What Mummy Said

This coming weekend will mark six years since Mummy left us. Not a day goes by that I do not think about her, that I don’t miss her. Mummy and I didn’t agree on some things; she and Akak got along very well. I’m more like Mummy: stubborn, hard-headed, determined and assertive. Maybe I reminded her too much of herself, wallahualam. Anyway, I digress. I think it’d be appropriate to share what Mummy used to advise us, most of it concerning money because life wasn’t easy when we were growing up with Abah the sole bread winner. And I think it’s still appropriate now in the face of the slowing economy. OK, here goes:

Live within your means. Don’t pretend you’re someone you’re not. There’s this Malay phrase which says ‘Biar papa asal bergaya’ which loosely translated means one should be stylish even if one is broke or destitute. Well, we don’t believe in this. If you don’t have the money, then act accordingly. Don’t envy what another has. Don’t beg, borrow or steal just so you can keep with the Joneses. By extension, don’t run into debts or spend too much on your credit card. Another thing she liked to say is not to dream of marrying someone’s daughter if you don’t have the money.

If you have the money, then save and spoil yourself to a little luxury every now and then. Treat yourself occasionally. Dress accordingly. Don’t insult yourself by buying clothes from the night market (yes, Mummy said exactly that). You deserve to. As Shakespeare said, ‘Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting.’ There are people who neglect themselves, some who even neglect their families, trusting the others (family, community, and even God) to provide for their families. Their argument is they want to spend their wealth in the way of religion. Nothing wrong with that but in Islam, you’re supposed to spend on your family first. My parents also advised us not to lend anyone money because they had done just that to relatives and the monies lent to various individuals still remain outstanding decades later to this day.

Don’t cause trouble or inconvenience others. Be courteous. Mummy shared that when she left Batu Pahat for good, she and her sister cleared the house and then cleaned and washed it thoroughly for the next occupants. When we stay at hotels, we make up our beds and not leave the room in a tip when we check out. Leave such that it reflects well on your upbringing and so that people will have a good impression of the guest you are. For car owners, you can own several vehicles but make sure you don’t inconvenience others by parking haphazardly or blocking other road users. Don’t be like some Malaysians who double park or park like they’re in a drive-through.

Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto yourself. Don’t bully others if you don’t like to be bullied. Don’t make others wait if you hate waiting for others.

Like most mothers, Mummy was a realist. There is no shortcut; one has to work and study hard and smart to achieve what one wants from life. My family doesn’t have blue blood and we aren’t connected to anyone so we have to work doubly hard to get what we want. As such, she would be quick to cut short any fantasy I entertained of winning anything grand or achieving something great without much input on my part. There must be an effort before any result is had. While this has made me a practical and realistic person, I can’t help being impatient at those whom I don’t deem of putting in any effort.

My parents are of the view that a good education is the best gift any parents can ensure their kids have because no one can take away your knowledge from you whereas wealth can simply be frittered away. They also hate to see us waste our time because there is always something to be done around the house.

I’d like to think that my parents have raised me to be a good person who is courteous and mindful of others. Someone who doesn’t inconvenience others and who works hard for her keep. I know sometimes I rolled my eyes when you started lecturing me but to this day, I still remember and follow your advice, Mummy. I know I caused you a lot of grief with my stubbornness and hard-headedness but I hope that I didn’t make you cry over me.

I still miss you so very much, Mummy.

Not Falling For Fall

I always consider myself an early summer child as my birthday falls in early July, never mind that I live in the tropics and it’s summer here all year round! As such, my favourite seasons are spring and early summer. I probably am one of those few who are not a fan of autumn because despite its beautiful changing colours, I find autumn depressing.

I find it depressing when the leaves turn colour from green to red to brown before disentangling themselves from the trees. I find it sad to see dry leaves on the pavement. The changing wardrobe and make-up colours (admittedly I wear only lipstick) from the pale fresh colours of summer to berry, maroon and plum make me glum. It doesn’t lift my mood any when I step into stores and see plaid flannel tops. The increasingly shorter and colder days doesn’t improve autumn for me at all either. And varsity life in England started in September. Who wouldn’t be depressed to start a new academic year after a long summer break? So no, I don’t fall for autumn or fall as the Americans call it.

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Let me now touch on the much publicised and expensive burglary that happened early last week. I’m not a fan of Kim Kardashian or her family. I don’t watch their show, I don’t follow any of them on social media, and I really don’t care for them. I think Kim is trashy, vulgar and slutty (no amount of money, expensive bags and shoes can bring one class), I think she’s silly for sharing too much on social media (like I said, I don’t follow her but some of her tweets are reproduced elsewhere), I think she’s media-crazy and craves attention (even Karl Lagerfeld condemned Kim for being too public). But I have nothing really against her; I mean if she prefers to flaunt her assets (in whatever form) then by all means just do it.

I do think and know from experience that it sucks to be robbed, to have your precious things that you work so hard for stolen from you. Worse, she was alone in her apartment in a foreign country when it happened, defenceless and at the mercy of five armed robbers. I would be scared shitless too if it had happened to me when I’m all alone and abroad. Think how you would feel if your mother, sister, cousin or daughter suffer the same fate.

And that’s why I think it’s unwise to share too much on social media. You can share your blings and bags and shoes with the world (I love viewing expensive jewellery, shoes and bags myself) but don’t show where you live. Don’t share your boarding pass on social media because the bar code or QR code on the boarding pass can contain information about you, including your future travel plans or your frequent flyer details. Criminals can find out when you’ll be away and for how long and you wouldn’t want to come back from your trip or holidays to a burglarised house or stolen car, would you (my parents once returned from a trip to a burglarised house and they didn’t even partake in social media!). It happened here last year if I recall correctly when someone posted on Facebook that she and her family would be spending Eid abroad. So be sensible. There is such a thing as sharing too much. You might end up being a victim so think twice before you post. Unless you’re confident no one will be able to figure out where you stay or work, don’t post photos of your house, neighbourhood and workplace. Don’t let yourself fall victim to criminals preying on the social media.

Awal Muharram 1438 Hijrah Weekend

I had earlier planned to head to the East Coast during the weekend but changed plans when I was at Gaya Island and bought ticket to Penang instead. I wanted to stay somewhere near Padang Kota but at the same time near KOMTAR so I could catch the early morning bus back to the airport. Finally I decided to stay at two hotels and booked them on Tuesday, a few days before my departure. Because I made the bookings very close to the check-in dates, I was charged for the rooms at the time of booking.

Saturday, 1 October 2016

I went for my morning walk and jogged the last 1.5 km back to micasa. Back at micasa, I cooked pasta soup then took my bath. I finished packing, had breakfast and left for KL Sentral at 09:45. Traffic was light enough that I managed to reach KL Sentral ten minutes later. I quickly ran in, scanned my KLIA Express ticket barcode and ran down to the platform. There was a train waiting at the platform but it was the KLIA Transit train. I quickly went up the platform to find someone I could ask and one staff told me KLIA Express wasn’t operating that day. Phew, it was a good thing I asked. If I had not asked and missed the train, I’d have to wait another 20 minutes for the next train and would only reach KLIA at 10:55, barely an hour before my ETD.

When I got there, I immediately cleared security at KLIA and walked to my gate. Our ETD was slightly delayed due to the late arrival of the plane from Alor Star and we only took off at almost 11:00. It was a full flight and I even met a former officemate who was heading there for office teambuilding.

We landed at 12:45 and after using the washroom, I walked out to the bus stop. Alhamdulillah, I didn’t have to wait long. Bus 401E bound for KOMTAR arrived within five minutes. There were a lot of vehicles on the road though and the journey took an hour. I even managed to doze off in the bus.

At KOMTAR, I got down and made my way to Penang Road. There were a lot of vehicles in George Town too. I walked past Joo Hooi Café before realising it was under renovation (didn’t realise it due to the scaffolding). I then went to find the building where it is temporary sited (just behind the original site) and asked if it was operating the following day. The Chinese man in charge of laksa told me of course so I told him I’d be back then. I then walked to Bee Hwa Café at Lebuh Dickens and had a plate of char kuay teow and a glass of warm barleyless barley. Things must be bad in Penang if they can’t give you some barley in your barley drink!

After lunch, I walked to my hotel at Lebuh Chulia. I arrived after 15:30 and checked in. It was so dang hot and I was so glad to be inside. The hotel staff (most looked foreign) gave me a welcome drink before showing me to my room. The hotel was nice with a lot of Chinese furniture (rosewood chairs of various sizes with mother-of-pearl inlay) and various rest areas but I also saw some items that should not have been in view like the spare bed and towels in the living area and the vacuum cleaner next to a console table and chair just to name a few.

I left the hotel at 16:50 and walked to Padang Kota Lama. There was already a long queue for the Hameed Pata mee sotong and I ended up queuing for 70 minutes! I wanted the fried noodles and mee rebus but the latter had been all sold out (well, I figured after all that queuing, I deserved two plates of noodles!). Anyway, no rezeki for me.

After dinner, I took a circuitous route back to my hotel. I also wanted to check Muntri Mews so I walked to Jalan Muntri before returning to my room. I stayed in for the rest of the evening reading. There was a persistent sound of a pitiful kitten mewing and I looked out my window a few times but couldn’t locate it.

Sunday, 2 October 2016

I woke up for morning prayers and after 07:30, I went out for a morning walk. I first tried to locate the poor kitten but couldn’t find it. I walked around before making my way to Jalan Kuala Kangsar to check out the weekend market. It drizzled briefly in the sun at some point. After checking out the stalls, I went to have some vegetarian wan tan noodles and another glass of warm barleyless barley drink. There were a lot of people waiting for the wan tan noodles and it took more than ten minutes before I got my bowl. It only cost RM2.00. How’s that for value?

I walked back to my hotel and showered. I then went down for breakfast (served in the restaurant next door). Well, I must say I was glad that I had that bowl of wan tan noodles because the breakfast at the hotel restaurant was nothing to shout about at all. After breakfast, I returned to my room to read. I wasn’t keen to go out in the heat yet.

I finally left at 11:45 and walked to Lorong Macalister. I decided to bring my suitcase along as I didn’t feel like returning back to get it. I wasn’t impressed with the chee cheong fun I had back in August last year but decided to give it another chance. Alas for me, the stall had already run out of chee cheong fun. Again, no rezeki for me.

I walked up Jalan Burma to to Penang Plaza and spent about 40 minutes there. I then made my way in the hot relentless sun to 1^st Avenue. I wasn’t planning on shopping but wanted some air-conditioned relief. I stayed there until 14:30 before walking to Noordin Street House.

I had stayed here before in February 2014 (I actually booked Noordin Mews but when I got there, I was informed that the room I booked had a leak and the owner had no choice but to put me at Noordin Street House a few doors away) and was impressed with it then. However, I could not say the same for this trip. I was offered an option of either the Batik or Pelikat room and after reviewing both, I decided on Pelikat Room. Well, the air-condition didn’t work despite me lowering the temperature to 20C and turning on the fan. I thought it might be because the room faced the sun and it was just hot during the day so I decided to just stay put. Then I discovered that some water leaked from the fridge (don’t ask). And when I turned on the TV, there were only seven channels offered and nothing caught my fancy at all.

I rested before leaving at 16:45 for Joo Hooi Café. I had assam laksa and then joined the long queue for cendol/ais kacang. After that, I went to Chowrasta to buy some nutmeg oil and nutmeg balm before returning to Lebuh Keng Kwee for some char kuay teow. Well, I didn’t have any lunch. The char kuay teow was good but I had to eat it hurriedly as I was being attacked by bloody bloodsuckers. Outrageous!

I walked to Penang Times Square but as my previous trips there, I quickly found that I really shouldn’t have bothered. The place was deserted with only a few shop lots even rented. There is a Mr DIY there anyway although on the third floor (I don’t think it’s a strategic floor to operate from, and especially not when the first and second floors were empty). I didn’t stay long and returned back to the hotel. There were some floats at Lebuh Noordin. I asked and was told that there would be a parade to celebrate the Nine Emperor Gods Festival (the Taoist devotees observe a vegetarian diet for the first nine days of the ninth month in their lunar calendar).

There was no football action I could catch so I spent the evening reading and even dozed off while reading.

Monday, 3 October 2016

I woke up early and left my room at 07:35. I had a quick breakfast and left at 08:03 for the bus station. again, I didn’t have to wait long for the bus to the airport (and Alhamdulillah too because there was this awful sour stench at the bus station). This time, it took only 40 minutes to reach the airport. It rained during the night/early morning and the ground was wet.

I had checked in online but had to go to the check-in counter anyway to get my boarding pass. I then immediately went to clear security and waited at the gate. I spent the flight reading. We landed at 11:40 and there were a lot of people at the arrival area – the pilgrims back fr Haj and those waiting to greet them. I had to go up to the arrival level to meet up CT who was picking me up and sending my munchkin nephew back to boarding school.

I only reached micasa at 16:45 and rested. InsyaAllah there will be another trip to Penang in 2017 and I’m already looking forward to it - scorching sweltering hot humid sticky weather notwithstanding.

Photos Of Gaya Island Resort: Day 2

Nature Walk. A couple of wild mushrooms/Mini stream/Crossroads/A species of the pandan plant (this species has fruits)

 Early morning walk. Gayana Eco Resort in the distance/Resort grounds/Mainland in the distance

 Signboard/Staircase for the Kinabalu Villa guests to the other parts of the resort/Lush pandan plants/Mini pond/Wet boardwalk/Lanterns

 Way past-sunrise

 A Bayu Villa/Deserted pool/Gym and a Kinabalu Villa

 Beach and jetty/Gazebo where I rested for a couple of minutes/Gazebo and boat/Beach

Boat ride to Tavajun Bay and the private beach at Tavajun Bay

Photos Of Gaya Island Resort: Day 1

 Leaving Kota Kinabalu behind/Mount Kinabalu in the distance from the jetty of Gaya Island Resort/A glimpse of Kinabalu Villas

 Pool/Pool Bar/Pool and sea

 Reading or relaxing rooms. There are six of them if I recall correctly, all of the same size. I stepped up closer to take the photo on the left

 The corridor leading to Feast Village, gym, Reading Room/Corridor leading to the lobby//Lobby/Corridor from below the gym and Reading Room

Room/Closet area (the straw bag is there)/Writing table and walkway leading to the bathroom, WC, two sinks and bathtub/Sink/Bathtub/Balcony

My Malaysia Day Weekend

I had earlier planned to spend the Malaysia Day weekend (3D 2N) in Kota Kinabalu and had bought the air tickets accordingly. I had also planned to go to an island but when I checked closer to the date of travel, I found that the resort was already fully booked for 16 September (I didn’t want to book earlier as my card would already be charged at the time of booking and I was – still am - a bit stretched these few months). The resort offers a residents’ package but for a minimum stay of two nights so I had no choice but to book a hotel in the city for one night and change my flight ticket to return a day later. I had to pay for the ticket reissue (RM100) and fare difference (RM6) so in that aspect, changing the return date wasn’t expensive. Having stayed at Sutera Harbour Resort a few times and twice at Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu, I decided to book Le Meridien this time for one night and then made booking for the resort at the island. I didn’t have much choice and had to settle for Canopy Villa.

Friday, 16 September 2016

A very early start to the day. I left after Subuh prayers and a very light breakfast. It was drizzling as I made my way to the bus stop for the bus to KL Sentral. I had to wait for a bit but the light traffic meant I arrived with plenty of time left. I didn’t want to get wet so went into Nu Sentral and navigated my way to the bus station at KL Sentral for the bus to KLIA. It rained on and off along the way.

I was so weak and hungry by the time I reached KLIA and went to hunt for food (the mug of Milo and cereal earlier was too early and too little). Alas, the Food Paradise was closed when I went to check it out (it looked like it was undergoing some renovation work) so I bought two Gardenia buns instead. I sat down to eat and finished my novel and buns simultaneously. Then I got up and head for my gate.

There was a delay in take-off due to the queue at the runway and I was surprised when I woke up from my doze to see we were still on the ground! We took off not long after and I decided to watch a movie (due to the late flight times of late, it’s been a while since I last watched an inflight movie) and finally settled on The Intern. Our brunch was served shortly after and I chose nasi dagang over chicken murtabak (I’m still cutting down on my chicken intake).

We landed at KK 20 minutes later than scheduled (due to the late take-off earlier) and I managed to get the 13:15 Airport Bus to the city. I got down at Centrepoint and browsed a bit before making my way to the hotel. As check-in is from 15:00 and there was no possibility of an early check-in as the previous occupant checked out close to noon, I decided to perform prayers first.

My room was at the 7^th floor and had a view of the sea and islands. I rested for a while, had a cuppa and went out after 16:45 to the market across the hotel. I walked around the market then continued on to the Filipino Market then the dry seafood product market before having dinner. I finished off with some durians before turning back. Before returning to the room, I ventured to Warisan Square and Centrepoint for a quick browse.

It had been a long day and I turned in just after 23:00.

Saturday, 17 September 2016

I woke up for morning prayers and before long, heard the sound of rain. It turned heavy at some point before petering out but it continued for some time. I had wanted to go for a morning walk and jog so I finally headed to the gym. But I dislike gym and I disliked the gym there with its leaking ceiling. I did some cycling and stretching then returned back to the room to shower.

It finally stopped raining while I was having breakfast. Alhamdulillah. I had planned to walk to Jesselton Point and was not prepared to fork out RM15 for a mere 1.5-km trip. I ate too much for breakfast though and had a tummy discomfort. Fortunately, it didn’t last long. I checked out at 11:10 and set off for Jesselton Point. It took only 23 minutes to get there.

I actually walked right past the resort’s office and had to ask around before I was directed to the office. I must say I wasn’t at all impressed with the small cramped office and having been to Pangkor Marina, I was disappointed that we were not given any scented cool towel or cool drink before boarding the boat.

We left slightly later than the scheduled time of 12 noon. The boat trip took less than 20 minutes and there was a small group of resort staff who were at the jetty to greet us and lead us to the lobby. We were finally handed a cool towel and a glass of drink at the lobby. Before long, I was attended to by Jason, a Filipino from Manila. He then showed us around: the pool, the Pool Bar, the six rooms where you can drop by to relax, read or have a little nap, the reading room and gym building and Feast Village where breakfast and dinner are served. Those on residents’ package can opt to have their lunch at either the Pool Bar, Feast Village or at Tavajun Bay, a private beach only for the resort guests. After comparing the menus of the Pool Bar and Feast Village, I decided to have lunch at the latter. For lunch, those on resident’s package can choose either a starter and a main course or a main course and a dessert. I chose prawn salad and pizza.

I only finished lunch at 15:35 and hurried back to the lobby. Jason was nowhere to be found though so we waited until another staff came to bring me to my room. Canopy Villas are on a higher elevation (Kinabalu Villas are even higher; one would really need to hike up to one’s villa but one is rewarded with a view of Mount Kinabalu in the distance). I must say I wasn’t best pleased when I saw my room. It didn’t have any view (except for that of some secondary forest); there was no sliding door between the bedroom and the rest of the villa; there is no outdoor pool; and I was expecting a different day bed. And the bedroom slippers were the common slippers that any three-star hotel would provide. Seriously, for the shitload I was forking out for the villa, I expected more. Maybe it wasn’t fair of me to compare it with Pangkor Laut but hey they’re both under the same company. (And yeah, I know I’m fussy).

I ran the bath tub, poured in the bath salts and unpacked a bit while waiting for the tub to fill up. I then had a soak but not as long as I liked as the tub plug didn’t plug in well and the water slowly trickled through the hole.

After prayers, I went to the Spa Village for the group meditation scheduled for 18:00. It lasted slightly over an hour and after a quick run back to the villa to apply my eye drops and use the bathroom, I went off for dinner. Unlike lunch, those on resident’s package can have a starter, a main course and dessert. The full moon was out and it was a beautiful evening.

The resort has a Movie under the stars programme at 2100 outside the lobby area if the weather permits. I stopped for a couple of minutes then decided to return to my room.

Sunday, 18 September 2016

I decided to go for a morning walk after morning prayers and when I stepped out, I found the ground wet. It drizzled lightly but not heavy at all to bother me. I wandered up to the end of Canopy Villas, turned back and walked up to the Kinabalu Villas, spotted a monkey, walked on, heard some jungle noises and took a staircase down to the Bayu Villas. The area around the Bayu Villas was somewhat swampy and there was a boardwalk that connected the Bayu Villas to the Feast Village and the rest of the resort. I also went down to the beach.

It started raining in earnest as I was at the beach and I quickly grabbed a brolly at the lobby (one thing about YTL resorts is they are thoughtful like that). I then sat out at the gazebo overlooking the jetty but got restless after a while and decided to return to my room and read a bit before breakfast. I went for breakfast at 08:00.

I joined the 09:00 guided nature walk and as there were about 20 of us, we were split into two groups. The trek lasted an hour and I learnt that there are no leeches in jungles near the coast. I also saw the ara trees, the tongkat ali plant, some lizards and flying lizards too. After that, I went back to the lobby to inform that I wanted to take the 13:30 boat to Tavajun Bay. Then I returned to my villa to shower and rest.

It was a hot afternoon when I emerged out and I hurried over to the jetty. There were only four of us for that boat ride and we arrive at Tavajun Bay barely five minutes later. The same two-course-for-lunch applied. I had kicked off my FitFlops and wandered to the water and then put my straw bag (provided by the resort in each room) at a beach chair. I was looking at the menu when a wild pig appeared. I had seen photos of them  but I was kinda hoping I wouldn’t bump into them (before my guided nature walk, the guide told me a guest saw a wild pig at the resort area that morning. Man, I was so glad and thankful that I didn’t bump into it especially as I was alone!). The pig went to one of the reclining beach chairs and snagged a straw basket. Luckily, some staff chased it away and I quickly went to rescue my FitFlops and straw bag. I spent lunch keeping a lookout for potential reappearance of the pig or its family member.

I took the 14:45 boat back to resort and rested in one of the rooms while waiting for the Yahai Pupuan activity at 15:30. I started reading my book but the heat and the recent lunch made me doze off a bit. I managed to get up on time for the activity. It involved stretching and breathing. I really need to work on my breathing.

After that, I returned to my villa to shower and rest. I went for dinner after 19:00. Thankfully, they changed the menu slightly. Imagine having to eat at the same restaurant for dinner every night you’re there! There are other restaurants (a Japanese restaurant close to the Canopy Villas) and Fisherman’s Cove but you’ll have to pay to dine there. Tonight’s movie was Terminator 3 and, well, thanks but no thanks. I wanted to read but was too sleepy so I turned in early.

Monday, 19 September 2016

I left the room just before 08:00 and stopped by the lobby on the way to breakfast. Each guest (including children) have to pay a conservation fee of RM32 for the first night of stay and RM22 for each night threreafter (inclusive of 6% GST) by Sabah Parks, an organisation set up as the caretaker of Tunku Abdul Rahman marine Park conservation triangle. I was hoping the fee would have already been included in my room charge but no such luck.

I had arranged to take the 09:00 ferry back to mainland and again, it set off late as we had to wait for a fellow guest/passenger. Back at Jesselton Point, we had to wait for our bags to be brought from the boat to the office. I then took a cab to the market and bought some dried seafood products and buttons for Abah’s baju Melayu. Then I walked to the bus stop across Centrepoint for the airport bus.

We took off about twenty minutes later than scheduled and I spent the whole journey up in the air reading. We landed at 15:20 and I went to perform prayers before collecting my bag. I hadn’t taken the KLIA Express since the price hike but decided to do so in the interest of time.

And so that was my trip to Gaya Island Resort. I might share some photos later (no promises though). Will I return? I doubt it. I wouldn’t mind returning to Pangkor Laut Resort though. Now that leaves with with Tanjong Jara Resort to explore next. InsyaAllah one fine day I’ll get there.

Unlikely Heroes

I must say the Paralympians, particularly our Malaysian Paralympians, have really made us all sit up and pay attention. Oh sure, we were enthralled by our Olympians too (particularly badminton, diving and cycling athletes) and don’t get me wrong: I’m not belittling their efforts and achievement at all. But while I’m enthralled by them, I must say I’m amazed and fascinated with the Paralympians because of their achievements despite of their limitations.

I think we can all learn a few lessons from the Paralympians, e.g., their grit, strength, courage and determination to overcome all odds to realise their dreams, their never-say-die attitude, their perseverance, and their determination to succeed to name just a few. It takes a lot of guts and courage to be an athlete and even more for a Paralympian. Most people born with limitations as they were would probably just give up (heck, even able-bodied people would find it easy to just give up), would have low self-esteem, would have low self-confidence and lots of self-pity, and would find it only too easy to blame others and even God for their limitations. I’m sure they didn’t have an easy childhood or adolescence (they are after all easy pickings for cowardly bullies). This is probably why I’m more in awe of them than their Olympian counterparts. Look at Abdul Latif Romly: he had already broken the world record and had already been assured of a gold medal and yet he continued to jump further and better. If these Paralympians’ efforts and determination didn’t bring tears to your eyes, well, you’re indeed a tougher person than I am.

And look at how proudly they stood when Negaraku was played and how passionately they sang the national anthem with tears running down their cheeks. I can tell you of quite a few able-bodied Malaysians who complain, grumble and reluctantly stand when the national anthem is played and don’t expect them to sing along either. Why, I can tell you that some can’t even remember the lyrics to the national anthem what more to sing proudly to it! If able-bodied people don’t even have enough pride in themselves and love for their national anthem and country to sing the national anthem or at least to stand up when it’s played as a sign of respect, well, I say, fie and shame on you.

Thank you for these life lessons. Thank you for reminding us that we all have our role to play and that we should do what we love to the best of our ability. Thank you for reminding us to never give up, to chase our dreams, to not limit ourselves, to continue to challenge and better ourselves, to refuse to be a victim of our circumstances and instead rise above them despite all odds, to not succumb to excuses and self-pity, to be brave and courageous in overcoming whatever challenges life chooses to throw at us, to have belief in ourselves, to persevere, to fight on, to have guts and determination. From the bottom of my heart, I thank thee.