Tuesday, December 18, 2007
On The Train, Dec. 11, 2007
The reality of going home with still daylight is you have to be contented with a packed train. Today was no different. Not only the train was late but also there were a lot of commuters waiting on the platform already when I got there. As a strategic move to get a seat I moved to the middle of the train and waited for someone to get down at KL Station. In fact the whole four persons sitting in a cube next to where I was standing disembarked.
On The Train, Dec 10, 2007
Despite my enterprising weekend, workloads and work pressure became the staple of the day.
A young Chinese couple boarded at Serdang and became lovey dovey right in front of my nose. Because I was typing I ignored them most of the time but I was successful only to the extend of their obvious behaviour. Doesn’t matter if they are Malays, Chinese or Indian I still could not tolerate their behaviour and disrespect to the other commuters in the coach.
A young Chinese couple boarded at Serdang and became lovey dovey right in front of my nose. Because I was typing I ignored them most of the time but I was successful only to the extend of their obvious behaviour. Doesn’t matter if they are Malays, Chinese or Indian I still could not tolerate their behaviour and disrespect to the other commuters in the coach.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
On The Train, Dec 7, 2007
Another challenging day in the office for me. All I can say is if you are honest with your works Allah will always be with you.
Late again, but not as late as yesterday, and I managed to catch the 2212 train home. At least I could forget everything about work for two days. The next two days would be for my family. I have no specific plan but I would like to do something crazy.
The commuters really became sardines when we arrived at Mid Valley station. Complete with a group of young salespersons in green t-shirt. As I was typing about our recent camping trip I overheard a foreign language being spoken next to me. Without looking I knew it was Thais spoken by two ladies. My guess, both of them Thais from southern region as their dialect was spoken a bit fast and not soft and sweet. Well, I could only guess.
Late again, but not as late as yesterday, and I managed to catch the 2212 train home. At least I could forget everything about work for two days. The next two days would be for my family. I have no specific plan but I would like to do something crazy.
The commuters really became sardines when we arrived at Mid Valley station. Complete with a group of young salespersons in green t-shirt. As I was typing about our recent camping trip I overheard a foreign language being spoken next to me. Without looking I knew it was Thais spoken by two ladies. My guess, both of them Thais from southern region as their dialect was spoken a bit fast and not soft and sweet. Well, I could only guess.
Friday, December 7, 2007
On The Train, Dec 6, 2007
Staying alone in the office late in the night I could not help feeling déjà vu. The pressure was so intense I thought I had learnt my lesson well in MDC for three years. Handling this project have not been very easy for me as I confronted with challenges after challenges as if trying to test my resolve all the way to the end. I know I’ll survive this one but maybe not without hurting myself along the way.
The train came at around 2222
At least two persons were standing with a book in hand reading oblivious of the packed surrounding. The man was reading Joseph Stiglitz’s Globalization and the lady Geisha. Apparently a lot of people were shopping at Mid Valley or maybe they work there and taking their ride home. It would be nice if most of them be reading a book each as well. It just like hoping the Malaysian football team to win the SEA game gold medal in Korat. It is not going to happen.
The train came at around 2222
At least two persons were standing with a book in hand reading oblivious of the packed surrounding. The man was reading Joseph Stiglitz’s Globalization and the lady Geisha. Apparently a lot of people were shopping at Mid Valley or maybe they work there and taking their ride home. It would be nice if most of them be reading a book each as well. It just like hoping the Malaysian football team to win the SEA game gold medal in Korat. It is not going to happen.
On The Train, Dec. 5, 2007
As usual I took out my book to read but the only thing was I continued reading all the way to Bank Negara station. It was Sam Swope’s I am a Pencil, a narrative of a writer’s, Swope, experience teaching 3rd Grade class in Queens, New York, on how to write. It has been wonderful reading so far. While reading and looking around the train I realized how I missed the things that I love to see before. So stay awake Ghaz! But nowadays I just could not help to doze off most of the time as I was really tired coming home every night now.
I was late then ever going home today. The coach was really empty except for one person when I boarded at Bank Negara station. It was a lonely surreal ride home.
I was late then ever going home today. The coach was really empty except for one person when I boarded at Bank Negara station. It was a lonely surreal ride home.
On The Train (Old Friends), Dec. 4, 2007
I was dressed for a dinner invitation but in the end could not go as I had a lot to deal with at the office. I came down late to the station but I did not have to wait long for the train. Expecting the train to be a bit empty I complaint silently when I saw the train arrived with almost full capacity. I got a seat though but not my favourite. I opened up my laptop anyway and started to type my first family camping escapade.
Looking around the coach trying to find something interesting to write I realized a person in front of me was looking at what I was doing. Looking at the face it was sort of a confuse one that trying very hard to read me. There I was seating in suit in a train engrossed typing away that seems to be interesting. When I panned my sight to further left I saw Bob, a Sdara that I knew, sitting looking tired. I knew he must have just got on at KL Sentral from our monthly TT Session there. Because of the crowd I could not call him until we were at UKM station. He came over and sat next to me to have a short chat before I got down at Bangi. I met a lot of my old and new friends this way. Let’s have a lot of friends as it can only be good to me. At least I expand my social network.
Looking around the coach trying to find something interesting to write I realized a person in front of me was looking at what I was doing. Looking at the face it was sort of a confuse one that trying very hard to read me. There I was seating in suit in a train engrossed typing away that seems to be interesting. When I panned my sight to further left I saw Bob, a Sdara that I knew, sitting looking tired. I knew he must have just got on at KL Sentral from our monthly TT Session there. Because of the crowd I could not call him until we were at UKM station. He came over and sat next to me to have a short chat before I got down at Bangi. I met a lot of my old and new friends this way. Let’s have a lot of friends as it can only be good to me. At least I expand my social network.
On The Train, Dec 3, 2007
I just wanted to ignore that it was already Dec when I was typing this but I knew I would not be successful or even useless. What’s the point as I boarded the train in the morning it was devoid of the school children and going home it was packed. It is a normal occurrence now that the train is still full with commuters up to UKM station.
When we were just going out of Kajang station I saw an Indian woman was actually standing holding the vertical holding bar with her forehead leaning against it. She looked like she was praying and thinking very deep or maybe trying to catch few winks in a standing position. Or maybe she was reflecting on something as in KM what seems to be doing nothing is an option. The mind will start to relax and reflect. It would have been great if I could witness it till Seremban but my stop came as if suddenly giving me no opportunity to have some fun. I tried to do that once but I failed miserably.
When we were just going out of Kajang station I saw an Indian woman was actually standing holding the vertical holding bar with her forehead leaning against it. She looked like she was praying and thinking very deep or maybe trying to catch few winks in a standing position. Or maybe she was reflecting on something as in KM what seems to be doing nothing is an option. The mind will start to relax and reflect. It would have been great if I could witness it till Seremban but my stop came as if suddenly giving me no opportunity to have some fun. I tried to do that once but I failed miserably.
On The Train (Elderly commuters), Nov. 27, 2007
Nowadays I really do not have the urge nor the brain capacity to write about my rides on the train. Looking around inside the coach I just felt I have nothing to write anymore until at Kajang I saw three elderly commuters with their tired and sleepy face taking down the isle in front of me. What so unique about them was that the man was holding a child on his lap and the two elderly ladies both sitting in line with him talking happily. I could guess they were visiting and could be their first time on the Komuter. I could be wrong but they seem to be so. Come to think of it we would not see this scene before. Most of them would either take a bus or taxi. But now they considered short train ride as an option for them. What it means is that they were confident on their ability to make the right decision.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
On The Train (A Tribute to A Friend), Nov 15, 2007
I got the usual Friday night commuters today. Although the aircon is working because of too much body heat being produced by everyone the coach became a cause for global warming concern.
I was replying to an email today when suddenly I became sad and nostalgic. It all started when I wanted to share my feeling when I was at our alma mater watching the Old Boys vs The School basketball game. I describing the players that I used to have fun watching played that I was brought to the reality of the lost fo Allahyarham Roslen Yusof. Roslen was the point guard for our great basketball team of the late 70’s. During those periods we beat everybody in NS and went to capture the Hamdan Cup three years in a row. Roslen was not only known to me as the member of that great basketball team but he was also my room mate in 1974-75 and in 1979 we were in the same school U20 Rugby Team. We met again in UiTM when were there. Ironically we met for the last time when we gathered in PD to entertain our old basketball coach, Jims Khulman, who came down from the US for a visit. He unexpectedly also passed away in PD a few months after that. May Allah SWT place you together with the blessed ones my friend.
The train is still a sardine can and we have just left Bandar Tasek Selatan.
Tomorrow I am going to Damai Laut again and this time the office Treasure Hunt. I was there two weeks ago for another Hunt but this time would be better. I also did not write about that hunt and this one I’ll probably will.
Looking around the coach I guess it only will be better when we are at Kajang. Right now still a lot of commuters. In fact few more got onboard at Serdang.
I was replying to an email today when suddenly I became sad and nostalgic. It all started when I wanted to share my feeling when I was at our alma mater watching the Old Boys vs The School basketball game. I describing the players that I used to have fun watching played that I was brought to the reality of the lost fo Allahyarham Roslen Yusof. Roslen was the point guard for our great basketball team of the late 70’s. During those periods we beat everybody in NS and went to capture the Hamdan Cup three years in a row. Roslen was not only known to me as the member of that great basketball team but he was also my room mate in 1974-75 and in 1979 we were in the same school U20 Rugby Team. We met again in UiTM when were there. Ironically we met for the last time when we gathered in PD to entertain our old basketball coach, Jims Khulman, who came down from the US for a visit. He unexpectedly also passed away in PD a few months after that. May Allah SWT place you together with the blessed ones my friend.
The train is still a sardine can and we have just left Bandar Tasek Selatan.
Tomorrow I am going to Damai Laut again and this time the office Treasure Hunt. I was there two weeks ago for another Hunt but this time would be better. I also did not write about that hunt and this one I’ll probably will.
Looking around the coach I guess it only will be better when we are at Kajang. Right now still a lot of commuters. In fact few more got onboard at Serdang.
Friday, November 16, 2007
On The Train, Nov 15, 2007
Does it matter if your children got 5As or 5Cs? If you asked any parents the obvious answer would of course be ‘yes of course’. I used to think that way. In this competitive world, it could be worse in the future to some, that we are in now it is no brainer for our children to be top A students. The arguments have been they should be a straight A students to get a better chance to go to tops colleges and universities to be doctors, engineers or architects. Well, nothing wrong with that. But to me not at the expense of my children not knowing how to survive the supposedly competitive world. I want them to be thinkers rather then memorisers, be entrepreneurs creating job and wealth rather than searching for jobs and hoping wealth will come. I also would want them to enjoy their growing up without having to deal with peer pressure very early in their life. Parents sometimes would make the situation worse for their children as unknowingly will add to the stress level when hey started to compare their children with others. Statistically, there are several incidences of death at the early age of 30’s and 40’s. Apart from eating habit and other things one contributing factor is stress being introduced early in their life. I do not know whether there has been a scientific study on this but I believe so.
On The Train, Nov 14, 2007
I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary when I stepped into the train on the way home. With the earphone stuck in my ears channeling songs that I have selected to be the ones I would like to hear I sat down in between two ladies and tried to discreetly type this. I was a bit uneasy doing it as I did not wish for both of them to get offended. I may be writing about them but they did not know that but for sure. However they could see the title ‘On The Train’ and could guess. In the end I wrote nothing until I got to Kajang. A lady sitting in front of me kept stealing opportunity to see what I was doing. Lucky for me she got down at Bangi. But by then I did not have enough time to write more. What I did then for most of the journey home? Day dreaming.
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