Heatwave strikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been the HOTTEST week I can remember in London!!

If you have experienced travelling on the tube during the summer months the following may sound familiar:

a) You feel hot and sticky. You come out of the tube as if you have just done a gym workout

b) Getting blisters on your feet from wearing- " those shoes and sandals"

c) Annoyed at the person who obstructs the window at the end of the carriage. He/she blocks any air flowing into the tube.

d) Instead of using the Metro/magazine as a fan don't you think the Underground staff should give us all free mini portable fans instead??!!

e) There should be a ban for guys to travel on the tube without a shirt/t-shirt unless u are a Brad Pitt lookalike. There is no need for you to show off your beer belly..thank you very much!!

London Underground is one of the oldest networks in the world yet Mayor Livingstone & the Underground still have not figured out a solution to this problem!

Yesterday, some tubes had reached temperatures as high as 46 degrees celsius!!

The remedy the Underground have suggested is to encourage people to take showers in the morning. It's shocking this is one of the few solutions they have come up with so far....

Asians are used to taking showers in the mornings anyway so I just find that comment hilarious!

Countries like Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia have been able to install air conditioning sytem on their tubes so when is London implementing a similar system before we all suffer from extreme heat and dehydration on the tubes??!!!

Tok Volvo 

A sad day

Today is a sad day for the family. I received a phone call today from home my tok passed away today. His health had deteriorated in the last few years due to old age but he remained strong right to the end. It is all takdir Allah "He is the one who gives life and also the one who can take it away."

I wish I was back home right now to be with the family. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone there.
I did not spend as much time as I would have liked to with Tok as I have been living abroad most of my life. Throughout the day, I was thinking of the time I spent with him.

When he was feeling energetic we would go for morning walks around the condo and get the morning newspapers. Sometimes, we would just sit kat rumah watching the Star Sports channel cuz he didn't get Astro in KT. Tok can watch any sport but his favourite would have to be bola. Suka sangat tengok bola especially Italian football.

He also taught me many things about the Qur'an. He was the one who inspired me to include the verse 35 of Surah An-Nur in the wedding speech. Everytime I read the verse, I discover a new dimension to the parable.

For those people who do not know why he was called Tok Volvo, I might tell the story behind his nickname for another day.

Tok "Volvo" will be greatly missed by all and may Allah bless him always.

Amin.

papa

Happy Father's Day

It was another working day and as I got on the train listening to my ipod ...

I started thinking about my dad and I've decided to dedicate this blog to him as part of Father's Day :

Papa

I've always admired him. He is my inspiration! ( corny but true! )
A kampung boy from Losong, he went to RMC and trained to be a Naval Officer and has served the Navy for more than 30 years now...
Even without going to university he has embraced life and made the best of the opportunities given to him.
He has sacrificed a lot for the family....he will sacrifice everything in order to give us all a good education and achieve our dreams.
If it weren't for him, I would not have had the chance to experience the various places we've been to and obtain the best education I could have asked for.

He has taught me many things in life:

a) "Never forget your religion and your culture "
b) "Always be humble "
c) " Dalam dunia ni memang ada dugaan....we treat these challenges as a test from God..it will make us stronger people"...
d) " Always be grateful with what you have "

We're very similar in character and I miss our conversations about politics, religion and life. He makes me want to suceed and do the best I can.
Whenever I'm feeling stressed or down with life, I think of his wise words and how much he has sacrificed for me...and I pick myself up again to face another day!

As any daughter would, I want him to be proud of me... so Happy Father's Day Papa!

If ever I feel down about stuff I often think of the chorus in Aaliyah's song -

"Try again "

Chorus:
If at first you don't succeed
Dust yourself off and try it again
You can dust it off and try it again

A great song to cheer yourself up again! :)