Saturday, January 23, 2016

‘Why must it happen again?

                                                                                               Author: lyubenov.com
Image: A Couple on their Wedding Day (here)

Splashed over the news that many had anticipated. Not for a juicy story but more out of sympathy.

‘Why must it happen again? Many kept asking

Once bitten twice shy so it had been said. But now it had happened again. It had been brewing in the social media but now confirmed

‘Corporate figure seen leaving the family court teary-eyed' went the headline

His wife had been awarded the equivalent of a decree nisi. Though there were still hopes for the husband but she was adamant. She was contending for an absolute divorce given time.

The husband is a successful businessman wealthy and good looking. His first marriage was also to a beautiful young actress 10 years ago very much his junior. It broke the hearts of many young suitors.

Local tradition required newly-weds to be seated on a dais to be ogled at. The twinkle in her eyes and her captivating smile none could forget It was dubbed the wedding of the year a gala event All were for the wedding.

But it was not to be. Two years later they were divorced. She had a son.! She then went back to acting again with some notable ones to her credit. She was still in demand, popular pretty and prim.

He went back to his calling. setting new directions for his business and reviewing plans It gave him the respite to work wholeheartedly for what he thought had been ‘neglected'.

She in the meantime was not bitter. She maintained good relations, especially with her twin sisters-in-law. The family even took her along on holidays.

But still a man without a woman's touch would feel restless and lonely. It went on for four years. He then announced a shocker one day. He had just been betrothed to an actress and marriage plans were being worked on.

She was just as pretty and young. The current #1 actress in the local scene. A pretty face her's had adorned the many publicity ads and promotions on TV and the print media. It was a coup and again it broke the hearts of the young suitors. Wonder what he had that we did not, they kept saying!

Fast forward three years with two children in tow and there he was walking out of the family court

A corporate success who had it made overriding the many employees of caliber. It was just inconceivable that he failed to maintain harmony in just a family unit. .Were there interference and meddling by third parties?

Was it the first ex-wife with the connivance of the twins? There were some nasty Whatsapp messages that went the rounds prior to the divorce but vehemently denied. There was also a substantial flow of messages purportedly from the mother-in-law that gave accounts of the sins of the second wife. These appeared credible as only she was privy to many of the events mentioned. All were in defense of her son at the expense of the wife.

Was it he himself wanting yet to ‘debauch' a pretty face telling the whole world he could do it again. Would there be a third actress wife in the offing?

We can only mention what goes around comes around! Nothing haunts quite like Karma!
(540 words)

For Sanaa's A Dash of Sunny   -  Prompt Nights
 – Nothing haunts quite like Karma

Monday, July 8, 2013

The Sovereign's Parade 1960

Image:1 The Arrival of His Excellency the Prime Minister, YAM Tunku Abdul Rahman
graciously received by The Commandant, Lt Col R L King

Image:2 The Arival of His Royal Highness the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Munawir

 Image:3 His Majesty The DYMM The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the Raja of Perlis

Image:4 His Majesty Going Over for the Inspection
The Inspection done on a Royal vehicle as the parade in Port Dickson took place on the College Padang which had to cover lots of ground ( unlike that of the Parade Square in Sg Besi which is smaller where it was done on foot)

 Image: 5 The Inspection of the Guard of Honor, comprising the Senior Cadets

 Image:6 The Inspection of The Boys Wing. The image was taken from up on the ridge at the MQ

 Image: 7 His Majesty taking the Royal Salute

Image: 8 The March Past by the Band. The MQ in the background


 Image:9 The March Past by the Cadets

 Image: 10-The March Past by 'G' Coy

Image: 11 The DYMM Yang DiPertuan Agong presenting the Director's of Studies Prize (for Academic Excellence) to 'G' Coy's SUO Salleh Mohd Nor of Upper Six Science ( a brilliant scholar, who hailed from Juasseh, Kuala Pilah later Tan Sri,Dr. who once helmed the Forest Research Institute, and currently the Malaysian Nature Society and countless other NGOs )

Image: 12 The Passing Out of the Senior Cadets accompanied with the strains of the Auld Lang Syne

The Sovereign’s Parade is a most auspicious day for the Royal Military College (RMC). It is an annual event held at the end of the year. The Sovereign’s Parade as the name suggests is graced with the Royal presence of the King, the DYMM Yang DiPertuan Agong who would confer the designated royal commissions to the graduating Senior Cadets.

It is a passing-out parade, the culmination of a 2-year training stint for the Senior Cadets. They are commissioned into the Armed Forces as a young subaltern officer with the rank of a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army ( or its equivalent in the Navy and Air Force )

In 1960, the then Federation Military College (FMC) comprised the Cadet Wing and the Boys Wing (now Cawangan Putra). In the Sovereign’s Parade 1960 ( as in all others until recently), the Boys Wing was accorded the privilege and honour of active participation together with the Cadet Wing.

This is a pictorial essay based on pictures in Hank's possession. It provides just a glimpse of what happened, just a little of the dignified pomp and pageantry, an event steeped in the tradition and ceremony of the military, just a record to say that ‘I was there 50 years ago in the Sovereign’s Parade in Port Dickson’.

Hank, x-12916, G Coy
(60 - 64)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

My Brother's Charges

These pictures were taken many years ago at various locations. 

Nostalgia Series #5
Dec 1974: Ipoh
Image1: Pak Andak Ghafar with Ebby
Image2: Mak Andak 
Munah with Ebby
Image3: Mak Lang Shadah (comel and slim) 
Munah with Ebby and Sabariah
Dec 1974: K.Pilah
Image1: Adura and Amri at Grandma's
(the house now in ruins)
Dec 1975: Ipoh
Image1 : Adura with Ebby
 Image2: Amri playing downstairs


June1978: PJ

Image1: Pak Teh Razak,Hafee,
Dayang,Ebby and Amri
in Section 14 PJ

 Image2: Adura,Dayang,Ebby and Amri

 Image3: Dayang found something on Pak Teh's car


 Image4: Amri,Ebby and Dayang

                                                         
June 1979 PJ
Image1:Mak Lang Shadah,
Hafee,Adura and Ebby


June1981 TTDI    
                                                 
Image1: Hafee,Alifi,Dayang and Adura
Back Row: Alizi,Amri and Ebby



Oct 1982 TTDI

Image1: Amri,Alizi,Faiz,Adura and Dayang


Image2: Azlan all by himself



Apr 1985 Ampang Park
(even A. Park is no more now)
Image1: Nana and Azlan


Image2: The 2 again


Image3: Ebby and someone


Image4: Amri and Azlan


Image5: Amri and Dayang


Image6: Azlan and Nana 
(with green puting at her mouth)


Image7: The 2 again still 
with the green puting


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Merdeka Day


Image1: Our first Prime Minister YAM Tengku Abdul Rahman being received upon arrival in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of Merdeka in 1982
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Utusan Malaysia)



Image2: FDC of the Silver Jubilee 1957-1982



Image3: Souvernir Sheet of the 4 stamps

FDC Series # 01/11 – Silver Jubilee of Merdeka 1957-1982


Merdeka Day ( Aug 31st) and Malaysia Day (Sept 16th )

For this year, 2011,we’re celebrating both the 2 auspicious days jointly on Sept 16, 2011 ie  The 54th Anniversary of Independence, Merdeka Day and the 48th Anniversary of the formation of Malaysia, Malaysia Day.

I do not wish to dwell on the details relating to both these important days. It could be dealt with at other forums that are available. One can google for Wikipedia to get a fair picture.

What triggered off the idea for this posting was a pictorial report in a local daily of our first Prime Minister, YAM Tengku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj who was shown  on the occasion of the 25th Merdeka  Anniversary in 1982 (see above) it being the Silver Jubilee 1957-82 of Merdeka.

 I thought it would be meaningful for me to rummage through my collections of FDCs (First Day Covers) to see if there is one. True enough, I have it. In fact not just one but a few, 25 pieces altogether.  I have given some away during the recent Hari Raya which fell on Aug 30th ( in appreciation of those who came visiting ) Each of these FDCs issued on Aug 31st 1982 is ‘29 years old’. I wonder how much is the value now. Not much I think but there is a difference from what I had paid definitely.  

There were a 10,15,50 and 80cts stamps affixed and cancelled at the Philatelic Bureau at Dayabumi  ( a special cancellation unlike at other Post Offices) There was also a special issue of all the 4 stamps in a Souvenir sheet at RM1.55 per set. Altogether I would have spent RM 1.55 for the Souvenir Sheet and RM1.65 for the FDC ( including 10ct for the envelope) making a total of RM3.20cts per set.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

A Lizard






Image1: A Leopard Gecko
(Photo Credit, courtesy of Google)



Image2: A Leopard Gecko being handled by a pet owner
(Photo Credit, courtesy of Google)



Image3: I found this little creature in the backyard one morning. It is just a common lizard in the bush called cengkarung (of no monetary value)


The Elusive Cure

I happened to run smack into a little creature on the stalk of my papaya tree. I took some snapshots at different times but mostly for two mornings

It’s been variously described as an animal holding out. Its ancestors were dated to the dinosaurs' era. It’s distant cousins are the alligators , fresh water crocodiles,monitor lizards, the desert dhab and the Komodo dragon.

Interestingly enough, all these ‘cousins’ were known to us before. They  were either to be avoided (alligators and crocodiles) treated with respect or considered a nuisance (house lizards) or even as barbecued offerings for those adventurous enough and not squeamish about having them for dinner.

What was surprising was that in recent times one of these geckos have been adopted as pets . They came in different colours and texture and traded and exchanged among pet owners. Not enough with that a report recently had them as a cure for AIDS and priced accordingly at close to USD1000 or even double that in the Philippines.

What people will pay for the elusive cure!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Azhar Growing Up!


A Recent Snapshot: Azhar with his office colleague Syam

Nostalgia Series #4
These are selected snapshots of Azhar. I have a lot of coloured slides gathering dust in one corner. I decided to post some selected ones here (which otherwise Azhar himself might not even have seen , especially the earlier ones)
1988 TTDI K. Lumpur
Very modest 1st birthday cake-cutting
From Left: Hank, Azhar cutting the cake and Hafidz

1988 Subang Airport
Azhar snugly in his pram awaiting embarkation to the USA

At the airport lounge
1988 Japan
Transit in a Tokyo hotel awaiting connecting flight in the evening. 
Azhar with his mama, Shadah

1988 Chicago's O'Hare Airport, USA
Awaiting connecting flight to Orlando, Florida with brother Hafidz.  
Azhar gleefully holding his boarding pass

1988 At the Epcot Centre, Disney World, Orlando, Florida
Saying 'Hello' to Pinnoccio upon arrival at Disney World

Disney Main Street
Disney Main Street
From Left: Shadah, Azlin and Hafidz. and Little Azhar in the pram

The Dome in the background at the Epcot Centre

1988 Florida
Visiting the Crocodile sanctuary on the outskirts of Tampa, Florida
with sis Azlin
1988 Kissimmee , Florida
Window shopping at a Mall
1990 TTDI K. Lumpur
Azhar with his 1st vehicle before his MyV

1995 Los Angeles Disneyland
Azhar with his Mama Shadah

At the Shark and Dolphin Enclosures

Patting the dolphin
In front of the famous Walt Disney castle with sis Azlin

In front of Dumbo the Baby Elephant ride

1995 Los Angeles Universal Studios
Waiting to see the various attractions
From Left: Hafidz, Hank, Azlin, Mama Shadah and Azhar

Meeting cowboy Woody of Toy Story fame

1996: Pulau Tioman
By the rocks after a swim
1997: Singapore
Jurong Bird-Park with  Mama Shadah

Underwater World
A swim at Sentosa Island, Singapore

1997: Bali, Indonesia
1998: Sacramento, USA
The gentleman joined us as he was playing alone. 
He played only 1 nine with us.

1998: Lake Tahoe/ Reno USA
Azhar experiencing snow for the first time

Azhar waiting his turn for the snow scooter. Actually the scooter rink 
was a part of the local golf course converted such during winter.

Azhar on board with Azlin

A snapshot before having lunch at Lake Tahoe together with 
Azlin's housemates in Sacramento

1998: Marine World, Vellajo (located south near San Francisco)
Azhar, Azlin, Bonda Mariam (Shadah's Mom) and Shadah

Azhar enjoying his favourite, his ice cream. In the back-ground 
the twisting roller-coaster.