Sunday, December 21, 2008

Zaharan Razak Came A Calling

Two friends meeting for the first time

It was indeed a great surprise when I received a SMS message from Zaharan Razak that he was on his way to Pasir Mas town while he was in Lubok Jong. He was on the way back from Rantau Panjang where he visited his children and put up the night there. I shot back a reply asking him to call me when he reaches Pasir Mas town.
After waiting for 30 minutes, there was no call from him. Knowing that Lubuk Jong was less than 15 km from town, I thought the fit as a fiddle Zaharan Razak whose chronological age is coming to 63 but whose physiological age is barely 50 years should be in town by then. Could he have missed my SMS and not respond to it? I decided to act and rode my Honda Cub to meet him in town. Failing to locate a cyclist with a full biking gear in such a small town as Pasir Mas was an impossible thing. So I decided to go farther to meet him by riding toward Lubok Jong along the road to Rantau Panjang.
Another SMS asking for his location failed to get any response. I stopped by at a stretch of straight road and looked hard down the road. It was impossible for a biker not to have reached the spot where I was waiting by then after such a long lapse of time from Lubok Jong.
Finally the sight of a small red flag at the tip of a small rod caught my attention. The rod was attached to a low tri cycle with who else but Zaharan Razak astride it! I called his name and he acknowledged me but later I found out that he didn't recognize me with my helmet on. Though we have never met, I know how he looks from the pictures in his blogsite. I rode my bike to his side and we shook hand while we were on each others bike. Since there was a slight drizzle falling and Zaharan started to open up his umbrella, we agreed to meet farther up for 'roti canai'.
The drizzle was getting heavier so I found an eatery where Zaharan could park his tricycle and I waited for his arrival. His arrival invited amused stares from onlookers due to the peculiar shape of his tricycle.

"You look arrogant in your photo" he said, which made my face became contorted up with surprise . "You look super friendlier in real life" he quickly added which helped to unscrew the distorted look. Ah! This man is something.

What can I say to that? Maybe Mat Cendana or Mat Salo can confirm or rebut those statements. Since there was no 'roti canai' at the place, we decided to have 'nasi berlauk' and consider that as lunch. Though the gravy tasted good, the beef in the dish was pretty tough. Zaharan didn't manage to finish off his food and asked to be excused.
As the rain had abated and time for the Friday prayers was near, I offered him to stay the night at my home which he accepted. After telling the where about of my home, I asked him to proceed so that I could rush home to get my camera which I didn't bring. A man on an ordinary bike wont make much of an impression. This time he looked very special indeed riding his tricycle almost lying on his back with his feet pedaling in front of him. I needed to photograph him the way he was as the slight drizzle would make him use his umbrella with the Malaysian flag clearly emblazoned on it.
Kg. Mekasar where I live provided the best backdrop for him to be photographed as there was a shop displaying second hand bicycles imported from Japan.
Zaharan was so engrossed looking at the bikes on sale that he didn't see me taking his photographs.

Thi is how his Tribike looks. It costs him a cool RM5,000 for it. It is made in Florida USA.

My SMS and calls to Mat Cendana has failed to bring a response and Zaharan was intent to meet Mat Cendana who had agreed to meet up with him via sms communication between the two of them. His phone rang but there was no answer. I was worried about Mat, so immediately after the Friday prayers we proceeded to his home in Kampong Kenjong in in the same district of Pasir Mas. We rode in a car this time as riding bicycles could take up too much time.

We were awed by the serenity and ambiance of the area around Mat Cendana's home. It was a perfect place for writers who need the quiet environment as available there.
Since no one answered our salams and call at his house and his mother in law who lives nearby couldn't shed any light on his where about, we left for home disappointed but hopeful that we could meet him sometimes before Zaharan left for Kuala Terengganu the next day. On the way back we stopped at the place where the second hand bicycles were being sold. Zaharan was surprised to find that the dealer had so many things that he requires for his bike in stock. Those that the guy didn't have could be made available the next day. He found Nexus dynamo, headlamps, Bridgestone branded rear gear hubs, umbrella brackets and a few other parts that he would otherwise have to buy online from overseas at exorbitant rate. Since we have other things to do, Zaharan promised to come back the next day to look at things he requires.

Zaharan has a class mate who lives in Kota Bharu. The last time they met was at his doctor friend's clinic in Pasir Mas some 5 years ago. Since I know Dr. Nik Azam's wife Wan Karimah quite well, I called her to find out whether the good doctor was home or not. Later after a few missed calls from Dr. Nik Azam, Zaharan managed to talk to him and we were invited to Dr. Nik Azam's place for tea.
The two friends had a great time talking to each other. Being an ex classmates at MCKK where our good friend Mat Salo was a junior there, there was always the stories of old MCKK cropping up.
Dr. Nik Azam and his wife Wan Karimah the gracious hosts.

The two old friends of the MCKK days.

Tea was a filling affair as we were served with Laksa Penang (which I had a second helping), tasty murtabak made by who else but Kak Wan herself and some fried popias with grape fruits which I found to be difficult to stop eating.
Delicious Laksa Penang made in Kelantan.


The evening wore on without us realizing it. We asked for leave and on the way home we stopped at Tesco to purchase some presents as we have to attend two 'kenduris' the next day.

I was full enough and wanted to skip dinner. I thought our guest must have felt the same as we had the same food. I made a misjudgment as Bro Zaharan won't be able to go to sleep without his plate of rice. So my wife Fatthiyah quickly cooked up some simple dishes which our guest seemed to enjoy very much. It was fortunate that we could ask our guest directly, otherwise he would have gone to bed on a growling stomach as he had agreed to some light snacks of roti canai earlier.

We retired early to bed that night. Zaharan declined my offer for him to use the internet or the Astro TV for him to watch.

I woke up early for the Subuh prayers at the surau near my house. Zaharan woke up to do his Subuh prayers in his room but continue with his sleep till late morning. By then I had completed my draft of the blog about his visit which I started immediately after coming back from my Subuh prayers.

Zaharan saw my draft of the blog at the table in front of the house while waiting for Fatthiyah to serve us with breakfast. He said he liked the draft but would enjoy it better if I could spice it up with some witticisms and some literary flavour. With just the most basic of education, all I can do is try. Like a true master, he asked me to read Writer's Digest http://www.writersdigest.com/ which I am doing now. Hey this is definitely a good site.

Soon after a lady friend arrived. She was the secretary to our committee working for the coming gathering of ex classmates of Sultan Ibrahim Secondary School Pasir Mas. I introduced her to Zaharan and he had a short interaction with her. After her business with me was done and she left off, I told Zaharan that she was very very available. Zaharan's ear seemed to prick up at that news. With encouragement from the two of us, Zaharan was inspired to try his luck and explore the possibilities of establishing a firmer relationship between the two lonely souls.

We didn't have much time left as Zaharan will be leaving for Kuala Besut en route to Kuala Terengganu by noon and I have two 'kenduris' to attend. Since Mat Cendana had agreed to a meeting with Zaharan this morning, he decided to give it another try. Unfortunately Mat Cendana's phone had been off since morning making us think that he was still asleep. We decided to act so we drove to Kampung Kenjong again. The only way to meet Mat Cendana was to wake him up from his sleep, if he was asleep. We couldn't know for sure whether Mat Cendana was home or not. Our hollering and salams didn't get any response, not even the assistance of his sister in law did manage to get him to answer. I guessed only a bomb would wake him up. Either he was in too deep a slumber or he just refuse to meet us. I prefer to think that Mat Cendana was sleeping a sleep of exhaustion. Whatever the reason, Zaharan had to leave disappointed at not being able to meet Mat Cendana whom he had a very high esteem as a Malay writer in the English. Coming from such a person as Zaharan Razak being a former lecturer in mass communication at UiTM and University Malaya was indeed a respect of the highest order.

Failing to meet Mat Cendana, Zaharan did the next best thing he loves. Zaharan clicked away happily on his newly acquired Panasonic Lumix to record the beauty of the place. He even posed for a picture of himself with the yellowish Kelantan River as a background. There were two large bamboo clumps growing near the river bank. If it was in Thailand, the place could have become affordable homestays with cute little huts made of bamboo and attap roof where writers like Zaharan or even Fauziah Ismail would happily pay to stay to read books or write their masterpieces. Hey that will provide gainful employment for our friend Mat Cendana while creating jobs via local tourism.

On the way back we stopped at another bicycle shops where Zaharan again checked out things he could purchase to fit on his bike. At another place we found another tricycle with articulated section between the rider and the rear wheels. As such on a banked corners, the body of the rider will tilt sideways while the two rear wheels will remain in contact with the road surface resulting in stability even though the bike has a high center of gravity compared to the one Zaharan was riding.

The articulate tricycle.

We returned home as Zaharan had to pack up. Meticulously he packed his things into the two dry bags which he clipped to the side of the small carrier at the back. Everything was finally securely tied down with rubber straps.

Giving the Tribike a try. I could do with a headrest.

It was time for him to move on with his next journey to his place of birth Jertih where he will put up the night. It was sad to see this new found friend leave. He vanished from view when he turned the corner.

Zaharan starting off for home.

Bye bye.

He went out of sight as he turned the corner.

In my heart I know it won't be the last sight of him. If he were to pursue the heart of the lady who came a visiting earlier in the morning, he will be coming again. It would be nice to see these two lonely persons unified in marriage. I will play matchmaker. Nothing is impossible!


53 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh. My. God. My friend is great matchmaker! Look, I have this guy over here, got trouble with girls, you see...very shy, memilih, jual mahal, all that you-know-what. So, know anyone to get things right? :D
.
.
now, don't take that one seriously. And no it is not me :D
That a nice looking tricycle, i tell you. I saw one before, but never tried it.
Thanks for sharing the link. I've been wondering about parallelism for quite some times already; and yeah, the site gave me the answer :D

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam Pak Zawi
That is one cool looking bike! I wouldn't mind giving it a try.

Pak Zawi said...

Akmal,
Send him over to me and I will see what can do for him to cure him of his deficiencies.
It must be a good site otherwise Zaharan wouldn't recconmend it.

Pak Zawi said...

Fauziah,
Being a fatso myself I had problem getting on and off it. Once it it I think I could go for hours non stop like Zaharan did.
If don't mind forking out RM5K, then you can enjoy it.

Tepi Sungai Batu said...

Salam Pak Zawi,
Ambo raso berkenae tengok beca tuh...RM5000 wow!!!

Pak Zawi said...

manlaksam,
Beca ni tak boleh bawa penumpang jadi sampai tu pun tak akan dapat balik modal RM5K tu. Kalau nak bagi sewa pandu sendiri boleh la.

Kak Teh said...

zawi, zaharan has always been quite adventurous like that. You know, we sat facing each other during our nst days. and i heard too about his travels, not sure whether he remembers me.

Anonymous said...

Although I was a Scout Master and once the President of Persatuan Penggembara Pahang, as far as adventure is concerned, I am way behind Zaharan.
I do share some of his choice favourite songs though (e.g. The Shadows)
Ilook forward to meeting you both and further my education.

mekyam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mekyam said...

[yikes, accidently trashed my comment!]

wow! no, make that triple WOWs (one for each wheel of his trike)!

where did zaharan trike from, pak zawi? not all the way from north borneo, of course. :D

but from kl to kelantan, perhaps?

i'm so freaking impressed. the man is amazing. pity he didn't get to meet that other amazing guy, our bro mc.

thank you for a lovely bbb (blow-by-blow), pak zawi.


p.s. pls keep us busybodies posted with your matchmaking project, yah? ;D

Pak Zawi said...

Kak Teh,
Riding on the Trike is a mild adventure to him. I sat in awe listening to his stories about riding down in a kayak from Pos Mering to Pos Kuala Betis negotiating the rapids of the upper reaches of the Nenggiri River. That is adventure for him.
Even if he didn't mention about you I definitely think he remembers you. He has the mind of a 50 year old or younger. Just wait till he reads your comment since he should be home to his computer by now.

Pak Zawi said...

Pokku,
Wow, Scout Master and President of Persatuan Pengembara eh? Those two posts alone should put you high on the list of adventurous people.
If he and you love listening to The Shadows then we have something in common. I will make a compilation and listen to the songs when we meet. Yes I have so much to learn from the two of you.

Pak Zawi said...

Mekyam,
Since nine months ago Zaharan is back home in Kuala Terengganu. I was assuming him to be triking from KL too which was a wrong assumption.
Not meeting Bro MC was a great disappointment for him. He wanted to meet him so much. Through his intermediary Sherry in Kuantan, MC conveyed the message that he was not ready to meet Zaharan despite his earlier agreement to meet up. MC was playing dead while we were hollering and rapping on his door. Well, what can I say?
BBB is the only way I know how to tell a story though my new found mentor advised me to be more dramatic by writing with subplots. I won't dare to try that yet lest I may lose my track while doing so. Let us just leave that to Pakpayne of Dubai who is a master of such techniques.
We saw sparks flying during the short span of time they were interacting. Hopefully I didn't misread the signs.

mekyam said...

pak zawi,

now that you mentioned it, i remember that zaharan is another org terengganu.

i also remember thinking to myself after reading his blog the first time that terengganu seems to have more than her fair share of witty writers. ppl like awang goneng, pokku and his talented chips, puteri kamaliah, dina zaman, bergen come to mind... wonder if the secret is in the keropok lekor.

Pak Zawi said...

Mekyam,
Zaharan can lay claim to being both from Terengganu or Kelantan. He has a Kelantanese address on his My Kad which qualifies him to apply for border passes should he wants to cross the border to Siam when visiting his children in Rantau Panjang.
Since he was born in Jertih and I presume he grew up there too he, he speaks the Kelantanese dialect as fluently as any of us.
You are right about the writers who hailed from Teganu, they are writers par excellence. Even Kedah born Kak Teh has become orang Ganu after marrying Abe Awang Goneng. She must have eaten alot of kerepok lekor supplied by his other half. Psst..hope she doesn't read this one. Just between you and me OK?

Unknown said...

Tuan,
I have problem with the connection lately as my comment cold not be publish, anyway I keep on trying.
Very interesting post.like I say I always enjoy reading most of your wonderful story.
Have a wonderful day(tak hujan kee..)

Kak Teh said...

zawi/mekyam, I read! and you're wrong abt keropok lekor because it didnt quite tickle my fancy. but AG did. enuff said.

mekyam said...

kt,

i know you don't like keropok lekor that's why i didn't say anything. :D

but i think kedahans are also super-talented. there's you, tok kadir, and of course tdm. there's naz and quoth and so many more.

maybe i should revise my aggregating model. instead of saying by states, i should say people born before the 70s -- people who were not contaminated by mind-slowing foreign junk like mickeydees, kfchicks, etc. ;D

Pak Zawi said...

Uncleawang,
Must be tough going with a bad internet connection. Internet has become a part of our life now.
It is heartwarming that you like what I write. Not much rain now I guess the monsoon maybe leaving us without much damage this year.
Have a good day yourself.

Pak Zawi said...

Kak Teh,
Kakakakaka.

Pak Zawi said...

Mekyam,
I think our bro MC is also a Kedahan who morphed into a Kelantanese after a dash of budu. So Kedah produce some of the best writers too with some National Laureates to boot.

Pat said...

Hi Zawi,

Don't listen to Zaharan lah - you look great in your pix! Hahahah.

I'm glad to see my buddy, Zaharan, is doing well! Thank you for the update :)

Pat

Pak Zawi said...

Patricia,
He spoke his mind and I don't mind hehehehe. Sometimes the same thing looks different to different people.
Don't worry about him, he is as fit as a fiddle. He will definitely outlast many youger persons than him yours truly included.
So when is your turn to visit Kelantan?

Pat said...

Fingers crossed it will be soon, Zawi.

Thank you for you Christmas wishes on my blog. Here's wishing you and your family 'happy holidays'!!!

Pat

Pak Zawi said...

Pat,
You are most welcome.

Anonymous said...

Good morning, Pak Zawi.

This is the first time I see this type of tricycle being used on the road.. my goodness, Pak Zaharan really travelled with that??? wow!!!

Anyway, I don't see the handles. How does it turn?

won't his back and legs hurt for sitting at that angle for a long time?

I am a fatso too, so i think i rather admire from side instead of trying out one for myself.. hahaha..

Have a good day..

mrs.lim :)

Pak Zawi said...

Mrs. Lim,
The body position is very comfortable except for the neck which may ache. If I had my way I would like a headrest.
The upright bars near knee position is where a rider will hold and use to steer. It is also where the brake levers are located. The Trike is suppled with disc brakes and so are very effective especially on a steep slope. The Trike is also equipped with gears so you can use it to negotiate a steep incline.
We fatsos have problem when we start to park our body on itas well as when we want to alight. Zaharan did it easily as he is slim and trim.

Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles said...

Pak Zawi,

A great matchmaker rupanya! Hehehe..

Unknown said...

Hehehe...

playing matchmaker eh? Would like to know the updates of this match! Don't forget to blog abt it!

Anonymous said...

it is like a mountain bike with gears..

How fast can it go? I wonder if the umbrella slows down the speed..

Yeah.. me, busybody wants to know the outcome of the matchmaking too.. hahahah.. do be tactful.. :D

I have never stopped reading love story books (chinese as well as mills and boons) even at this old age.. ;D

mrs.lim :)

Pak Zawi said...

Is,
I have no proven track record. This is just the first attempt. If I fail it will be a 100 % failure which will be very bad for my reputation hehehe.

Pak Zawi said...

VersedAnggerik,
I have yet to know of Zaharan's response to this post as he had just came home after a 9 AM to 11 PM ride from Besut to Kuala Terengganu. His computer had a fatal virus attack and he had to have his hard disk formatted. If he is offended I may have to scrap the project and start afresh with another candidate for both of them.
Hopefully he will be agreable.
Whatever the result, I will update this post.

Pak Zawi said...

Mrs. Lim,
The Trike can go as fast as your legs could pedal. If going down a steep hill it will definitely travel very fast and very dangerous for the rider as the Trike is very light.
The umbrella is used only if it rains or te sun is too hot. It is definitely something that will impede the speed of the bike especially if you are going against the wind but helps alot if the wind is behind him as it can acts like the sail and propel him forward.
Who doesn't like romantic stories?

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

ok i'm amazed but let me get this straight. he cycles all the way? is he on a mission or something?

Pak Zawi said...

kerp,
He rode the Trike from Kuala Terengganu to his son/daughter's place in Rantau Panjang and return to KT. Total distance of 320 km.
When you are fit, you have the time, you have the equipment, why not do it? I would too if I have all those prerequisites. He has a new camera a Panasonic Lumix to try out too. I cant imagine what kind of shots he managed to get along the way.

Berisman said...

Great post,Pak Zawi!Btw, I read it twice;-)Lately,I am bad bitten by cycling bugs.I ride about 3 to 4 times a week for the last two months.In the last 30 days i clocked almost 200km and hopefully my belly will look like Pak Zaharan's in a few months time;-)

--Pak Adib

Pak Zawi said...

Pak Adib,
You are on the right track. Those miles that you are adding up will help build up your stamina and soon you will be ready to do long distance rides. In Pak Zaharan's case it wasn't really speed that matters to him but sheer endurance. He is blessed with all the time in the world. The last ride home from Besut he did about 100 kms from Besut to Kuala Terengganu in 14 hrs including stops.
You look great enough as it is. Maintaining it will be good enough. Pak Zaharan advised me to excercise more to get into shape. "You owe it to yourself" he said. Great advice from a great man.

Mat Salo said...

Apart from you this is someone I truly admire and would love to emulate. Man, at 62 he can put plenty of men half his age to shame...

Back in '04 I entered a 100 km road race (on a borrowed bike) in the GP Speda series in Kuala Kangsar, a side event commemorating the school's 100 year anniversary. Toughest thing I'd ever done My wife had to drive the car home afterwards and for days afterwards I couldn't clime the steps up my house!

Our team managed to get 3rd placing in the Veteran category, though. And guess what our rag-tag team of has-beens is called? Team 'Skinny Belly'.. he he. The irony? Semua boroi. Something to remind of our youth 20,30 years ago, I guess.

Pak Zawi said...

Mat Salo,
At least you can tell the world you once did the 100km race. I have done no such thing that requires sheer brawn. You can relate that event with pride to your children.
I guess an easy life has made us feeling lazy and not excercise. Pak Zaharan has given a great advice to get me working on my fitness again for my own good. I must use that to motivate myself to be fit again.

The Ancient Mariner said...

Pak Zawi,

So you finally met me old buddy Zaharan. I was in KB Monday last week on a one day biznes trip and sorry I missed you both. It was raining cats and dogs.

Perhaps I will be seeing more of you in KB soon if my project takes off.. kalau ada rezeki lah.

Singh Is Kinng said...

Salam Pak Zawi,

Came many times here for a peep, but never left a comment since I noticed that you're busy catering to them.

I once thought to link yours, Mat Cendana, Kijang Mas etc under blogroll title Kelate Power at mine. Well, I've got to start doing it now.

Wassalam.

Pak Zawi said...

Captain Yusof,
Your name cropped up during the conversation at Dr. Nik's place. Zaharan has coaxed Dr. Nik to blog. I believe if there are more of you who cajole him into doing it, he will join the bandwagon. It would be a waste to let him loose without contributing some of his thoughts on life. He did mention a few things that arose some furore recently and I was amazed on how open his mind was to certain issues.
We will pray for your success with your peoject here so that we can see more of you in Kelantan. It would be great to have you around to help develop Kelantan in whatever way you can. Let us show those people up there how to do projects without robbing from the Rakyat.

Pak Zawi said...

Salam Mr. Singh,
I will cater for anybody who will drop by at my humble site. Only that I am treading the safe path away from politics so as to present this site as a wholesome family type of place that will please the others who are not into politics or play the racial cards. Fostering 'muhibbah' is my trade. Thus I feel my site will be a different ball game altogether compared to the other sites you mentioned. I do speak my mind on those issues too at other people's site whenever the situation seems appropriate. All the more so since I am commenting under my own name and photo.
Nevertheless I will be too happy to be linked to your august site.

mamasita said...

Lovely posting.
Sorry for my late comment.My, macam mana Z.R. boleh travel dengan tricycle dia?Tak ker lengoh?Hes really amazing!

And you look fit and great too!

Pak Zawi said...

Datin Mamasita,
It is never too late for anything. Still waiting for ZR to post a comment before going for the next post. His computer was down with virus and until he has indicated in some way that he has read this, I wont be posting a new one.
When you love doing something, you won't feel any pain when doing it. Look at those Tomoi boys when they get kicked or boxed. Anyway credit must go to ZR for keeping himself extremely fit. He is an amazing man indeed.
Looking fit doesn't mean I am fit mama. Only by doing what ZR did will prove my fitness. I am working on my fitness now so that I can do a 100 km bike ride one day. The benchmark will be within the time that Pak Adib (Berisman) is doing.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Good idea! Please play matchmaker for the 2 lonely hearts! You don't look arrogant at all, so I have no idea what Abang Zar was talking about. Silly Abang!

Thank you for this blogpost, by the way. I was anxious to find out how Abang Zar was doing. I really appreciate everyone being so hospitable to him.

You look good on the trike. Any chances of taking up serious cycling after this?

Please keep us updated on whether the matchmaking jadi ke tak jadi, okies? Muchas Gracias!

Pak Zawi said...

CO'78,
I think Abang ZR was just using the line to break the ice between us and I didn't take any offence to his remarks. Now I am doing him a small favour by matching him with one of my classmates. So far everything is going fine and hopefully they will meet up again soon.
Trying to build up my stamina again is my main preoccupation otherwise my 6 bicycles will just rust away without any use. My favourite is the Cross 700 and the two city bikes with baby carriers which I used to take my grand children around the village.

Pak Zawi said...

This is what ZR sent me to paste in the comment box which he couldn't post it himself when his PC chose to get itself a rest. Somehow he managed to save his intended comment and sent it to me by email.
Salam
Bro Zawi: Just had my CPU reformatted by a friend who charged me only
RM20 for his troubles fetching and sending the thing back to my place
as I could not easily take it to him on my bike. Got it back at 6 pm
today. Since coming back home on Monday at 11 pm, had been offline and
also off astro. Got the astro fixed today too in time to watch (if I
want to) the Suzuki Asean Cup soccer final between Thailand and
Vietnam. However the one program that i look forward to watch and will
not miss for anything in the world is the Paris-Dakar Rally on January
3. Have been watching it without fail since 1998 when astro first put
it on air.
Gee, thanks everybody for the kind words. Never have I read so much
comments about me by so many people and all visible too! It is good
feedback which provides closure to a communication loop ... sorry to
sound so professorial there ... Thanks to Bro Zawi, not only "all my
bags are packed, I'm ready to go," recalling the song "Leaving on a
jetplane," but also all my cats are out of the bag! Please guys, take
whatever Zawi says, especially the matrimonial bit, with a pinch of
salt. There's some truth but the whole truth is always an unfolding
thing ... Bro Zawi is a great guy and forget I ever called him
"arrogant" - Patricia knows me well on this point - Actually Zawi looks
handsome in his identifying blog shot and is the very embodiment of
soul upon meeting him in person.
He bustles about making sure of your every need and there I was in my
forthright manner making no attempt to disguise my dire need to have a
plate of rice for dinner at his house even though we had a goodly high
tea earlier at about 5.30 pm at Dr Nik Azam's house. Both Zawi and
Fathiah were gracious in "layaning" this wayward wayfarer. What Zawi is
in person, he is in his writing too - full of soul.My only regret is in
not meeting the other great soul, Mat Cendana. Oh well, there's always
a next time ...
--
Zaharan Razak,
Iconoclast on a Blast

This is my responce to the above.

Zaharan,
I am just following your advice to spice up my blog to make them more palatable. I did just that, a bit of truth and alot of imagination and concoction. So please take it with a pinch of salt, as there maybe some truth in it hehehehe.
As a host it was my duty to make my host comfortable. This duty is taught by our religion.
Zaharan Razak didn't really mean it when he said that I looked arrogant in my picture. I will always take it that he was just trying to be dramatic as he was a close friend of the late theatre personality Dato' Syed Alwi. It must have rubbed off on him somewhat.
ZR, see to it that you meet up with Pokku so that I can complete the loop when I get to meet up with Pokku myself.

Pat said...

Hahahah! Zawi, I think you scared Zar! He's so afraid you're going to find him a match! Hahaha

But I am sure he is right about you - you sound like such a nice guy in your writing, I am glad Zaharan has confirmed that for me!

When I am in your area, I will make sure to look up you and your family.

Pat

Pak Zawi said...

Pat,
I don't think people like ZR can be easily scared off by such stories. Well as a friend on both sides, I would like to see them happy.
Incase you havent seen my phone number take note it is 0199125647. A sms of your location will do and I will come over to fetch you. An email before arrival would be nice so that I can make sure I am not holidaying somewhere in Timbuctoo, Mali.Heheheehe.
Other readers pls note of the mistake I made on the responce to ZR's comment which should read "it is my duty to make my guest feel comfortable".

Pat said...

Thank you, Zawi, it's been noted. Fingers crossed, we will meet soon!

Pat

Pak Zawi said...

Pat,
:)

Matt Kopikarat said...

Salam..I have nothing to say! So many stories in your blog. Congrats! your're hardworking person as retired..I could not imagine that. I am sure now you have pleasure time and updating your blog all the time.

Deen