Life is an Improvement

The pilot announced "we have landed in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. To all passengers Welcome to Malaysia and to all Malaysians..Welcome Home !"....fuhh I never felt so excited when I heard this announcement. My adrenalin pumped up when I saw the green grass and lines of palm trees surrounding the airport. After 6 months ....I am home !!

My wife wanted to pick me up at the airport but I declined the offer because I wanted to travel by KLIA Express, LRT and taxi so that I could see the faces of Malaysians again in their morning rush to work. I enjoyed the journey very much amidst the pushing, the squeezing, the humidity and the thousand smells of perfumes. Along the journey to the heart of Kuala Lumpur I could see a lot of completed development in KL. In fact I could notice how tall the trees and its shades have grown. I smirked alone whilst watching all the scenery of KL through the LRT windows. I wondered whether I could notice all these changes had I never left KL.

Although this trip home was for 4 days only, my schedules were full with activities with families and friends. In fact I have attended birthday bashes (for me by my wife and Dewangga Sakti), newborn greeting (welcome to Muhammad Rafiq Bin Muhammad Zurrusydi) and a funeral (Al-Fatihah to my Atuk Usu Hj Harun).

The new man in town

In every place I went to and peoples I visited, I saw nothing but good improvement in them. There is an up-market version of Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa restaurant near my house in Taman Melati, my Madumas apartment is almost completed, the DUKE highway is in full service, my son Adrin has become cleverer, Dewangga Sakti is progressing rapidly with their recording using newly acquired instruments and voice, the recording studio Purple Sound has moved to a bigger place, my parents looked fit and healthy, my father bought himself a new LCD TV and my wife looked more beautiful (hehe..).

Madumas Apartment@Setapak..any taker?

Walking with a big boy

For the record..my wife and son

Talking about improvement, I took advantage of the cheaper prices in Malaysia by upgrading myself to a Fender Jazz Bass and a Macbook. This upgrade is not a privilege but a long-time dream that finally come true due to long hard efforts (in earning and saving money !).

Kasi murah la tokey..

The crazy guys in Dewangga Sakti

Keeper of the keys

Purple Studio's new cat

Well...Alhamdulillah. That is all I can say when my aeroplane touched Dubai airport again.

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave
and grow old wanting to get back to"

John Ed Pearce (Pulitzer prize winner, writer)

A Day to Remember

I have completed another year in my life. Yesterday 14 April 2009 was the 33rd anniversary of the day my mother made her panic journey to Hospital Besar Kuala Lumpur whilst my father was still thinking whether ShamZai will be a good name for his first son. Eventually my father changed his mind and named me Muhammad Syamsulfaiz after he consulted his Ustaz, Hj. Yusof.

I have thought of celebrating it properly like buying a cake for the office staff, but suddenly I decided this year I will celebrate it in the simplest way ever. That is by making use the technology of email and Facebook.

It didnt take an effort at all. As soon as I reach the receptionist's counter I just smiled and greeted the 2 cute receptionists manning the counter and when the time comes to reply to their greeting I just replied casually whilst walking to my room...."Ohh I feel super!..today is my birthday anyway.." After a brief moment of congratulation and asking about treats I said thank you and promised them a treat later and continued my lazy steps to my room.

Within 5 minutes after I switched on my computer, as expected, my receptionists broadcasted to all departments in the firm complete with their dancing cartoons and dangling ribbon .."This is to inform you that today is Muhammad Syamsulfaiz's birthday"...Hahahaha it works ! I can say the next 8 hours of working my inbox were filled with all the wishes and replies from almost everybody in the firm. I had a cyber party with them all! In fact I received a couple of emails from lawyers in the office who I have never spoken to all this while.

The Facebook website is blocked at my office which I am very grateful, otherwise I dont think I can finish my works. I could only check my Facebook using blackberry. And when I checked my profile I received around 57 greeting messages from old and new friends. Fantastic ! another party in the palm of my hand.

I went out for lunch with my colleague, Zulkifli and his friend to Metro Falcon Cafe for a good cup of teh tarik and chapatti. I offered to settle the bill but one of them refused to accept the treat. So I just settled the bill for the remaining who didnt mind.

At night I decided to go out with Zulkifli and his 3 children and wife to Dubai Mall. I promised them a lot of fishes in a huge tank. Luckily they were impressed with the sight of the biggest aquarium in the Middle East, the Dubai Mall Aquarium. We hung out at the food court whilst enjoying our fresh juices and ice creams.




It was a simple day for me but I was so grateful for it. Deep in my heart I could not stop thinking about how my wife felt on her birthday on 1st March last month. She was the reason why I chose to have a simple day on my birthday this year. She doesnt have email at her school and she doesnt have Facebook account. I skyped with her for about 1 and half hour and showed her the preliminary gift that I bought for her. I made sure that she felt remembered and all my family wished for her. It has been a challenging period for her to raise a kid without a husband at home.

Moving forward I cant wait to see my family again next week in KL and have a double birthday celebration at home. After all my world is my family...

"Thank You To ALL My Friends Who Remembered and Wished For Me You All Have Special Places In My Heart"

Rain, Water and Sand

I don't know whether it is a bad effect of global warming or what but lately Dubai has been receiving quite an extra litres of water when it rained for a week here. Being a city in a desert, the infrastructure here are not built to withstand rain and because of that even a short rain for 3 minutes could cause a serious flash flood on the road. In fact there is no drainage network or "longkang" in most part of Dubai.

Last 2 weeks I moved to a new apartment in Al Warqaa 1. It is a one bedroom apartment with a balcony at 4th floor. The task of finding this apartment was really quick and easier than I anticipated in My Quest For a New Cave previously. This "cave" is simply meant for me. I like the balcony view which is facing a big mosque with a background of rooftop of houses in nearby downtown Rashidiya. The view reminds me of one of the scenes in James Bond movie when Mr Bond open his window after checking in a hotel in Morocco...wahaha. The rental rate is affordable, the payment term is reasonable, the location is superb and guess what ...I got a free gymnasium and swimming pool now. Cool huh?

Besides the move to a new apartment, I almost forgot to update you guys that I have been hosting a very good friend of mine Zulkifli Hasan as a resident guest at my apartment. Zulkifli is a Phd candidate in University of Durham and currently he is doing an internship in Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance in DIFC Dubai. Zulkifli used to be my classmate during my second degree in Shari'ah years in IIUM. So not only I have a good buddy as a company at home but it turns out Zul is a very good cook. So far I had enjoyed a variety of tasty and quality home made meals like Nasi Tomato, Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Nasi Ayam Hainan and a lot more prepared by Zul. I will never forget anybody who gave me a good meal. May Allah bless you buddy !



Recently I have started a new routine of swimming in my pool. I guess the sight of daily rain in Dubai have made me feel closer to water. The "Yang" effect is doing its part in my feng shui. Not only I started to swim but yesterday I went to the beach to jog. So again closer to the water. I am thinking of doing some water sport activities this month. Coincidentally Zul is also a certified Life Guard and he has been teaching me a proper swimming techniques. I think the month of April will be the month of water for me.

That's all for now guys, I am off for my swimming class...blurrpp..blurrppp..blurrpp

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.
Henry Beston
(1888 - 1968)
Writer and Naturalist