Places and Times spent in my retreat from Blogging.

 

These are the love of my life! I made a short trip with my daughter to visit her cousins, nephews and nieces. These are the hope and future of our nation and I know personally that they work very hard at school and at home. The family run a bakery known as "Kedai Roti Israil" or Israil's Bakery. The name itself is an irony to have such a name in a strictly Muslim community was is always a cause to raise eyebrows. But the Bakery survives one generation and now in the process of being handed over to the next. Sarah standion next to her brother Farouk will soon become a lawyer if not already. The other two young ladies Asma and Sumaya are still in school. Then there is my daughter, their auntie!

The Parents, Mohd Rafi and his wife Rubina who has been a medical disaster going in and out of hospitals most of their married life and despite all this they raised their children into fine young adults. 

Mohd Rafi is the eldest of all my nephews and Nieces and he used to call me "PokCik Maroh!" or the scolding uncle and I used to carry him on my shoulders from our home all the way to the South China Sea, to hang out in the evenings. Rafi is to me one of the most patient and resilient man with an strength worthy of a man of faith; Mohd. Rafi  manifests a true spirit of patience and endurance in the Muslim Way.  

It is said that you keep the best of you friends to you and grow old together, this is the Elegant Way. 

I was at the wedding of a close friend's daughter. Mamu as he is popularly known among his many customers at the Taman Sardon Food Court, in Brown Garden. Watching Mamu entertain his customer is show in its own. His mouth just spews out words of wisdom towards some unfortunate lady for not putting the different sweets in the right plastic bags! Two days ago I visited him at his stall and gave his wet sweaty skinny body a massage in public. All the customers started shouting and teasing him for getting the special treatment being the Boss and all. He will insist when I accosted him for being to brazen in dealing with his customers but he just shrug and said." The need to be told what is the right way and the wrong and I don't care if they are lawyers or Professors, I just say it as it is, I don't worry if they do come back or not.

Mom and daughter rolling dough filled with coconut in the blazing heat of the evening sun day in day out. I call her, Madame ever since we met but her name is Rose. She originally was from Kelantan and the young lady helping her was the one that just got married.