Ai Ai Captain!

A short entry :

Went to Terengganu recently and this is Si Bunga's fave pose! :-)

Oh, what a beautiful surprise!

It was a good-surprise kinda of morning today. Hubby dengan senyuman penuh lebar, bangun awal pagi and pergi kedai beli paper. (He could get the paper for free from the office as he is working today)..

Balik-balik, dengan senyuman lebar tu, dia buka paper and SURPRISE! 

His first picture byline! Byline nama dah banyak kali keluar, but byline bergambar ni  pertama kali!

Even Si Bunga panggil "Abah, Abah, Abah!" when she saw this picture.:-)

Dear Hubby, 

We are so proud of you and reading your piece, one could see your passion in this particular subject (bukan subjek paksa rela which u have to write on something)...Keep up the good work and finally, I can say out loud and in public, "Thats my Husband!" (even bukan di finishing line pun...) :-P

For the full article, please click here

Si Bunga the Chatterbox

My dancing Ladybug is going to be 2 soon!

My husband and i still remember during our last visit to Aquaria last Aidilfitri when a mother asked me what my daughter can say. During that time, Dahlia was near her daughter, obviously nak berkawan., dekat depan the big tank.. It goes like this (or something along the line) :

Mom keypohchi : Anak you umur berapa?

Moi : Nak masuk dua tahun bulan 12 ni...

MK : Oh, anak saya dah 2 tahun dah....anak awak boleh cakap apa?

Moi : (taken back sebab tetiba tanya pasal tahap keupayaan percakapan anak) dia dah boleh cakap sikit-sikit, kebanyakan bahasa dia la...

MK : Anak saya dah boleh cakap, boleh baca Alif, Ba, Ta sampai Ya....

Moi : (senyum ajer).

And then, since her daughter takdelah plak nak bercakap dgn my daughter yang sedang menghulurkan tangan nak pegang utk berkawan, i just tunjuk Dahlia some of the impressive fish yang ada....

Yes, my almost 2 year-old daughter tak reti bercakap then. She can says Mama, Abah, Atuk, Papa, Nenen very well...(kalau nak susu je, sendiri amik botol and cakap nak nenen)

Yes, she can't recite the Alif, Ba, Ta until Ya yet...but i'm sure she'll be able to recite them at her own pace...

But, she is a brilliant-brilliant child, which after only a few months, dah pandai cakap and such an entertainer, a happy-go-lucky toddler...

She can sing some of Sesame Streets and Barney's song. Walaupun tak berapa jelas, but you know which song she's singing.

She can now cakap "3,2,1...blast off!" before saying "The Sky!" (please tgk Barney : The Space), she understands the concept and meaning of "Terima Kasih" and "Thank you"...and says "Akum" sebelum masuk pagar and rumah...

She can identify which one is her Abah, Mama (which sometimes she would cheekily calls us by our nicknames "Abi" or "Anne"), Atuk, Mak, Mami and Papa for her grandparents, Abang Afeeeq, Achak, Jojo for her cousin and uncles.

She would call my Bro-in-law, Yuyu or whenever she tgk logo Starbucks, Yuyu! sebabnya, my BIL tu kerja di Starbucks and of course, almost sentiasa pakai their t-shirt.

She calls my best friend, Mami Jess.

She calls herself Baby (tho we are still trying to identify isit becoz she thinks she saw another toddler dkt mirror or mmg dia panggil diri dia Baby) or Lia.

She will jawab 'OK' when u ask her to wait or something. and she can count...1 to 10 (with a few nos missing..)

And she can say "No" if she doesn't want anything....

She can handle and play with an iphone, dvd player withe ease.

Like most toddlers, she loves the phone, pc...camera! :-P

She loves to sing esp. when she's alone and dance...and would entertain us whenever she can, sometime out of the blue e.g while we were having brekkie.

And boy, can she play!


And yes, like all parents who adores their child, I'm gushing about my almost 2 year old daughter. :-)

Simple toys, happy days

I've been one of those mothers that would worry whenever i think Dahlia is not getting as much toys/books compared to other toddlers out there. :-( i mean, admittedly i would be envy when i see other parents would not mind spending an exuberant amount of money just for toys or books, or having the time to look for good bargains for them...

But, about a week ago Dahlia has prove me wrong. Money really doesn't matter when its for her joy or laughter.

A simple green washcloth and her cousin, Afiq (which she would say, not too clearly yet understandable enough, Abang Afeeek) and my MIL would be as good as the most expensive and colourful toy in the world.

She was having a fever, tho it wasn't as high compared to a few days after this event but yet, having a much moody time earlier the evening. Realising that her mood was much better, Afiq took the now dried green washcloth i was using to cool her body and played cak, while at the same time acting silly like those slapstick comedians with funny faces and clumsiness.

She would giggle and giggle, like my MIL likes to say - berkekek ketawa- until terbaring kat katil. We were at my in-laws room as it was much cooler compared to our room (that is the only room w an AC).

The thing was, it wasn't only Afiq that was holding the washcloth or tutup-tarik his face with it...Dahlia, being a funny and dah pandai menyakat girl, would also be doing it with herself. and tak puas hati Afiq je yang kena, she was also doing the same with my MIL who was seated by the bedside reading the kitab while waiting for the Isya' prayer (while FIL was seated kat hujung katil, also reading at the same watching the grandkids punya perangai while waiting)...

I could tell that the kids were not the only one having fun during the whole thing ;-)

Oh, i could still remember their laughters to this day. Fitri has asked me to blog about last week, but then, me as usual biasalah kan? :-P

Not just the green washcloth mind u, apparently, ugly and yet believable rubber spiders (if your kids tak takut la kan) also works wonders! :-)

Dahlia, eventho both Mama and Abah didn't have the opportunity to buy you so much toys as we wish we could give you, you have shown us that even simple, silly things meant a lot for u...Just remember that we love you very very very much and your adorable-ness could melt our hearts. everytime without fail. :-)

From childhood friends to married couple...

The first picture of us. The event that brought us together.

Sonnet 43 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Boy, how time has fly...sedar-sedar dah tiga tahun we've been married.

And yet i could still remember the time I asked Abah (my FIL), "Abang Fitri mana, Uncle?" masa balik sekolah dulu.... :-)

Three years of love, happiness and lots of laughter, with of course like every other couple - some not fun moments.

Nevertheless, that is life and i bersyukur dengan setiap pemberianNya.

In 3 years time, a few things that we have endured & accomplished : long distance relationship (which i am grateful it was only kl-melaka), having a beautiful baby girl, our first apartment and adjusting to our new life di luar sarang keluarga.

Suami, thank you for loving me and accepting me as i am. thank you for being there and truly listen to all my ramblings. thank you for the understanding. thank you for being a wonderful son and son-in-law, husband and father.

So, Abi dearie...semoga jodoh kita berpanjangan, sempai kita tua kerepot pun we still sayang-menyayangi, jadi romantic couple ok? :-)

I love you dulu, kini & selamanya....*hugs & kisses*

30 days after..

I know i've been 'gone' for about a month...sorry sangat but i'm still adjusting to motherhood and i have to admit that i barely have time to surf the net...kengkadang nak mandi pun kena postpone sampai lewat so, pepaham je la ya? *wink*

Dahlia is now a month old and boy, each day she's making us love her more and more...cair ok?

sungguhpun most of the time she sleeps, main and look around curiosly with her big round eyes, kena tukar diaper and of course, minum susu often; she really is a darling...

after a month, what we have seen of her :-

* she has gained about a kg since birth

* she would drink milk most of the time during the day and malam, about every 3 hours....

* feisty - gosh, you should see when she wants something i.e milk, dukung

*seorang yang amat pembersih. she would kick up a fuss so that diaper kena change as soon as the deed is done. takmo tunggu lama tu...and even kalau sikit jer pun, kena tukar juga...

* she loves to smile...eventho tgh melawan ngantuk tapi at the same time nak minum susu, Dahlia also loves to smile (i know its involuntary but cair tengok dia senyum or ketawa esp bila tgh tidur).

* she does have a tantrum (a trait my husband cakap macam i)

* gosh, she's so bijak and strong! u should try to hold her tangan or kaki, she would keraskan those limbs kalau tak suka...kena pujuk sikit baru boleh lembut... :-) beside that, tak sampai sebulan dia dah cuba mengangkat kepala bile kita try burp her after feeding...and if terlentngkan dia, she would try to push herself up..

* with her big eyes, she would tengok all over the place and stare, as if trying to absorb what is happening around her...she loves the colour blue and red.

*she loves the sound of cats and birds ouside.
(note : bee, thank you for the cot mobile! ada bunyi burung and we play it all the time to soothe her!)

* she tak takut dengan orang...almost everyone can pangku her easily.

* she doesn't like being swaddle but we still do it coz dia selalu terkejut bila tidur..but now i have to swaddle her after feeding and then pray for the best so that dia tak terjaga...

* if she sedar kena swaddle, she would cuba sedaya upaya sampai berjaya utk keluarkan the tngan...u should hear when she menguit-uit untk keluarkan tangan! (she would also menangis if tak berjaya or until somebody free her)..

* eventho she cries, but she's not really a baby yang kuat sangat nangis..kengkadang la menangis sampai takde suara, itupun sebab dia marah or trying to catch ppl attention or tak suka baring kat the changing table...

* she loves warm water masa mandi. if its the rght tempt, she would be very quiet and enjoying the bath....

* most ppl would cll her banyak akal. :-) she would open up her eyes masa time tidur utk tgk sama ada ada orang sebelah dia or tak...


* kalau tidur, kepala dia berat more on the right side. tangan sebelah kiri lebih aktif berbanding kanan.

* if tak swaddle (0r berjaya melepaskan tangan), she loves to letak her hand di telinga and hidung (just like her Abah) semasa tidur.



i can't believe that one mnth has passed (at tims i still can't believe that i am now a mom)...sekejap je rasa...

Its a Girl! :-)

Name : Dah*lia an-Na*jla Sham*shul Fitri

Sex : Girl
Date of birth : 22nd December 2008 (24 Zulhijjah 1429H)
Time of birth : 2151 hrs (or 9.51 pm)
Weight : 3.10 kg

Hospital : Ampan*g Puter*i Specialist Hospital
Obstetrician : Datuk Dr. As*har Abdull*ah
Pediatrician : Dr. Hali*za Mohd Shaf*ie

A little huraian.....

DAH*LIA. The dah*lia is the national flower of Mex*ico and it is there that it was first discovered growing wild by the Europeans. A member of the Compositae (daisy-like) family, it was grown and improved by a Swedish Botanist, Andreas Dahl, and named after him.

It was brought to Gre*at Bri*tain late in the 18th century and today it is a summer flower grown in all countries where the climate is mild. But it will blacken overnight in the first frost of autumn.

The original wild Mexica*n dahlias had yellow centres and red petals, but now varieties are grown in many different shades of red, yellow and purple.

Pale pink & yellow dahlia
(Pix : taken from here)

They vary considerably in shape and size, and their names generally give some idea of their appearance.

They include the large show and fancy dahlias, with many petals marked in several colours; single dahlias with one row of petals; cactus dahlias with pointed, starry flowers; peony dahlias which, with their large petals, look rather like the rend and pink flowers called peonies; and the dainty pompom dahlias, with round heads consisting of beautifully arranged, close-fitting petals.
Purple dahlia.
(Pix taken from here)

Dahlias grow from thick, underground stems called tubers and after the flowers have finished blooming in autumn, the tubers should be lifted and stored in a dry place, ready to be planted in the garden again the following May.
(Source : Children's Brita*nnica Vol. 6; Encycl*opedia Brita*nnica International, Ltd London. 1981)

NAJLA means yang mempunyai mata yang jelita.

Sungguhpun bukan local flower, but our daughter's name is based on a beautiful flower.... :-)

P/S : We would like to thank everyone for your wishes, visits and gifts....they meant a lot to us...Thank you!

The day our lives changed...

WARNING : Blognovella ahead.

Hello World! The moment our lives change.

Date : 22nd Dec. 2008 (24 Zulhijjah 1429H)
Time : 2151 (9.51 pm)
Mode of delivery : Kiwi vacuum
Location : Am*pang Put*eri Specia*list Hos*pital
Obstetrician : Datuk Dr. As*har Abdulla*h

Alhamdulilah....no other word best describe what i feel then and right now...a single word no other than 'Alhamdullilah'....

Alhamdullilah semuanya selamat dan berjalan lancar.
Alhamdullilah we have a healthy (albeit slightly jaundiced but sikit jer) & beautiful baby girl.
Alhamdullilah we have all the love and support from our family and friends.
Alhamdullilah our lives are more enriched and happy with this latest addition.
Alhamdullilah for everything - no matter how small or big.

22nd Dec is almost like any other day. the only difference was that we both know that i have to be in the hospital after brekkie....

yes, i admit that i was nervous, but still managed to buat lawak and ketawa. in fact, we took our time to go to AP, bangun lambat sikit, walked around the block in Taman TA*R and makan brekkie.

I wasn't really in the mood to berjalan. Dah la panas, and me being such a couch potato, soooo malas nak berjalan. But Fitri was so bersemangat (and garang :-P)..he said : "kalau nak senang bersalin, kena berjalan juga".

after the walk and brekkie, dengan mengambil masa sendiri, we got ourselves ready...masa ni nervousness was still under control...

sampai je di AP, we 'checked in' and after waiting for a while, we were taken to the room. the company's entitlement is for the 4 bedded room, tapi memandangkan pada hari itu semua bilik penuh, i had to be in the 5 bedded room..which i don't mind coz ada org sikit nak 'meneman'.

eventho its the maternity ward, apparently ada a couple of non-maternity related patients with me..sorang sakit saraf and the bed beside me, gall bladder stone yang cronic (she has been there for10 days).

once settled in, the nurse monitored the baby's heartbeat and my contractions.

"You dah ada contraction..."
"Huh? really? tak rasa..."
"Tak kuat sangat lagi"

Seriously i didn't feel my contractions! even masa tu Fitri and i was still laughing and joking about it...

4 pm - A nurse came in and induced my labor...gila la bila dia masukkan the ubat under there....i was already squarming sebab first time masukkan her hari is to check the depth, and then baru the ubat...

"Selalunya first child kena masuk ubat lebih dari sekali (tak ke cuak bila u dengar that...?) ...u jangan bergerak dari katil selama sejam ya?"

"Lepas sejam akan ada another nurse to check your condition...minta any epidural ke sebagainya?"

I answered : "Mmg nak epidural"

She said : "Ok, nnt bila dah dilate about 4 cm, kita pakai epidural..kalau dilation lagi besar, epidural dah tak berkesan.."

Me about an hour after induction.

Tunggu punya tunggu, takde nurse yg datang pun after an hour...masa tu Imin (Fitri's younger bro) came and lepak w us...

I was already experiencing contractions every 20 mins....then shorten to 15..then to about 10....masa ni seriously dah tak tahan sakit...

Second baby's heartbeat monitoring with contractions every 10-15 mins

When tak tahan already, they check my dilation and it was already 4 cm. Then, laxatives were given for obvious reason. One of the nurse sia temankan i dalam the toilet coz takut i teran and baby keluar ke apa....

i kept apologising (dan malu) coz she had to witness me buang air... :-)

then, she had to keluar and get the wheelchair...

dah la sakit due to contraction, then kena membuang..aiyoh!

fitri papah i back to my bed and since the contraction was bad, i decided to berdiri and berpegang pada kerusi. it was better then me lying on the bad w the contraction (i tried but sakit yang amt berbanding i berdiri).

After a while, finally the wheelchair came...

8 pm - wheeled into the labor room. (Labour Room 1)

In the Labor Room...

Ivy line was done (me being penakut towards pain and tak suka needles, rasa sangat sakit when its done)...

All these while Fitri was by my bedside, trying to calm me...i told the nurse there about wanting the epidural...

Sementara menunggu, i was given the gas, entonox, to sedut everytime i feel pain. seriously masa tu high!

I boleh buat lawak and said mengantuk lagi even during the pain!!

After a while, sekali lagi my dilation were checked and it was already 6 cm!

"Epidural?" i asked...
"Tak sempat Puan, dilation dah besar"

Masa tu mmg rasa nak hempuk je the nurses and anaesthesiologist yg tak sampai-sampai tu..! tapi nasib baik tgh high...kalau tak mmg dah kena maki...(actually dalam hati mmg dah maki pun..)

dah la mmg takut nak bersalin, and tetiba u were caught off-guard...takde pain relief..(for me, Entonox doesn't help...i see it as a mere distraction/psyclogy ploy and for u to get high-legally).

I had trouble breathing...my breathing exercises mmg tak pakai. i tend to hold my breath and mengerang...which the nurses tak galakkan sebab takut i teran...

at about 9 pm, i could hear a baby cry from the next room....masa tu terasa cam berani sikit...not just fitri was there helping me breathe, but a sense of tak sabar my baby would come and then the pain would end...

masa tu juga my water broke..(yes, i contraction dulu baru air pecah..some ppl terbalik).

soon enough, Dr came in and after given the updates from the nurses, he mentioned about getting the vacuum ready...

mmg dah tak ingat apa dah masa ni...all i could remember was the rasa kena tarik and me had to push beberapa kali...

when the baby came out, dia tak menangis pun.....Dr said dia tertelan her waste and they need to clear her airways...

"Abi, baby OK?" (i asked sambil still high form the etonox)
"She's OK...." Fitri said trying to soothe me..

after what seemed like eternity, finally the baby menangis...

Fitri then iqamah kan the baby..

one of the nurse asked if she could bring the baby ke luar to show to our family before masukkan ke dalam incubator..

after given the green light, Fitri went outside to call them..while waiting for him to come back, the nurse letakkan the baby dekat my dada...

it was love at first sight....

"Assalamualaikum Dahlia.." i said sambil mengusap her pipi and hair...

"Wah! dah ada nama" one of the nurses said...i just smiled..

then, they took her to show to our family who has been waiting patiently since earlier in the evening...

after the placenta is out, then the cleaning and then the sticthing...since i tore, lama sikitlah the jahitan tu...*phobia jap*...

"Nanti bila baby dah ready, try to breastfeed ok?" Dr said kindly...

after the he left, the nurse checked my uterus, takut ada placenta tertinggal ke apa...she called the Dr and after a 2nd checkup, everything OK...panik makcik!

lepas tu lak, as i nak kena pakai maternity pad, the nurse tetiba cakap :

"Kenapa your uterus sebelah besar?" (tgk my perut sebelah kembang ok!?!)

i pun panik a bitlah sebab takut ada complication lak....

"Takpe-takpe, u try buang air kencing...i think your bladder is pushing the uterus"..she then took the bedpan...

memula ingat nak kencing sambil baring, but since takle, Fitri and the nurse helped me sit and membuang la..

ane my tummy dah tak besar sebelah anymore! *lega*

kena duduk di LR for about an hour plus before i was wheeled to my bed...it was a lovely sight when we keluar the LR...

everyone was there, both our parents and most of our siblings....

masuk-masuk je bilik, tak sampai 5 minit, baby dibawa masuk...

Our first picture together

lots of "ooohs, aahhhas" were heard...

a nurse helped me to nurse the baby.....my first time nursing.....and its a wonderful feeling!

after a while, everyone left except fitri...

walaupun sebenarnya tak dibenarkan, tetapi memandangkan a couple of husbands stayed by their wife's bed, fitri pun temankan i that nite...

we didn't sleep at all coz the baby kept waking up due to kesejukan...kesian fitri coz he came unprepared nak stay over...kena tahan kesejukan...

the pain, the hardship was definitely worthwhile......

i'm grateful that i have my family esp Fitri to help and support me tru it all....alhamdullilah...

My Papa is a celebrity today! :-P

My colleague, Ham*zah Abdul Ham*id, wrote this article for today's Kosm*o! Ahad..

RENCANA UTAMA

Khabar dari tebing runtuhan

Pemandangan hijau yang dibanggakan selama ini sudah bertukar menjadi pandangan bumbung-bumbung rumah dan kondominium yang semakin rancak dibangunkan.

SOBREY mengharapkan semua pihak bertindak secara proaktif.

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'MAAF, kami umpama pelarian," pelawa tuan rumah sambil mengemas letak atur beg-beg berisi pakaian dan dokumen penting di laluan masuk. Sebelum bertanya lanjut tentang barang-barang tersebut, topik perbualan sengaja dimulakan dengan imbasan kisah lalu.

Ingatannya kuat pada pandangan bukit yang tenang dan hijau. Dia juga masih ingat pada kunjungan saudara-mara dan teman taulan yang memuji betapa bertuah si tuan rumah dapat memiliki kediaman menghadap keindahan alam semula jadi.

Bagi Sobrey Jaafar, 59, keputusan untuk melabur sejumlah kira-kira RM200,000 untuk sebuah rumah teres di Wangsa Ukay, Bukit Antarabangsa, 20 tahun lalu, adalah impian yang dibina bersama keluarganya. Pelaburan yang semahunya dibiar menjadi milik mereka selama boleh.

"Kami berpindah dari Taman TAR, Ampang Jaya kerana mahukan persekitaran yang lebih tenteram dan selamat selain menghargai budaya yang terbit daripada kejiranan di kalangan golongan profesional.

"Penduduk di sini mewakili kelompok masyarakat moden. Kemudahan asas penduduk seperti bekalan air, elektrik dan keperluan lain juga memuaskan lantaran diuruskan dengan baik," terangnya yang memberitahu nilai asetnya itu tahun lalu sudah mencecah harga sekurang-kurangnya setengah juta ringgit.

PANDANGAN ngeri dari tempat punca runtuhan di Jalan Wangsa 9, Wangsa Ukay. Kediaman Sobrey sekeluarga hanya kira-kira 200 meter dari tebing ini.

---

Kata Sobrey, dahulu rumah itu tidak perlu dipasang sistem hawa dingin, kerana udara sudah cukup nyaman dan dingin pada waktu malam. Apakah lagi yang diingati?

"Harmoni. Itulah yang kami paling ingat," celah isterinya, Nazlee Ismail, yang merujuk kepada kemesraan hubungan antara jiran tanpa mengira bangsa dan agama.

"Dulu kami memang sengaja memilih pandangan yang menghadap bukit bukau berbanding hartanah yang menghadap kota raya Kuala Lumpur. Tapi, lihat sekarang ke luar sana," katanya lantas membuang pandangan melepasi halaman rumahnya.

"Pemandangan hijau yang kami banggakan itu kini menjadi pandangan bumbung-bumbung rumah dan kondominium yang semakin rancak dibangunkan saban tahun," sambung bapa kepada dua orang anak ini.

RUNTUHAN kecil di laluan Jalan Wangsa 1 ini juga antara petanda yang perlukan penyelenggaraan profesional.

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Pembangunan konkrit itu lama-kelamaan menghakis kenangan yang mereka kumpulkan sejak mendudukinya pada tahun 1988. Di sebalik nada tenang pasangan suami isteri ini, masih dapat ditangkap sekilas bibit khuatir mengenai rentetan kejadian tanah runtuh pada dinihari 6 Disember lalu.

"Kami tidak merasakan apa-apa semasa tanah itu runtuh. Sebaliknya mendapat tahu pada siangnya apabila menerima panggilan saudara yang tinggal di kawasan bawah bukit. Ketika itu, helikopter sudah berlegar-legar di ruang udara," imbas Sobrey.

Tragedi yang mengorbankan lima nyawa itu seolah-olah menjelaskan keanehan yang dilihat dengan matanya sendiri pada dua hari sebelumnya. Sobrey teringat pada kawanan beruk dan monyet yang tiba-tiba muncul berkeliaran merapati kawasan perumahannya, seperti hendak lari dari kawasan hutan di lereng bukit itu.

"Bukan tidak pernah melihat kelibat monyet dan beruk di sini, tetapi saya hairan bilangannya lebih banyak daripada biasa. Mungkin itu suatu petanda," katanya.

Mungkin ketika ramai menghulur belas dan berduka dengan nasib mangsa di kalangan penghuni 14 buah banglo yang ranap di tapak runtuhan, kita terlupa pada keluh-kesah penghuni rumah di atas bukit Wangsa Ukay ini. Kehidupan mereka, secara falsafah dan fizikalnya, berada di tebing curam.

PENGHUNI di deretan rumah di Jalan Wangsa 9, di belakang kediaman Sobrey sudah diarahkan untuk berpindah demi keselamatan mereka.

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Kediaman Sobrey misalnya, walaupun bukan dalam 'zon merah' yang diarahkan untuk mengosongkan premis, kedudukannya adalah kira-kira 200 meter dari punca runtuhan. Deretan rumah di Jalan Wangsa 9, iaitu betul-betul di belakang rumahnya sudah pun dikosongkan.

"Kami diberitahu bahawa deretan rumah di Jalan Wangsa 7 ini tidak terjejas. Struktur tanah kami masih kukuh dengan batu. Moga ia kekal begitu," ujar pesara ini yang telah meninggalkan portfolio besar dalam agensi berita negara, Bernama.

Sobrey yang pernah bertugas membuat liputan tragedi kondominium Highland Towers yang tumbang pada tahun 1993, walau bagaimanapun mengakui bahawa kejadian seumpama itu bukan asing di Bukit Antarabangsa.

Kes-kes runtuhan kecil, katanya, sudah beberapa kali berlaku. Cuma runtuhan tanah Sabtu lalu, menggusarkan dia sekeluarga.

"Itulah yang dikesalkan. Setiap kali terjadi perkara seperti ini, arahan menghentikan projek di kawasan bukit dikeluarkan kerajaan. Namun, larangan itu dilupakan juga akhirnya," luah bapa kepada dua anak ini.

Menurutnya, ada tiga sebab mengapa tragedi ini berlaku. Pertama adalah kelemahan penyelenggaraan. Kedua adalah kekurangan pengurusan teknikal, manakala yang ketiga adalah sikap 'tidak apa'.

BEG-BEG berisi barangan keperluan dan dokumen penting sudah siap diletakkan di muka pintu.

Dia melahirkan kemusykilannya terhadap pihak yang meluluskan projek-projek di sekitar kawasan Bukit Antarabangsa yang tidak serius untuk merujuk kepada pakar penyelenggaraan cerun bukit.

Bagi yang mampu berfikir dengan waras, memang letih kalau hal seperti ini berakhir dengan drama menuding jari, bercakap soal sifat tamak manusia dan keengganan pihak-pihak tertentu mematuhi peraturan yang ditetapkan kerajaan. Pokok pangkalnya adalah penguatkuasaan.

"Lagi satu, konsep pengurusan krisis kita sering kali silap. Ia sepatutnya dilaksanakan untuk menghindarkan krisis daripada berlaku. Bukannya bertindak sesudah sesuatu krisis atau bencana sudah terjadi," tegasnya yang mahukan semua pihak lebih proaktif menangani isu tersebut.

Bukan berfikir negatif atau tidak menghormati perasaan Sobrey sekeluarga. Namun, soalan ini akhirnya telah disuakan juga kepadanya - adakah sudah bersedia untuk meninggalkan rumah itu seandainya keadaan tidak menyebelahi mereka nanti?

"Bukan soal mahu pindah atau tidak. Kita ikut apa yang perlu dibuat. Di mana-mana pun kita percaya pada ketentuan Tuhan. Di bukit boleh berlaku tanah runtuh, di kawasan rendah pula boleh terjadi bencana banjir, dan di kawasan rata juga boleh dilanda puting beliung. Iklim dan cuaca juga sudah tidak dapat diduga.

"Kalau diikutkan hati, kami masih mahu terus tinggal di sini. Walau bagaimanapun, beg-beg sudah di depan pintu itu. Jika berlaku apa-apa, kami akan capai dan pergi," ujarnya yang akan terus terkenangkan betapa kejiranan itu dua dekad lalu begitu damai dan menghijau.

Happy Papa's Day!

ok, i know i'm late by a day but in my book, its always better late than never! hahaha....

Happy Father's Day, Papa!
I love you very much...
(eventho we seldom see each other these days and everytime when we do see, we always fight for the tv's remote...*wink*)