Varnis

Belalang Mentadak-18thn

Pagi tadi hidung ambo dikejutkan dengan bau pelik. Bukanlah pagi sangat. Dah masuk jam 9.30 pagi. Masih terlentang dan terkebil-kebil, baru ambo teringat Otto kata semalam dia nak varnis lantai ruang tamu dan dapur. Rumah ini sudah 13 tahun. Varnis lantai papan semakin bercalar dan bertompok-tompok. Sebenarnya hari Ahad nanti ada tetamu penting datang ke rumah kami buat pertama kali. Tapi biarlah ambo cerita tentang varnis sementara menunggu kejadian selanjutnya...

Semenjak ambo menulis draf, rumah ini terabai. Lain-lain tulisan tidaklah begitu menghariahkan tapi menulis draf terasa seperti menghantukan. Pokoknya rumah ambo terabai.

Sebenarnya hati ini terasa tertekan memikirkan sampah yang bertahun-tahun ambo simpan. Pakaian anak-anak masa mereka bayi masih ada dalam almari. Otto suruh buang, ambo kata benda itu tak ganggu kita, jadi kita jangan ganggu dia.
Boleh?

Buku-buku lama, buku klasik, buku agama semua saya simpan. Untuk Otto buku tidak perlu kita simpan, bila dah baca berikan orang lain atau buang. Ambo kata mana boleh buang ilmu. Ilmu kita bawa sampai mati.
Boleh?

Pakaian lama-lama semasa badan ambo seperti belalang mentadak masih ada lagi. Berbungkus bulat-bulat. Itu pun simpan. Otto kata buat kain buruk.
Mana boleh buat kain buruk, kainnya tak buruk pun!
Boleh?

Entahlah, tolonglah.
Macam mana nak buang!!!???

*******

Kaya?

Alaun melahirkan anak dinaikkan lagi. Setiap kali melahirkan, diberi sebanyak yen 420,000. Masa saya dulu, 26 tahun lepas, kami dapat alaun bersalin Yen 230,000.
Duit ini dari mana? Dari cukai pendapatan. Siapa yang mengeluarkan cukai pendapatan ini? Pekerja swasta dan awam. Cukai dinaikkan untuk membayar lebih. Kasihan orang-orang muda di Jepun.

Kadar orang Jepun bunuh diri naik lagi tahun ini (+-33,000 nyawa). Yang peliknya, pada pertama kali didapati orang-orang muda antara umur 20'an dan 30'an yang ramai bunuh diri (+-8,000 nyawa). Kasihan orang-orang muda di Jepun.

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Kui

"Mano poi eh kui padi dopan ghumah?"

Setakat ini, belum ada orang berani menjawab soalan ini apabila saya masukkan di dalam Facebook.

Mungkin ini kerana:

1] Ada pembaca beranggapan ayat ini bukan dalam Bahasa Melayu.

2] Ada pembaca tidak faham Bahasa Noghori.

3] Ada pembaca faham Bahasa Noghori tapi tak tahu apa itu "kui".

4] Ada pembaca memang faham Bahasa Noghori dan tahu pula makna "kui" tapi memang tak tahu jawapan pada soalan ini.

Satu lagi tentang usul-usul perkataan.

"Beca" berasal dari Bahasa Inggeris yang dicampur-adukkan dari perkataan "rickshaw".
Tapi "rickshaw" bukan juga berasal dari bahasa Inggeris.

"Rickshaw" keluar dari lidah cair yang mengalir dari perkataan asal "ricksya".

"Ricksya" pula dipendekkan dari perkataan "jinrikisya!"
　
"Jinrikisya" atau 人力車 (bahasa Jepun) yang bermaksud 人　orang, 力 tenaga, 車　kereta. Cantumkan menjadi orang-tenaga-kereta.

Huraiannya menjadi kereta yang mengguna tenaga orang...beca!

"Mano poi eh kui padi dopan ghumah?"

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10-10-10

Mengabadikan hari ini.

1] Terjaga awal sebelum waktu fajar. Tangan menekan butang loceng dan menunggu, tapi terlelap. Alih-alih bila tersedar waktu sudah masuk setengah jam selepas suruq...mood menjadi liar.

2] Ada sesuatu yang dinantikan tapi belum ada jawapan...mood membara.

3] Ada masalah yang harus diselesaikan tapi menunggu masa dengan sabar...mood bosan.

4] Hati ingin berseronok dengan teman2 tapi kaki tidak mahu melangkah lebih dari pintu depan...mood sedih.

5] Semangat ingin menghabiskan projek terkini tapi jari menulis sudah bengkak, tak dapat pegang pensel...mood menyerit.

Lima cukuplah, tak perlu penuhkan senarai sampai 10.

Mengabadikan hari 10-10-10!

******

Langit Luruh

Ada pepatah Jepun yang bermaksud "hati perempuan bagaikan langit luruh".
Luruh adalah musim perantaraan.
Baru habis musim panas yang berluwapan dan memijak ke pintu musim sejuk.
Musim luruh awannya berkumpulan seperti ikan berlari-lari dalam laut, berderet-deret dan panjang di lata langit.
Ini lain dengan awan musim panas, di mana awannya berkepul-kepul naik meninggi, bertingkat-tingkat.
Bayu musim luruh sungguh nyaman.
Senang dilenakan dan boleh mengkhayalkan.
Hati perempuan sama seperti awan, bayu dan langit musim luruh.
Tidak menentu.
Sekejap ke belakang, sekejap ke depan.
Adakala tenang, adakala ribut, berkilat, berpanah.
Selalunya awannya menari-nari tapi tidak lama.
Bila hujan, dibuatnya lama berhari-hari.
Memang musim luruh sama seperti hati perempuan.
Sesiapa yang belum kenal musim luruh tak perlu risau.
Duduk saja serumah dengan seorang perempuan, sudah cukup mengalami luruh semusim!

Bertadabburlah dan hayatilah ciptaan-Nya di alam ini.


Kumpulan sadin
berkejaran di langit
egonya tinggi.

*****

...yang baki gincu.

image from google-tsubaki

Bersebelahan pohon tsubaki ini terdapat juga sebatang pohon willow yang baru mengeluarkan tunas hijau di ranting-rantingnya. Ranting-ranting pohon willow ini melambai-lambaikan jari-jemari mengikut siulan semilir musim bunga yang nyaman pagi itu. Bakat puitis yang terpendam di dalam sanubari Rafique menangkap kecantikan yang terbentang di lensanya dan mengilhamkan sebait puisi Jepun.

Pergi tsubaki
tinggalkan jasad ini
yang baki gincu.

Petikan daripada novel Pulut Sakura Serunding Kasih (PSSK).

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Etiket

Etiquette atau etiket (kalau salah sebut terjadi air ticket!).
Mengikut kamus Dewan Bahasa etiket bermaksud adat dan peraturan berkenaan kesopanan (terutamanya dalam kehidupan sosial atau dalam profesion tertentu).

Di Jepun, etiket dalam segala hal kehidupan ada dicatatkan dalam buku. Etiket mengunjung/menziarah, etiket tuan rumah menyambut tetamu, etiket perkabungan, etiket majlis minum teh dan banyak lagi.

Adakah etiket-etiket kehidupan orang Melayu sudah dibukukan untuk menjadi contoh/tauladan bagi generasi akan datang? Atau masih dan hanya disebarkan dari mulut ke mulut? (Mungkin saya belum terjumpa buku etiket ini, kalau ada tolong sampaikan.)

Orang muda disayangi, orang tua dihormati.

Saya tidak faham perangai orang-orang muda sekarang. Masa saya muda dan masih lakukan sekarang, saya teruskan hubungan dengan orang-orang yang saya kenal, baik dari dalam negara mahupun di luar negara. Bukannya saya baik sangat tapi itulah saya...

Masa saya muda belum ada kemudahan komputer. Saya sanggup menulis beberapa keping poskad atau surat menanyakan khabar, pergi ke pejabat pos, beratur beli setem dan tunggu balasan mereka. Panjang betul proses tapi kerana hormat kepada mereka dan mengenangkan jasa mereka yang sudi menghulur bantuan kepada saya dan keluarga saya masa bersama mereka, itulah saya sanggup lakukan segalanya. Apatah lagi dengan kemudahan alat penghubung seperti komputer sekarang, lagilah senang untuk menghantar sepatah ayat komunikasi,barang sepatah pun jadilah...

Orang-orang muda sekarang berbeza dari zaman saya. Tak perlulah beri alasan kerjaya dan berbagai. Segala kebaikan datang dari hati suci/murni. Tak perlu beralasan.

Pada saya dengan hanya sepatah ayat..."kak leyla buat apa?" hati ini akan terbuka dan menyayangi mereka.

Orang muda disayangi, orang tua dihormati...

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Jiran

Jiranku, si emaknya dah lebih setahun tinggal di rumah orang tua. Rumah itu kosong. Sesekali adik beradik mereka berkumpul, makan2 untuk meraikan hari sembah roh atau tahun baru atau entah apa2 lagi.

Yang tinggal tetap di rumah itu, hanya seorang bujang tua. Dia bukan tinggal dalam rumah itu tapi dia bina sebuah pondok simen di tanah lapang depan rumah dia. Tanah lapang itu depan rumah ambo juga.

Si bujang itu dah tua. Lebih tua dari ambo tapi masih bujang. Kerja entah apa. Pondok simen itu bertentang rumah ambo. Saban hari waktu petang, dia duduk depan pondoknya, mengarah pandang ke rumah ambo. Nasib baik, binaan rumah ambo tidak bertentangan.

Sekarang dia membina kepungan di keliling rumahnya. Jiran-jiran di belakang rumah dan saya tidak dapat melihat lagi ke dalam kawasan rumahnya.

Si bujang ini agak pelik. Entahlah saya rasa orang lelaki yang membujang sampai ke tua memang pelik. Orang lelaki mesti kahwin. Kalau tidak mana nak ganti darah. Kaum perempuan lain.

Saya tak kisah dia kepung tanah dan rumah dia tapi saya terfikir kes di Jepun satu hari dulu tentang seorang bujang tua menculik anak gadis. Gadis itu dikurungnya dalam bilik di rumahnya yang berkepung dan mendera gadis itu berbulan-bulan.

Lagi satu saya teringat pula tentang kes Banting sekarang...kan ke tembuk setinggi 1.5 m juga mengepung kawasan itu?

Orang yang mengepung rumah mereka, saya rasa mesti ada sesuatu yang mereka ingin sembunyikan. Ini theori saya yang fobia dengan kelakuan manusia-manusia pelik!

Seekor arnab
dalam tuala putih
berkibar-kibar.

********

Fitrah Alam Dalam Haiku

Jendela Timur Ogos 2010

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Eid cooking

Pada hari raya saban tahun, saya masak rendang, ayam masak merah, nasi impit bersama kuah sate tapi tahun ini mood Hari Raya masuk diakhir-akhir Ramadan. Makanya saya tidaklah terasa suasana hari raya sangat. Lagi pun sedang mempercantikkan manuskrip yang perlu dilepaskan, sesungguhnya saya tidak terasa hari raya langsung!
Jadi saya buat masakan yang saya kepingin. Kalau bersendirian, saya memang tak masak yang saya ingin makan sebab tak berselera makan sendiri. Jadi hari raya ini saya balas dendam segala yang saya ingin makan bersama tetamu yang datang beraya.

Saya masak nasi bukhari daging bersama ayam tandoori.
Bakar roti pizza untuk dicecah bersama daging masak merah.
Buat kerabu sayur bersama kacang panjang dan daun kesum.
Daun salad saya siat-siat untuk dicampur asam umeboshi dijadikan salad.
Akhir sekali saya tumbuk lada panjang dalam 20 ulas, campurkan belacan bakar dan perahkan asam limau.

Punyalah kick makan beramai. Percaya tak ada seorang pelajar bertambah sampai 5 kali!
Saya cuba gunakan sayur-sayur dan daun-daun yang ada di rumah. Semua bahan asli tanaman sendiri.

Inilah cara yang saya akan buat pada hari-hari perayaan. Saya happy dengan makanan sendiri dan orang lain juga merasakan nikmat masakan saya.

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Di Aidil Fitri
Pintu rumah tertutup
menunggu tamu.

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Happy Eidil Fitri, Merry Shawal 1341

Eidil Fitri 1341

Every year different groups of people come over to my house to celebrate Eidil Fitri with my family. This year, Eidil Fitri falls on a working day, Friday. Most students have classes or people go to work after the Sunnah morning solat.

Here with my doa we will meet next Ramadan and have many more good Shawal, insyaAllah.

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Eid 1931

I just finished taking the last morning meal of Ramadan. Tomorrow is Eid. The truth is this, I am not busy at all with Eid. I've done the normal cleaning and the menu is set and I will take my time to cook for my guests. I called my younger sister yesterday, she is at the shopping mall trying like crazy to get the groceries last minute.
I've worked on this manuscript since July last year. It was finished 3 months ago but I did a thorough check again. I stopped at 92,000 words but along the way at re-check point and last count now, its gone over 100,000 words.
To take the barakah of Ramadan month, I give notice of the hand-over this week. But, more last minute editing takes another couple of days before I finally feel prepared to let it go.

I am so unprepared to celebrate Eid. Most probably on Eid, I will be scanning my manuscript while waiting for some guests to drop in.

I will let you know about this manuscript once it is clear. In the meantime, I have to prepare emotionally for Eid.

To all my blog followers, behind the scene readers from Google reader, Yahoo reader and other feed readers and to all who log in visibly, not forgetting some haiku enthusiast, thank you very much for reading this piece of writing. Along the way, if it has offended you somehow, please accept my forgiveness.

*Many Happy Eidil Fitri with this wish in Arab "Taqabbalullah minna waminka".

*bermaksud: Semoga Allah menerima amalanku dan amalanmu.

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Life Path

courtesy of Google-Mt.Fuji

Today is the last day of the year for climbers to struggle up Mt. Fuji. The mountain is closed from tomorrow until July next year, when it will be opened again for climbers. Once a year from July till August, everybody can try to climb this mountain. July/August this year, a record 280,000 people tried to climb to the summit. But whether these 280,000 succeed to the summit is not in the record.
I've done my share of climbing of Mt. Fuji and successfully reached the summit. But if you ask me, do I want to climb again...my right heart says YES but my left heart says NO (anyway, you figure out the left and right).
I can see the path to the top at the beginning of the climb. Its there! All laid out!

I, also have my path laid out at the beginning of my life journey. I wanted to become the most powerful, influential women of a huge, international organization. I want people to jump at the click of my fingers, I want drivers to open and close doors for me, I want different meals serve everyday.
I was willing to work hard and climb this path to reach the top. That was my plan, that was my goal.

But no...it did not turn up that way!

Now, I am sitting in my house, thinking my of two girls having successful careers climbing up the mountain path.
Now, I am sitting at home, washing dishes everyday.
Now, I am sitting in front of this laptop, knocking the keyboard.
Now, I write everyday.
Somehow, somewhere I must have took a different turning...!!!

But my right heart say YOU'VE DONE IT, GIRL and my left heart says I'M OK!

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Summer High Sch Baseball

All-Japan High Sch Baseball: Konan High Okinawa won the spring tournament this year but not only that, two days ago they won the summer tournament as well. This only happened to 5 schools in Japan so far in history. So winning the Spring and Summer Tournament put a permanent mark for Konan High in the history of high school baseball tournament of Japan.
Airline companies have to put up extra flights to load parents and supporters to Koshien Stadium from Okinawa. In the summer heat that burnt the air at 35c, those children played and those supporters from Okinawa cheered.
At the end of the game, the lost team cried for disappointing their fans but Konan team cried as well.
Tears of happiness.
This is the only way for the Okinawa people to tell the mainland Japanese folks that with their combined strength and spirit, no obstacles will get in their way.
If you looked into the history of Okinawa Islands and its people, bulling, neglecting, undermining, abandoning and mistreating were and still are common practice within the political parties on mainland Japan with Okinawa people.

Thank you Konan Baseball team for making the people on the island proud again.

興南高校　お手柄でしたね！

Yes, we can do it!
Look, we've done it!

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Word Processor

Google
I had a word processor just like this before. Can't remember where I stashed it. Before this, my father lend me an Olivetti. Those typewriters that used two-coloured ribbon. Black on top and red at the bottom. I used to write resume after I left school with Olivetti and you should hear the sound in the middle of the night.
My father used to nag about the noise but I have to send the letter out the next day!
Anyway, when I have babies, I did not read nor write. Those 15 blissful years, or is it blissful?
Anyway, I started to write again but Olivetti was not with me. So I got myself a Brother Word Processor.
I used it for about 3 years and then came the Microsoft words. Out goes the Brother WP.
Why am I talking about past years junks?

Because right now I need that junk. I need that Brother WP.
Tell me how to type a virtual document on the computer. That document is like boxes that you have to fill up.
So, I still need that Brother WP.

Why don't your just write?

Nay, my hand gets nervous when writing important documens from the government. I cannot avoid some misspelled words and such.

Oh, give me my Brother WP!

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Happy Ramadan 1431

Many happy Ramadan days and beautiful Qiamullail holy nights to all my fans, friends and children and relatives all over the world.

Ah, comes Ramadan
Drip of Ar-Rahmah nourish
all the fasting souls.

*******

Pucuk Ubi

Tapioca Plant

This is the tapioca plant I found in Uehara farm. I made a dish from it. I fried the fish first with tumeric (fresh from the sea-any fish wil do).
Two thinly-sliced lemon grass with slices of tumeric leaves. In a pot of coconut milk, pound some slices of red chillies and throw all the slices herb together with a handful of boiled tapioca shoot (slice as well).
Boil all of these, some salt for taste.
That's it.
This dish is called gulai lemak pucuk ubi (but I add the fish and the lemon grass with tumeric leave),

Tapioca shoot dish

Hijrah ke pulau
Memetik pucuk ubi
berdasawarsa

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Gegege Mangga

Mizuki Shigeru came home with only one arm after the war. Japan economy was at its lowest after the war with high unemployment. With only one arm and what with the bad economy, Shigeru used his only talent to live. Drawing cartoon.

A few years when the war ended, he sold his cartoon to a small printing company. But his comic books did not sell well. His family lived a very poor life. The electric to his house was cut off due to unpaid bills. They eat very ripe bananas (almost black), to survive the hard life.
NHK is showing this drama now, GEGEGE Nyobou or Gegege's wife. The drama recalls the cartoonist life as recollected by his wife.


Shigeru break came when his talent was found by a friend who owned a printing company. Then, after several issues of his mangga, a well-known comic book company found his work. At first, Shigeru was asked to produce sci-fi cartoons but he rejected this offer because he feels his talent was not in sci-fi.
Then, Shigeru was approached again and this time he was given his choice of any comic. He agreed but the printing company gave him one condition. That he must also produce his mangga (comic story) for the TV company.
That was the beginning of GEGEGE KITARO on television.

Shigeru already have a theme to his mangga. All the characters in the mangga are ghosts. His comic ghosts are the One-Eye Cup baby, the flying carpet ghost but the heroes among the ghosts is the One-Eye boy named Kitaro.

There was no turning back after his first mangga came on the first comic book followed by series program on television.

To make story short, Shigeru is now a very rich man. Selling his mangga on television, mangga magazine and they even make video games out of it!

*******

The laughter of past
comes but once in a lifetime
wilting rose petals

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Summer Vegetable

Summer Vege

These are summer veggies on this island. You can see banana but that is a special banana, sweet. I know some people named it as Monkey banana. Then there is square beans (kacang botor), red chillies, long beans (kacang panjang), ciku (those brown egg-like fruits, pink-bell jambu and of course not in the photo is bitter gourd (peria) and petula (sponge gourd).

Petula or sponge gourd, strange thing is the Japanese on the mainland don't eat it, instead they use it as body scrub! But Okinawa people use it as food!

Anyway, this is the best time to get good red chillies, so I bought 6 packs in one go.


Words from her red mouth
sparkle and burn back her face
Red chillies and friends.

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Tanabata

Image:Wikipedia

Today Japan celebrate Tanabata, 7th July or 7-7. Its a cultural tradition.
On this summer night, in this atmosphere, two brightest stars will cross the bridge on The Milky Way (Bimasakti). They cross only once a year.
The Japanese believe one star is a male named Hikoboshi (Altair) and the other is a female star called Orihime (Vega). These two stars are lovers. They meet for one night a year (on 7th July) and make love till the sun comes out in the morning.
Romantic dont you think!
But unfortunately, if it rains, the sky is not clear and they might not find each other in the whole galaxy of stars.
And in Okinawa today, it is raining. Poor Hikoboshi and Orihime. Maybe this year they don't see each other.

So, even the stars have hard time perpetuating their love, what do you think of lowly people like us!

Traditionally, people in Japan will gather outdoors for picnic but tomorrow is a school day, I doubt they do it tonight.

Every shopping complexes will put up bamboo trees and children write their wishes and tie it on the branches. (Orang Islam tak boleh buat ini, sama dengan buat doa bila tiup lilin atas kek hari lahir. Kita hanya minta doa kepada Allah dan hanya Allah akan makbulkan doa kita...mana pula buluh, tiup lilin boleh makbulkan doa kita...kuat sangat ke power benda Allah itu...chish).

There is one haiku by Basho about this Tanabata thing. People who study this haiku, will feel the rain in the middle of the sky when the two star lovers make love. This haiku has sexual connotation.

The word Basho used is Uchuten or rain in the heaven.

Tanabata no
awanu kokoro ya
uchuten

Now my version of Tanabata

Tanabata sky
my husband sleeps on the couch
with the teevee on.

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