone who would complete me in every way and be my guide as I go through this journey of mine, and He answered my prayers. Phil is everything that I asked and more except that he can’t really sing (LOL, God knows I was kind of joking when I ask that), and as I contemplate your marriage mom, I am wondering if I would be as wise as you had been. Would I be happy? And I know both Phil and you would sing Que Sera Sera off-key to me. What will be, will be, eh? Since Phil went back I have been feeling sad again, and missing both of you so much, Phil told me to look to the future, making plans for it would make me happier, but Mom I never thought I would be without you when I get to realized all my big future life plan. Now that I have to accept that you will not be my side as I make all this life changes, it is hitting me hard Mom, I miss you so much. Will I always feel this way, Mom? Every time something happens, would I feel that it is not complete because you wouldn’t be there to see it? Mummy I don’t know what to do, my heart longs for you, or is it just too soon and my life is moving too fast that I am just confused. Well I guess I have to just take it one day at a time, I love you Mummy.

Along

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Letters to Mummy 2

Dear Mummy,
I went to visit you on your 101st day; I went with Daddy, Adik, Abang, Auntie Jen and Phil of course. Dad planted a new plant for you, we fixed up the old ones, I think the rain was washing it away, and then we tried to clean up your grave. Phil couldn’t stay long at the gravesite, the ants were eating him alive, I was kind of disappointed, because I wanted him to be there beside me as I let you go. I didn’t know if I had the strength to do it alone, somewhere deep in my heart I still have that longing of wanting you back, but I knew it was about time I have to let you go, let you be in peace and know that I’ll be alright, and I really needed his strength then. Well it look I was strong enough alone after all, it took a lot Mummy to say goodbye to you that day, and I was alone and I nearly couldn’t, but I guess you raised a strong girl after all Mummy. I still miss you a lot, but I have come to accept that you have moved on to a better place and that I need to move on too. I love you, Mummy.

Love,
Along

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Letters to Mummy

I never had a heart to heart with Mummy, unlike Adik who’d talk to Mum about countless of stuff for hours on end. Daddy is my sounding board, right I admit I am daddy’s girl. But today as my mind was wondering if Phil has packed or not and gone to sleep so he’d be fresh for his long flight tomorrow, I wish I could talk to Mum about stuff. I have put on hold the reminiscing because I am still not where I should be to go through that journey, but the need to talk to Mum is overwhelming, so I am going to write a letter and on wings of a prayer hope it’ll reach her somehow.

Dear Mummy,
I barely could sleep last night I was so excited. It has been months since I could smile let alone laugh without a tinge of sadness creeping in. Abang kept saying that I don’t look sad, that I don’t seem to miss you as much as he does, but what I can I say, Mummy, you taught me too well how to hide my emotion from everyone else. If only they know how hard it is for me not to bawl every second of the day, I miss you so much. How I wish it is you again cooking the Nasi Minyak and Rendang tomorrow to welcome Phil, but I guess it was good that you taught Adik how to do both because as you know I never remember, as I don’t remember how to make Ikan Sarak, I have seen you do it so many time, you taught me once or twice, but the Ikan Kembong daddy bought will only be Ikan Bakar with Air Asam.

There will a lot of changes I have to deal with soon, Mummy, you know how I hate changes, I don’t deal well with them. Now who is going to be beside me as I ride through them, Mummy I miss you! I never knew how you being there always gave me so much strength. Remember how I used to call you up at 6 o’clock every evening from UPM, till everyone in college thought I had a boyfriend whom I call every day, they can’t comprehend that I have to call you up just to hear your voice, telling me you are ok, and how that give me strength to go on and fight and stay sane. I miss looking after you, it gave me a purpose, kept me sane, actually at certain points it kept me alive. You must wonder why I never once tried suicide like Adik did, the truth is mom, the thought of leaving you without me to care for you stopped my suicidal instinct every time. Now who is going to be my anchor, Mum? Adik is getting better every day, she is finally growing up, Abang misses you a lot, but he will be alright, he’ll grow up strong and handsome, dad is dad, he never needs looking after, just someone to pamper him, so I am lost Mum, what do I do? People tell me it is finally time to live my own life. I am trying hard Mum, really hard. Phil is helping me along, but Mummy I am scared. The road is unknown to me, can I walk it Mum? Without you?

I am sorry to bother you with all this questions. I just miss you Mum, if you were here, I wouldn’t have to ask, you’d know and you’d just look and give me a hug and I’ll be ok. But learning to walk on my own and stand up alone is hard Mum, I know dad never helped when I fall, because he wants me to be independent but he also knows if I ever needed it you’d be there for me, now I truly have to walk alone. Well I guess that is all for now, I love you Mummy, I miss you so much.


Along

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I Miss You Mummy 9



Every time I crossed the Temerloh Bridge and staring at the undulating Pahang River there is always the sense of peace and everything right in my life. Why? I don’t know actually. But I guessed it has to be connected with an incident that mom and dad like to tell me every time we cross the bridge. When I was young mom often would be hospitalized, usually in Johor, because that was where the doctor of the then Sultan of Pahang recommended was posted. Mom was hospitalized 7 days after I was born and then again after 40 days Adik was born. Dad of course will stay with uncle Nizar or Abah Abib in Johor to look after mom, leaving me (at first, then with Adik) with Tok Jamilah in Chenor.

I guessed being so young I didn’t understand why my parents would leave me, not that Tok didn’t take good care of us, but I just can’t helped feeling abandoned by Mom and Dad. I guess when I was left at 2 and a half with 40 days Adik, I was more aware of it and able to show my confusion and displeasure. The story goes when Mom and Dad came back to pick us up after Mom was discharged I refuse to be held or even speak to both my parents. There I sat quietly in the back seat of the car, silent, and if anyone knows me, a silent me is very unusual, I usually talk a mile a minute and most of them in question form, so Mom kept looking back at me willing me to speak, I don’t know how awful I made her feel, but I guess someone that young won’t have learnt empathy yet, it was when we were crossing the bridge and me staring at the river meandering slowly that I suddenly turn and say “Mummy, Daddy.” Mum said it was as if I just recognized that the adults who took me were my parents. It was as if I crossed a bridge in my mind as we were crossing the physical bridge. I guess that is why I always love crossing that bridge and why I have a deep love for the Pahang River.

Talking about the river reminds me of Mom’s unfinished opus, she was writing the story of her life, of how she grew up beside the Pahang River and how her life has meander the way the river meanders. She called it “Meandering River”, she wrote out a chapter when I was 14, her recollection of her first year of marriage and her pregnancy with me, how difficult it was for her, I read it and it made me cry. I didn’t know how hard it was for her and she wrote it so beautifully that it really tugs the heart string. Mom never continued it though because subsequently whenever she starts to continue writing it signal another relapse, until whenever mom talk about her book, we know it is a signal of her oncoming relapse, another hospital stay. I wish she could have finished it, that would have given me something of hers to read again and again, and sadly enough even that chapter she wrote is gone now, after so many moves. I don’t know maybe one day we could finish it for her, but it’ll never be the same, I miss u mummy!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

I miss you Mummy 8


Anyone who knows me, know that I am allergic to my middle name. I really can’t take it when people call me Rita, it gives me the shivers and the feeling that I am in deep trouble, thanks to growing up naughty and having Mom scream to the whole world, RITA!!!!! Well when I hear that particular scream, I know like I have 3 seconds to get myself home and go face Daddy’s judgement, lol, cause Mom never scream for me unless Dad is home and very upset that I am not home yet. What can I say, I fancied myself an adventurer when I was young, so I spend the whole day exploring even places that is forbidden for me, so when the scream sounded I know I deserve whatever scolding I am going to get.

Well before I go further with that I better tell how I got my middle name and how before Adik comes along and I got stuck with the moniker Along, I was called by my middle name by family and family friends who has known me when I was in diapers. When I was born Dad was Editor of a new entertainment magazine called, Rita, so I was named after the magazine. From the moment I was named, dad calls me Rita and so that was how I was known and presented to the world. It was ok I guess, no kid has a choice on their name, we don’t come out carrying a name card saying here is what I prefer to be called, lol. But as I grow up and especially after Adik came 2 and half years later and family starts addressing me as Along ( a nickname given to the eldest), Rita frequently become – oh you are in so much trouble – name. I don’t know why Mom did not follow every other moms who will call their children’s full name when they are in trouble, but then again, thinking about it I am never around when mom needs to scold me, lol, I think screaming my full name would have been really hard, lol, so RITA!!!!!!! Is easier for her, and you guys trust me she has such a loud frightening way of screaming my name till now a mere mention of the name has me shaking in my boots still. :)

So I never failed to mention to people I meet to never call me Rita, though Yasleh is effectively my family name and shared with both my siblings, I will still tell friends to call me Yasleh or Yas. The funny thing is, a lecturer who really took to heart that I am scared of my middle name, insisted in calling me Rita despite several request from me not to. A friend commented that the lecturer is intimidated by me and thinks she need all the advantage she can get, lol, which makes me retort, intimidated by little old me, I am the kindest student she’ll ever have, lol.

So that is why I hate being called Rita, by the way I still have to endure when meeting relatives and old family friends. But you know what I’d give the world to just hear Mom scream RITA!!!! One more time. I miss you Mummy!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I Miss You Mummy 7

Five days into the New Year, and I haven’t been able to write, helped Phil edit out his blog post, though I left his spelling alone, it’s too cute, but myself, I am stuck. It is weird entering a new year without mom, I made no resolution not even an unofficial one, and I think if not for Phil and the family I would not even think of the future. Adik kept saying she feels hollow, that without Mummy something big is missing, Abang is still having problem going to sleep, wanting Mummy. I kept trying to bolster their spirit, telling them to move forward, and I am doing such a good job that at one point or others both have asked me if I don’t feel as bad as them, that I seem to be missing Phil more and telling them that almost every day. Well what I couldn’t say is why I need Phil and miss him so much, they’d be upset, saying I can depend on them as much as they depend on me, the thing is I need Phil to be what I am to my sibs, someone I can lean on and cry on without feeling guilty, being the eldest is hard, no one bigger to lean on and when dad is carrying a much bigger burden it is a wonder that I have Phil to go to. He has been great and it is amazing how much he helped being so far away and why I am counting the days till he is here in February.

I have tried so many times to write down more of my memories, but it gets harder each time. I got to see Kak Limah before she flew off to Turkey; we went out for breakfast at Singgahanrasa with a friend who was visiting her. Every time I started a story I kept saying Mum used to… up to a point Kak gently point out I shouldn’t keep mentioning Mum, she is afraid that I won’t and can’t move on, if I keep doing it. But actually, the more I talk about Mum and remembering, it gets easier to let go, Phil is right, it helps ease the pain though very hard to do without crying at first.

So though I can’t see beyond tomorrow for me right now having Phil by my side is a blessing I have not appreciated fully, I don’t think I would have survived the end of last year, not when all my strongest support all this while needed me more than I could have stand alone, which thank God, I was not. So hun I don’t know if I told you how much I appreciated you being there for me, that even though you were not here physically, I felt your presence throughout and it helped me go on, thank you. So whatever comes in the future I guess I will be all right as long as you are by my side. :)

Happy New Year! I miss you mummy!