It is not really difficult to make this 58 years old retired government servant to feel good. A relatively good health (being mobile albeit with hypertension controllable by contant medication and recurring gout relievable by mild painkillers) and a bit of the followings:
- Meeting family members living outside of Kelantan
- Meeting new friends whom I have befriended on the net
- Getting articles published in Magazines and getting paid for the effort
- Helping friends
- Being given casual promise of my first million dollar
Let us start with first. It has been sometimes that I visited my sister at her home in Gombak. With all her children living out of Kelantan, her base will now be over there so that it will be easier for her to be visited by her children and grandchildren around KL and the other being in Malacca. Then together we visited a nephew who was leaving for Melbourne Australia since his spouse was doing her PhD there. There, most of the clans were gathered. So it was something to make up for since I didn't manage to attend my nephew's small kenduri (feast) which was held at his father's home in Tanah Merah since I was holed up in Sabah back then.
The second one was supposed to be just a coincidence. I have become online friends of people involved in Muay Thai event after attending one of their events in Kota Bharu in November 2008. My posting on the event can be read here. Further interactions on one of their blogsite Tomoi enhanced my friendship with several of them even more especially Mussadik who is the most active and play many roles in promoting the event with Tuan Zahari and his strong man Sanusi.
So when I took the train ride on the 6th February from Pasir Mas to KL Sentral, it was not just to see the KL Muay Thai Championship fight but to meet those people behind the event.
Next on the list was to meet Ee Lynn of Combat Loaded & Mission Ready! who goes by the nick of Covert Operations '78. She had expresssed intention of meeting me at the event and she will bring 7 other friends to watch it. You can read Ee Lynn's hilarious take on the event here.With that kind of write up, I will be out of business as a Muay Thai reporter of which Boxxtomoi Magazine has offered me to do. Lucky thing Ee Lynn doesn't cover Kelantan, the state I am covering.
With that I am now a regular contributor to 2 new Magazines. The first and earlier one is Qiadah, the Official Corporate Magazine of Kelantan Chief Minister Incorporated which has published it's second issue and the other one is of course the earlier mentioned Boxxtomoi Magazine which was first distributed at the KL Muay Thai Championship.
While I was in KL, the Publisher of Qiadah called me to inform that the second issue was out and I was to collect my payment for the three articles from me that they have published. With that knowledge, I splurged on some accessories for my camera by buying two Hoya Filters and a Raynox Super Macro Conversion Lens by charging the expense to my already bloated credit card which I promised my wife that I will not use unless in times of dire straits!
Today I am expecting a prominent couple from Kuantan who had been my blogger friends for sometimes. They have been planning to come to Kota Bharu for sometimes and this is going to be the closest to confirmation that they could give to be here. Can't blame them for the uncertainty since to people like him something real urgent may crop up at the very last minute. Barring this uncerctainty, InsyaAllah they will be here.Helping friends however new to me always make me feel good. All the more so if the way to help doesn't involve finance beyond my mean since I am not financially sound myself and have very little to spare. Helping out Mat Cendana of Recovery From Drug Addiction gave me immense feel good as helping him away from his old ways will be a service to fellow friend in need of help of the highest order. Someone with that talent will be wasted if he were to revert to his old bad ways just because we dont want to accept him into our circle of friends. The only other circle that he will definitely be accepted will be his old circle of friends which he very much wanted to avoid. Through Mat Cendana I have found new great friends whom I have yet to meet by the name of Sherry Nor of the blog by the same name. I have met his other friend Davis R, who resides in Korea and is contemplating making Malaysia his second home since he felt that his own country the United States of America will be going down to the dog faster than our own beloved Malaysia.
Latest on my list of helping a friend is a seniman OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya or the handicapped artist) whom I have mentioned in passing in my post in my other blogsite My Pasir Mas The Land of The Golden Sand under the heading Sudut Penjual Ubat Tradisional. Anyway I have yet to make a special post about this man who is a living legend as a Seniman Orang Kurang Upaya.
From my subsequent visits to his home, he had expressed the desire to have a website to popularise his trade and sell the products that he provides. I did find him a webmaster and enlisted the help of my neice Nadya Fatimi who works for Kosmo and had Ab. Rahman Alabaladi featured in Kosmo Ekstra of Kosmo Ahad 15th February 2009 with the full page title of Albaladi Memukau. With that two promises delivered, how not to feel good about it? There is another promise which I have yet to fullfill though, to have him appear on National TV. InsyaAllah, I will find a way for him to get on it. It is a way of helping him get the right expossure to eke a living without depending on others.
The last item is of course a dream. Who would give me a million? (in USD perhaps).
Remember this classmate of mine by the name of Dato' Dr. Hj. Mahmud Awang Kechik whom I mentioned in my blogs The Last of The Great Doctors of Kota Bharu and later in Gathering 2008 Class Class of '68, D-Day ? Well by courtesy of George Bush before he descended from the throne of being the President of USA, frozen some 10 millions of his cash (could be in USD) in the United State's Bank. I joked with him at my latest meeting that with the appointment of Barrack Obama as the new President of USA, he may get them back. He shot back "I will give one to you". Wow! At least I can dream of becoming a millionaire one day. At least that will make me feel good for the rest of my life!
Just to digress, I will post some pictures of my recent trip to Kl, just my turn to make you feel good. If it is going to be any good to you hehehehe.
When I reached the venue at Stadium Badminton Cheras I saw this vertical banner on the wall.
The early birds who came to buy the tickets.
No less than Tuan Zahari (black shirt) and his partner Sanusi (sitting) was there to explain things to prospective spectators.
The Championship belt being dispalyed with Adexx (with tudung) looking on.
Close up of Championship belt
Rudy of Telekom Malaysia with Tuan Zahari of BoxxEvents.
Tuan Zahari checking to the last details including to the songs on the sound system.
Mindy Equipments and all new. Boxers in Kelantan will drool over such equipments.
The crews working hard to get the venue ready. These are the people who worked hard to make things happen. Above all they were volunteers.
At last the venue was ready
The rehearsel was replete with flares
Lasers and sound. Of course you can't see the sound. When a Thai boxer came in, he was accompanied by a Thai number and a European with an English number. M. Nasir's Semerah Padi was the favourite for the Malaysian boxers.
Then the crowd came
The hall started to fill up.
The fight began.
My son in law Lokman, sons Azuan and Azrin were in the crowd. They wanted to be recorded as having attended the historic event.
Farek(in red) the boss of Kelab M-150 of Kota Bharu with Rudy of TM (in batek).
Ee Lynn (in black T) and her friends. Later they took off to the gallery because their view was blocked by some photographers (me included).
Shooters in action with all the fighters posing for use in future posters and Magazine.
A boxer being prepared
They were raring to go.
Alex Lim having a cut compressed. Later Alex was found to have broken a shoulder bone. Neverthe less he continued to fight till the last bell and lose on points. What courage!
Boxers from M-150 Kota Bharu. Che Pol with Arab shawl on his head. Did the lady fight too?
Aik Salsaloon of Pasir Puteh Kelantan was Che Pol's opponent.
The two fighters from Kelantan going at each other.
Che Pol's face was bloodied.
The bleeding continued even after he had won the fight on points. Glory can dull the senses.
Nadya in action from beside the ring.
A camera taking shots from above. The DVD's are well produced. I will be looking forward to buying the DVD at the Kota Bharu Event at end of March 2009.
The crowd leaving after the event was over.
Me and my children adjourned for coffee where else but the Old Town White Coffee Cheras. 
Mussadik of Boxxtomoi with Azizancm the senior shooter.
Barbod of Iran with some friends. I know Barbod from the last fight where he knocked out my grandnephew Alif in the second round.
If you have the choice where would you choose?
I felt good at the KL Hilton.
The bed was too big for small Irsyad or even for the three of them with sisters Syakirah and Ayen.
Yani enjoying the luxurious bed of KL Hilton.
Even the restroom with all the luxuries and look at the bath tub below.
Yet we had breakfast at the foodcourt at KL Sentral where food were cheaper hehehehe.
My grand daughter Ayen loved it when I cuddled her.
The family get together at my nephew's place. They will be leaving for Melbourne where his spouse will be doing her studies.
Nephew Zailani with his spouse and nephew in law Hamdan. I feel good!
