Marlo Thomas

Watched by accident. Larry King Live on CNN was never on my list. (Tonight Show with Jay Leno is).

Yet that night I was spelled. He was interviewing Marlo Thomas, actress, producer, and also the National Outreach Director of the St Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. There, sick children are treated free by top doctors.

Marlo Thomas also wrote a book, The Right Words at The Right Time, a collection heartwarming collection of personal revelations from some of today's greatest luminaries whose lives were changed by hearing the right words at the right time. All royalties from The Right Words at the Right Time go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by Ms. Thomas's father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.

I have ordered the paperback from Kinokinuya KLCC yesterday. Will arrive in 2 -3 weeks time. Must tell you it is cheaper to order or buy from Kinokinuya than Amazon. Estimated price is RM65.00. if from Amazon, price could easy go up to RM80.

Go lah and buy. won't give mine until I finish reading.

seksi?

My niece , Yah, is entering the period of "teenagehood" despite her young age of 4. Carrying along her handbag with "sikat","bedak" and "sekaf" inside, she asked her mom during our weekend get-together,

" Yah seksi tak, Ummi?"

Her 6 year-old brother, Amin, known for his wit, immediately remarked,

"Bukan seksi lah Yah , Teksi!"

doa selamat

Saya akan bertolak balik ke Jerantut petang ini. Subuh esok ada majlis doa selamat & tahlil di rumah selepas solat subuh. Majlis 3 dalam 1. majlis bercukur anak saudara, doa selamat untuk perantauan saya ke Laos dan Pakistan dan juga doa selamat untuk adik saya yang akan masuk kampus ITM Manjung Januari ini (Dia akan "selamat" kali ini kalau tak leka atau culas ke kuliah sebelum ini!).

Lots of good news heard and received. A friend of mine just "officially" completed her chambering after delaying for quite sometime due to health issues, etc. Another will be joining AG chambers soon.

ingat senang ka?

Peh! talking to my colleague just now and we agreed that,

" Ingat senang ke nak kawin ni?"

He even more candid,

"Kalau dalam cerita katun yelah!"

aku setuju sangat. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse happy aje bertahun tahun. Sama dengan Donald and Daffy Duck.

p.s. cerita ini tiada kaitan dengan Siti Nurhaliza dan hanya timbul akibat beberapa rentetan peristiwa yang berlaku sejak kebelakangan ni yang sedikit sebanyak menggugat kehidupan bahagia seorang badut.

Reading week

Finished reading these books this week:

War of Running Dogs by Noel Barber

At the Court of Pelesu and Other Malayan Stories by Sir Hugh Clifford

Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja 1933-1968 by Syed Othman Syed Omar ( good book I must say!described bit more detail on the Wessex crash that killed my uncle - at least now I know more of what happened that fateful day)

Now waiting for these books to be devoured soon.

Ki in Daily Life by Koichi Tohei

The paper propeller, The spinning quarter and the jumping frog by Arthur Okamura

Dear Siti,

4 Peringkat 3,

Taman LKNP,

27000 Jerantut,

Pahang.

Assalamualaikum ( tak jawab dosa!)

Kehadapan saudari Siti,

Saya seronok sangat sangatlah bila saudari kata dalam Utusan Malaysia muka depan semalam yang saudari sudah bersedia untuk berkahwin.

Untuk itu saya ingin menawarkan diri saya yang hina dina ini untuk menjadi candidate seperti mana Datuk Ibrahim Ali menawarkan diri sebagai calon bebas di Pilihanraya Kecil Pengkalen Pasir kelak.. Saya tak kisahla kalau Anuar Zain ke, Datuk K, Fazley ke yang nak masuk meminang Siti, tapi saya percaya best man win!

Belum cuba belum tahu, betul tak?Cuba Siti fikir kelebihannya pilih saya jadi suami Siti. Saya tahu Siti sibuk jadi saya dah buat checklist kelebihan-kelebihannya bagi senang Siti tengok. maklum ajelah kan pasti ramai yang sibuk menulis suratlah, proposalnya dan yang sanggup datang rumah siti di Sungai Kerpan tu bawak dulang hantaran kan...ish susah susah...

Ha baca ya siti,

• Senang balik Raya - ala Jerantut ke Kuala Lipis dekat aje. Sejam tak sampai. Pagi raya di Jerantut, tengah hari di Kuala Lipis. Saya pun memang balik ke Kuala Lipis tiap kali raya - tengok kubur tok wan kat Padang Tengku sana. Tiap tiap tahun gilir-gilir la. Lepas tu saya janji jadi drebar bila balik. Kalau pilih Anuar Zain payah..nak ke Shah Alam lah. Fazley karang raya kat PWTC aje pasal banyak event. Ish

• Boleh jadi penjamin pinjaman bank rakyat/along- ha kalau siti jadi penjamin saya senangla nak buat loan bank rakyat buat belanja kawin siti. Silap-silap loan officer tu sure cakap , " la tak payah mintak kat bank , mintak terus aje kat siti!" Kalau buat loan kat along pulak, itu along musti cakap, " Hayya, siti wo...no ploblem..gua bagi low intelest punya!" eh nanti kalau saya masuk meminang awak jangan letak tinggi tinggi sangat ya.

• Majlis Kawin Low Profile - yela kalau dgn Datuk K ka Anuar Zain ka, sure suratkhabar habis-habisan nak dapatkan exclusivity rights, pacak kamera depan rumah nak siarkan gambar wedding Siti mcm wedding Erra -Yusri dulu kan...Kita buat la senyap-senyap macam akak Wanita Melayu Terakhir kahwin dgn Datuk tu la baru-baru ni. Kita buat kat masjid aje akad nikah , lepas tu buat kenduri ...senang. Mak andam? Pakai mak andam Gee (terkenal di bandar Jerantut ni haa) - kalau panggil Pak Abu ka zulfazli ka yang famous kat astro tu nanti sure depa bagitau press..Kalau dgn Mak Andam Gee - dia takkan bagitau orang lain lagipun boleh tolong dia jugak nanti..yela nanti boleh la dia promote yang dia pernah andam Siti! Kalau siti nak kompang masa majlis tu pun boleh diuruskan. panggil aje budak -budak kg mat kilau..murah bagi aje makan. kalau nak basuh pinggan kita boleh panggil budak budak pusat Serenti Jerantut -depa senang kerja tapi kena bagi rokok 1-2 kartun kat depa la bagi lepas gian.

• Boleh ajar bahasa Inggeris kat siti (FREE!) - ha nanti siti tak payah belajar jauh-2..abang kan ada ( eh dah berabang abang pulak!) .setakat ajar siti macam abang ajar murid murid tua masa kat Laos dulu ( dulu abang sukarelawan kat sana) boleh aje..

• Keluarga mertua yang cool - pak mertua siti nanti orang yang tak banyak cakap..tapi kena pandai la ambik hati mak mertua sikit. ada jugak saya cakap kat mak saya yang saya nak suruh dia pinang siti. Dia jawab, " cermin muka kau dulu!". Nak ambil hati mak saya senang aje, kenala belajar masak dgn dia..dia tera buat gulai tempoyak ikan patin.

• Saya bekerja tetap - Plus point tu! tak payah susah susah Siti nak sara hidup saya...KWSP ada, kerja 5 hari seminggu pulak tu.weekend free boleh bawak jalan-jalan pusing kota.

• Takkan kawin lain - tak terfikir (lagi) untuk kawin lagi satu,dua atau tiga kalau Siti pilih saya! Percayalah!

Macam mana Siti? Ok ke? Siti fikirla buat sembahyang istikharah..tanya mak mertua tak jadi saya di London sana tu. Dia kenal saya, siti pun kenal dia..tanyala ek...

Saya sudahi warkah saya ini dgn serangkap pantun;

pecah kaca pecah gelas
sudah baca harap balas.

yang mengharap,

Dr Bubbles bin Bubblay

Sea Fever

talented young clowns of donkoi

Fiwwwitt!!

I will be going to Laos on the 1st of January 2006 for a week to do a theater clowning workshop with the poor kids of Donkoi village, Vientiane. Finally, my wish come true. I am going there at my own expenses as my personal loan from my organisation approved recently.

Booked flight with Airasia saving me more than half if I opt for MAS or Thai Airways. Kuala Lumpur -Bangkok with Air Asia is about RM290 return whereas with MAS is going to cost me about RM800 or so. Same with Thai Airways. From Bangkok I will fly on to Udon Thani, an hour away from Vientiane. A friend from Malaysian Embassy in Vientiane is kind enough to fetch me there.

Read in NST the other day how Dr Jemilah forked up her own savings of RM35,000 to build mobile clinic in Kosovo. Passion goes above everything.....reminds me of Sea Fever by British Poet Laureate, John Masefield -

"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again,

to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again,

for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume,

and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again,

to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way

where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).

(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

In a related development, Mercy Malaysia called me for Pakistan mission- to do hospital clowning as part of their psychosocial intervention programme for earthquake victims. Most probably will go in January after my Laos trip.

Got to raise funds for the trip. Usually to go for Mercy's mission, volunteer got to pay for the airfare. Heard from a friend, that to go there will cost around RM2000 or so for the airfare etc.

Anyway, I am writing to Siti Nurhaliza today to sponsor not only for the airfare but also for the "duit hantaran". (read Utusan today please for actual context). Hahaha.