Irfan’s grandfather was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago and we would have been there sooner to visit if not for work and exam (as mentioned in the previous entry). He’s feeling much better now, although getting Irfan’s Tok Bah to rest is next to impossible as he’s used to being on his feet and running errands. Meanwhile, Irfan was running about in and about the house, burning off but never exhausting his seemingly boundless energy reserves until near midnight. Inbound to Pasir Mas from the direction of Tanah Merah. Still groggy from just waking up from being asleep for some hours. Here is one of Irfan’s favourite places from which he watches the TV. For most of the day, Cartoon Network dominates the television screen. It’s that time when we all went visiting Putrajaya when Irfan was barely one, if I recall correctly. He seems to be very […]
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Irfan on the new desktop
When this blog was founded, Irfan was not yet three years old.
He is now an adult with many more leagues to travel.
Today The Light Switch…
… Tomorrow the world!!! Earlier today Irfan realised that he has a new super power: the ability to reach any high switch on the wall with his hands (albeit on tippy toes). So all morning he’s been all over the house flipping switches. Lights. Fan. Forcefields. Directed-energy weapons. Life support systems. But the best thing all week has been his newfound skill of asking to use the toilet when required. Many thanks to Irfan’s Tok & Opah for teaching their grandson while Ain & I were at work last week. The other thing Irfan did with his grandparents was watch Pixar’s Cars together. The first time they watched a movie together, but the third time Irfan’s watched Cars in the theatre. Cars appears to have become Irfan’s favourite movie. He asks to see it again almost every day. He can remember names and tell who’s who on sight. He points […]
Continue readingIrfan Around Lumut
Last weekend, we were back in Sitiawan to attend a couple of kenduris. On Monday, Irfan’s grandparents decided to take us to Teluk Batik and Lumut. It was great, but the weather was hot and there were too many people about thanks to the school holidays. [[image:tbatik01.jpg:Bike’s getting too small for him:center:0]]Before we went out on Kereta Atok, Irfan was riding his bicycle. He wanted to ride his bicycle bicycle bicycle so much he wouldn’t leave without it. So, we put it in the trunk after which we pretty much forgot about it until we got back. [[image:tbatik02.jpg:Irfan and a tree stump:center:0]]Approaching the beach from the car park in Teluk Batik, both Irfan’s Atok and I tried to get a picture of Irfan. Usually getting a picture of him standing still is difficult, but he obliged us with this pose anyway. [[image:tbatik03.jpg:With Ummi & Opah:center:0]]Ummi and Opah posed for a […]
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Brief Pahang Incursion
Ain’s good friend from Univerity Malaya, Jalilah, got married last Saturday. It was, of course, another Family Trip to parts unknown; this time to FELDA Lepar Hilir 1 in the state of Pahang to the east. Since the car’s suspension was repaired a couple of days earlier, I felt confident in making the trip without having the car losing its tyres halfway there. So, at 1030 hours on that day, we left the house for Pahang. We didn’t take the new East Coast Highway, cause I miss driving on the old Federal main road east through Karak, Mentakab, Temerloh and Maran, which have better roads now and less traffic thanks to the new highway. It was quite a feat, trying to locate the bride’s home via the map that was on the invitation card. And who would have thought PMG meant “Pusat Mengumpul Getah” (Rubber Collection Centre). Right by the […]
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Exsanguination Day at the Mall
Because Irfan’s Cik Emma missed having her blood drained out of her body, we took a drive to nearby Cheras Leisure Mall where a blood donation drive was under way last Saturday. Cik Su F, a-visiting from MIAT, was along for the ride. There was a great number of people in line signing up for the blood donation. As Cik Su F covered Emma’s six, Irfan, Ain and I traipsed around the mall window shopping. Irfan, Ain and her sisters by the car at the Leisure Mall car park. Leaving the lower levels of the car park, Irfan climbed the stairs looking for the way into the mall. Ain & Irfan at the covered bridge connecting the two wings of the Leisure Mall, where F-16s could fly beneath for a dramatic, shock and awe impact. The interior of the mall, at the top floor, close to the blood donation drive […]
Continue readingThere’s A Dragon In The House
Half past ten post meridian equals no sunlight or its dim red afterglow outdoors. Thus if lights are out indoors, it’s dark. Last night we were about to go to sleep when Irfan asked for his Dinosaur book (Das Reich Der Dinosaurier. Gee, I wonder where I bought that for him) to read. It was out in the darkened living room according to memory so I told him, “Go out and get it.” He said, “No, I’m scared.” What? That’s never happened before. “What are you scared of?” “It’s dark. There are dragons.” Ain and I both looked at each other. She then asked again, “Why are you scared?” “There are dragons outside.” He doesn’t pronounce it “dragons”, not does he say “dwagons”. It’s more of something in between, like “dr-wagons”, which I find pretty amusing. So, I had to go out into the dark living room, braving against the […]
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Irfan’s Cycling Saturday
Thanks to Irfan’s Tok and Opah, he now has a brand new bicycle with which he would rule the world. Or at the very least the play area at the KLCC park. Quite eager to try out his new vehicle in the morning, we took a drive to KLCC last Saturday morning. As usual, the queue into the parking lot is atrociously long for the simple reason that the coin machine at the entrance gate sucks majorly. It costs a ringgit to enter the parking lot. It took me a brazillion tries pushing in the 50 cent coins into the slot until they finally dropped in, raising the barricade arm. To KLCC: Get a new gate system. The current one sucks. Or have someone there weekend mornings to receive money with one hand and the gate lever in the other. Additionally, a pox on the testicles on each of the […]
Continue readingSometimes I Swear…
… minus the dog and the rice wine, this show is Irfan, Ain & I turned into a Japanese cartoon. Even down to Irfan pronouncing words wrong hilariously. [[image:shinchan.gif:Crayon Shinchan:center:0]]
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Another of Irfan’s Uncles A-visiting
Tonight was the first time Irfan met his Uncle Kok Soon, my former schoolmate from way back when Knight Rider was on TV, and perhaps even before. Irfan immediately took a liking to him, trying to impress him with his dinosaur book, his toy cars and his familiarity to the lyrics of the Firefly theme. We had light meal at mamak shop before that, then headed back to our house for a chat. It was great having Kok Soon as a guest for the night, talking about trials and tribulation of life, perseverance, spirituality, xenomorph facehuggers and such. Before midnight, he had to go home back to Bukit Antarabangsa.
Continue readingOpah Irfan’s Wayward Purse
We only noticed it when Ain got off the car to buy some drinks in Kuala Kangsar. It was on Ain’s seat, hidden beneath her when she sat. It was a small coin purse labeled Adamas Goldsmith. Wondering when Ain bought the purse, I took it. Irfan saw it and said, “Opah punya.” And within it was Opah Irfan’s driver’s licence and identification card! We called Opah and told her we had her important documents and figured a return to Sitiawan would be in order. But Opah told us to keep going. If we were late, we’d be driving along the East-West highway after dark. We told Opah that we’d send the documents back to her by courier. But when we got to Pasir Mas it was almost 7pm. I didn’t kick in the afterburners because of the dodgy state of the car’s shock absorbers and the weight load of […]
Continue readingIrfan Goes To MIAT
Today Irfan’s youngest aunt, his Cik Su F, enrolled in MIAT. In three and a half years, she will be graduating with a Diploma in Aviation Maintenance Technology (Avionics), with a bunch of skillset that should be more marketable in the aviation industry than my old Licenced Aircraft Maintenace Engineer (Yeah it’s LAME, I know) with Rotorcraft Airframe and Engine specialisation. Irfan was there. Some pictures were taken. Here they are. [[popup:miat01.jpg:(thumbnail):Ain & Irfan:center:0]]The main hangar of MIAT, with Ain trying to carry a heavy Irfan. Safety first… Albino gorillas second? Charmed quarks second? Click on the thumbnail above to view larger image. [[image:miat02.jpg::center:0]]As Cik Su F was undergoing the registration process, Ain takes a break from sitting within the Multi Purpose Hall and Irfan takes a break from running around and sweating a lot to take a picture. [[image:miat03.jpg::center:0]]Ain and Irfan sip ice tea from the MIAT cafeteria right […]
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Home Sweet Home, After A Fashion
We’re back on the tenth floor of this apartment building. The tiles on the bathroom floor are coming apart. The extra room still reeks of termite poison. We have the smallest TV screen among all the people we know. We are instantly reminded of the bills we have to pay. And it looks like Irfan is feeling lonely after almost two weeks surrounded by lots of family. But it’s home sweet home. The computer is set up just the way I like it so that when it was activated the setup felt so welcoming. Irfan is quite literally swimming in his books (which he rummaged from his book table, much to Ain’s chagrin), and, to anyone who understands what this means, Ain had a fantastic hour sweeping the floor of the house. It was a great holiday, now it’s back to work for all of us. There might have been […]
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Eid Mubarak from Sitiawan
Eid Mubarak, and Selamat Hari Raya from Irfan Shafiq, Khairul Hisham and Nurul Ain. Here are some family photos from the morning of the first day of Aidilfitri. Present are Irfan’s grandparents and the family of his Opah Ngah. Unfortunately, Tok Irfan wasn’t feeling to good earlier in the morning. He went for a check up at the clinic and discovered his blood pressure was low. So what did the doctor tell him to do? Go back home, eat as many of the Aidilfitri food as he can. If only the rest of us were that lucky. 😉
Continue readingIrfan Goes To Opah Cu’s House
Earlier this year, when we were in Sitiawan we went Irfan’s Opah Cu’s house in Ipoh, the capital of Perak. As usual, upon arriving at a brand new location for him, Irfan took a dump in his diapers. (That never fails, by the way.) Besides that, he had a lot of fun with his great aunt, his aunt and two uncles. Perhaps this Aidilfitri he’ll find some time to return there. Hopefully, since it’s not his first time already, he wont crap in his diapers for the visit. [[image:ipoh01.jpg:Opah Cu’s sliding door:center:0]]A large yard! Much better than the no yard at his own house. [[image:ipoh02.jpg:Opah Cu’s yard:center:0]]Pak Cu trying to get close to Irfan, who’s still shy at this time. [[image:ipoh03.jpg:Opah Cu’s bathtub:center:0]]After finding out his steaming pile, we decided to give him a bath. [[image:ipoh04.jpg:Opah Cu’s bedroom:center:0]]As Cik Emma puts on his clothes, Irfan is unable to contain his […]
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Irfan Cuts His Cake and Eats It Too
“I want to eat the Happy Birthday Cake!” Irfan begged for hours after seeing the number three-shaped vanilla cake with the Tigger-esque toon on it. He wasn’t getting it until everyone arrived of course. There were, yet to arrive, his Mak Long and Ayah Long, and his Cik Eda and her roommates. So all day long, he staked out the cake box on the dinner table. More than once, you’ll see this happening and then the cry in the background, “IRFAN!!!” The box opens, much to Irfan’s delight. The cake had support by french fries, chicken curry, roti jala, chicken fingers and watermelon. Finally it was time to cut the cake. Irfan goes nuts. Irfan cuts the cake, aided by his parents. You can just see how happy he was. Now, Irfan’s probably thinking, “Wait! Why is the cake going to other people? I wan’t one.” And he lived happily […]
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