New Sport

I have been worried about my cholesterol level and thought that I need to go back to the gym and do cardio on running mill. But uric acid is going to ruin my ankle. Somebody suggested cycling and swimming since these activities would be less harmful to joints and bones.

Yesterday I finally got a big push from my biker friend. He bought himself a mountain bike. I wanted to buy a same bicycle. Then suddenly a guy approached me in the Go Sport store. He introduced himself. A fellow Malaysian and he is literally my neighbour in Ghooroob Mirdiff. He asked whether i was interested to buy a bicycle. Apparently he is an avid cyclist. He cycles every week together with his group. What a coincidence.

So the next 4 hours I spent going through my selection of bicycle and its basic accessories with the help of my neighbour. Instead of mountain bike I was advised to get a road bike with sleek tire and lighter body.

So today I am  a proud owner of Giant SCR road bike. There is a lot to learn about cycling and I should study the basic.

My self pride to motivate myself - I have cycled from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi (approx 400km) in 2002. This body can do it !

In a long term

I know it has been ages since i last posted in this blog. I guess I am a facebook addict nowadays. But I am trying to limit my activity in facebook. It may get you be carried away with 'like', comment, adding, poking, and browsing on peoples' pictures for hours.

It has been almost 4 years of living alone in UAE. It has been an exciting adventure but sometimes it could get very lonely and discouraging. It is not easy to live 6000 km away from a beautiful wife and a cute boy.

My wife and I decided that our marriage life should not continue to go like this. Recently we celebrated our 7th anniversary and suddenly we realised that out of 7 years of marriage, we lived together only for 3 years. Before something happened and get too late, I need to improve this situation.

So, my wife and I agree to do this. By next year my family will move to Dubai and stay with me forever. I am very excited now. This plan alone is what motivates me to face my days at the moment.

In the meantime, life goes on. There are a lot of changes in my life since the last posting in this blog. I am a Harley biker now and you could read my biking life in the other blog. I made a lot of friends and I have several groups which I keep in touch daily. This city and country is where I call home now. And I look forward to have my family back to make the term 'home' perfect.

"The family is heaven in a heartless world"
Christopher Lasch (American historian 1932-1994)

Making a (feel) good decision

The month of June always inspires me to look back and asses the trail of life which I have left behind. Times fly very fast since I first set my foot in Dubai in October 2008. Now it is going to be another 4 months to complete a 1 year cycle of my life as an expat in this great city.

As my life settles day by day in this new place which I started to call home, there are many decisions which forced me to make up my mind on my commitment to my new life. It is easier to advise a client than to advise myself. Because to me the struggle is not only to ensure that I make a good decision but the decision must come with a feel good factor with it. It is about making a decision and feel happy about it.

One of such decisions is as simple as whether I should buy a car or continue on renting. On 6 June 2009 I attended the most awaited event of my life in Dubai i.e my driving test. I passed the test and now I have a valid UAE driving licence which also entitles me to buy a car here. I can write a lengthy opinion if a client ask me on the advantages and disadvantages of buying or renting a car in Dubai. But when it comes to me making that decision, the hard facts alone are simply not enough for me. I need something to spark the good feeling behind the decision. I dont know what it is, but I must continue looking for that factor.

Anyway, maybe there is no such factor in the first place. Maybe it is just the overwhelming anticipation of going home this July. So let me not run to the car showroom but instead take a lazy relax leisurely stroll whilst listening very hard to the beats of my heart.

The risk of wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision

Maimonides

Spanish philosopher
1135 - 1204

Ar Rehlah ila Dubai?

Wow it has been long time since I last checked my blog. Not that I dont have story to tell here but in fact I have so many things going on at the same time I don't know which one should be shared in this blog.

Then I realised the title of this blog is KEMBARA ILMU, so it is supposed to talk about my journey for knowledge which in reality, about my day to day understanding of the events, peoples and things around me.

So remember about the Important Decision I have made last month? Yes it was actually about a career move to oversea. I think a few of my close friends have already known that I accepted a job offer in Dubai. I will still continue to practise law but not in Malaysia jurisdiction but in Dubai/UAE jurisdiction. I am joining a regional law firm in Dubai for Islamic banking and finance practice which is what I have been doing here in Kuala Lumpur.

The interview parts and securing the job was easy, Alhamdulillah. But the ones proves to be tedious are all the process for visa and looking for a shelter in Dubai. But again I think it becomes tedious because I had to manage it whilst working.

Just to show you the nitty gritty which i have to go through for my residence visa:

1) Get my law degrees certified by UAE Embassy - but before they can certify my certificates I need to get certification from Wisma Putra and Ministry of Higher Education in Putrajaya.
2) Cost of certification - RM10 per copy with Wisma Putra, RM150 per copy with UAE Embassy plus petrol and toll to Putrajaya
3) Collection of documents - less than 1 hour with both Wisma Putra and Ministry of Higher Education, but 2 days with UAE Embassy. The Embassy can certify your certificate less than 1 hour but with extra fee of RM75. Macam tu pula...

And then come the issue of accommodation in Dubai. I have been searching the internet for room or apartment for rental for about 1 month now. The reality in Dubai is that everything nice is still under construction and they construct it for the rich peoples. Everything new in Dubai is of high quality and come with high price. So a small room rental per month can cost me more than a month salary in Malaysia. To make matter worst most of the landlords want you to pay rental one year upfront by 1 - 3 cheques. How absurd is that?

That is where their economy is directed i.e Dubai is built to be a place where rich people want to come and spend money. The result will be a small rat like me have to pay at premium just to get a basic necessity like a bedspace, room or flat. Hahah... already I am complaining. But this is reality and every place has its own pros and cons. In summation, I still dont have any confirmed accommodation in Dubai at the moment.

What about the pros? As of now I can see it in my letter of offer only...hehe . But I am hoping to see more. Life is not all about work and money.

Another cons would be my involvement in Dewangga Sakti. There is no way I can be active with them whilst living in Dubai. I plan just to continue listening to the music and practising with my bass guitar. Perhaps I could still jam with them whenever I go back to KL.

All in all the above are just what I expect it to be. I am excited but at the same time very worried and anxious about the move. Is this for real? Am I cut for this?

Last but not least, as a preparation to lead a closest possible life like in Malaysia, my wife has graciously taught me on how to prepare Nasi Lemak. Today I brought and ate Nasi Lemak prepared by myself. Below is the picture. Delicious.... and I found out a box of Nasi Lemak is sold at AED16 in Dubai. Oh Nasi Lemak...

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream"

Vincent Van Gogh