Rain's Here

In some parts of the world people are in the midst of Autumn where the weather is getting cooler and the climate changes setting and preparing for winter. Seasons change, round and round it goes but no matter how many times it goes it still comes around.

The weather over here is cooler now. Sometimes it'll be humid and somedays we'll have rain and cooling wind. Well, it never fails. towards this time of year there will be strong north winds blowing in and we see wet, and nothing but wet days and nights even. The sound of the raindrops on the awnings can be quite soothing and lulls one to sleep easily. You snuggle up in bed and forget about everything until tomorrow. Till the morrow when we toil again as the sweat comes again. Toiling with the brain is a wee bit tricky but the reward can be equally fulfilling.

Gotta to go. My deadline is looming large over me. Ciao.

Hazy Lazy Days of Summer

These days I have to wipe my glasses twice a day. Water is very essential. Ahhhh....... relief comes instantly until I need the next cooling relief. I tell you the air smelled strange when I woke up this morning. I looked out my wind window. Excuse me, there was this strange whitish [cough] smoke hanging in the air. It looks so much like the [cough] theLondon fog when the wind blows it in. I need another drink. [Gulp] Ahhhh...I needed that.

I try to breathe [ahem, cough] slowly but the thick air sticks [cough] cloying in my throat. I need another [cough] sip. [Gulp] I need to gulp it down too. It hurts [cough] when I try to breathe now. Must be the [cough] effects of coughing [ahem] too much. Must get some mask from the pharmacy [cough,cough] when I go out for lunch. Yikes, dare I go out? It's bad [cough cough] enough indoors what's it going to be outdoors? Should I [ahem] or shouldn't I go out for lunch? I'll watch [cough cough cough] the news on the telly. Maybe they'll [cough] tell me whether it's to go out. My throat is [ahem] so sore. Water. I need [cough cough] some water. [Gulp, gulp]

Ok, it's not [cough cough] that bad the telly says. I'll just run out, buy [cough] the mask, eat lunch, see the doctor [cough cough] about my throat and come back. Should be done in a jiffy . In the meantime, I'll just [ahem] sleep and drink lots of water . I hate [cough cough] this coughing.

It's five hours since I stepped out of my house for the errands I mentioned above. I thought I could do those things in a jiffy but yikes! the clinic was [cough] jampacked with people, children, almost all with exactly the same symptoms as mine.

Two hours waiting in the clinic has worn me out. I've taken my medication and the throat is not that painful now. Those painkillers [ahem] sure works fast. Still some slight irritation in the throat though. I'm really pooped. I really[cough ahem cough] must get some [cough] shut eye. Dang the coughing's [cough cough] starting again. Water, I need [ahem cough] some water.........

What's Unusual?

Looks like every now and then we get tremors. It has become something of a norm, you know. The big one was on the day after Christmas and now, tremors are a thing that is almost a way of life especially when there is no lives lost. Some people even felt it and think, 'Oh, another one of those tremors' and go on with their lives without so much as another blink.

Is it a good thing or is it foolishness to be so complacent? It's good not to be fearful but then shouldn't we be mindful? On second thought, thankful too that it wasn't another big like like that day on 26 December 2004? Seems people have short memories, very short memories. Or is it that life goes on? Indeed, life has to go on for the living but haven't we learnt something out of the past? Shouldn't we have learnt something? If not, for what happened to those in that December 26 catastrophe been in vain?

What should we have learnt? I guess you are the only one who can answer that for yourself. For the living I can think of a few dozen things we can learn from it. For the dead.... Well, I can't speak for the dead. I don't think I'm qualified to. Your answers could be the turning point in your life or it may not. It's all within the decisions each of us make. Let those be right decisions when we make.

Quaked Again

It was past midnight and I was doing some studying when I felt my chair shake. The floor rumbled and quaked. I thought I was hallucinating from studying and staying up so late. I got down on the floor to try to feel the quaking 'cause I was not sure whether it was the floor or was it just me. Whoa, I felt it and I thought I was going to faint. I laid down on my stomach, prostrating myself to really feel the movement but then it stopped. I couldn't feel anything anymore.

When I got back to my chair the thought, 'Earthquake' came to my mind. Then my thoughts went to the people in Sumatra as that place immediately came to my mind.

Weirdest experience of my life. Never went through such a thing in my whole life. Two major earthquakes in the same area in a matter of 3 months, it's so frightening.

Some people slept through the whole episode. Many people rushed down from the highrise apartments when they felt the tremors. Thank God no more tsunamis!

And again, tell me what you were doing at that moment.

Mystery and nothing but ....

Mysteries, whether you love them or hate them I just cannot do without them. They are the spice of life. They make my clock tick. They make my world go round. I love a good mystery preferably one that makes me think and go crazy with suspense.

What makes the sleuth, detective, hero, heroine tick? What makes him or her trunch on in spite of the dangers? What goes through his or her mind when the danger starts and the sleuthing is a matter of life and death, their own? Usually the resolve of the hero or heroine is very solid. Seldom do you find them displaying weak qualities as in stop the sleuthing for fear of their lives. Maybe it has a little to do with the insanity or professionality of the hero/heroine. Plus the fact that if the sluething stops we won't have a story, will we?

But just think that for once one or two of these heroes or heroines will exhibit something like: "Nah, it's not worth my hide to investigate further" and backs away. Turning his or her back on the case because it isn't worth his or her life but due to conscience decides to proceed on albeit cautiously knowing full well that she might lose her life. Calculated risk and not foolish uncaring this-is-a-novel attitude towards life. Now that to me is pure true to life.

All the while readers will be wondering will she turn back? Will she decide to help this so-and-so find the solution?

Now that, I can tell you, will make for a good mystery novel indeed. Not that the mystery will have to unravelled but the character of the protagonist will be on the reader's mind too. Hey, this is serious business. The hero/heroine could die but deep down we know he/she won't die but the thrill is there.

Mysteries, truly love them.

Tsunami: Where were you and what were you doing?

Sunday 8 am Malaysian time on the island of Penang, Malaysia.

Tsunami was not a word that many Malaysians would care about but from 26th December 2004 onwards it was on every Malaysian's lips and thoughts. We were definitely fortunate as compared to the other countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Malaysia did not bear the brunt of the earthquake although being quite close to the epicentre of the quake.

I remembered that day very well. It will remain clearly in my mind for the rest of my days. I want to share with you out there, wherever you are, whoever you are what happened on that day and the days that followed.

As usual I got up at around 8 in the morning and went about my routine. Read newspaper, hang up the washings and prepared to go to church. Busy getting all these things done before going to church I did not feel any tremors of the earthquake. But other members of my family did. Not realising it was an earthquake tremor because the quaking were ever so slight, no one said or mentioned anything.

Later, the events that happened slowly began to unfold as the hours passed. The following days of vigil in front of the television set were intense. The news were sad and heart wrenching as we saw visuals of the devastation on the television. Slowly the tide of shock subsided. Time healed as the world gathered together to help. But this episode will be forever etched in the memory of us all who were affected directly or indirectly by this catastrophe in this part of our world.

Much later the whole aftermath of the catastrophe unfolded before our eyes as we stayed glued to the T.V. for the latest updates. The whole world stood at attention the next few days as the impact of the disaster seeped through the media. The pictures taken of the tsunami and its effects on the affected areas were worth a thousand words. No amount of words can prepare anyone for the devastation before our very eyes. We can only imagine what those people went through. The trauma of seeing the huge tsunami heading towards their direction and their only hope is to run and pray that their legs were fast enough. As they ran they heard the roar and the huge crash of the giant wave. Is it safe to turn and look? Screaming, yelling and crying all around. Where was the woman running just behind? Turning back and seeing people, children helplessly being pulled away into the sea. Bobbing up and down as they try to struggle to the shore, hands raised and then they were gone. The ferocious wave began to subside and as if appeased with the many flesh it had swallow the sea receded like a satisfied giant after a meal the foamy waves wanted to be calm and peaceful again. But it cannot be calm and peaceful yet. Again it came as another heavy swell turned into an humongous roaring wave, rolling in for further destruction.

We said a prayer for those lives affected and hoped that humanity will look to the hope that's in our midst. Let our eyes be opened to what's important because life is so fleeting and short.

Lack Of Knowledge

To lose something because of the lack of knowledge is a very sad thing. To lose a life, to lose a limb, to lose something that cannot be replaced is so sad especially when it's preventable. When it's common knowledge that was required to prevent it in the first place.

Why? Why did it happen? The age-old question echoes almost unceasingly throughout the ages. Why me? What did I do wrong?

It is always too late when the question is answered because the question was asked after the fact. After the tragedy has occurred then comes the question and then the answer. The only thing is to learn from it. But do we? It seems that since time immemorial we cannot learn and the cycle goes on again. On and on from here to eternity. God help us.

As a song goes, 'When will we ever learn?'

What am I talking about? It's so simple. Let those who have ears let them hear. Let those who have eyes let them see. The child in the front seat of the automobile without a baby seat or any seat belts on. The child on the mother's lap seating on the front seat of an automobile. Do these parents and grown-ups profess to love their children? Oh yes, without a doubt, they'd even die for them but they did not think for them.

How sad when the only explanation after some tragedy has happened is, 'I did not think. I did not know.'

'I'm sorry, mama, papa. I'm sorry that you didn't know. I'm sorry you didn't think. I wish you'd had thought. I wish you'd had known. Now I hope you'd had learnt and you'd think and know when my sister or brother is with you.

'Bye, bye, mama, papa. I forgive you because you didn't think and didn't know. I hope that it will not happen to sister or brother the way it happened to me.'