FUNNYACCENT

What Have I Given?-Self Reflection

When I was a kid Mak always said something like this , "You kids always want, want, want. What have you given?" when we whined about something. We knew perfectly well we weren't going to get them anyway, but whining was fun when you knew when to stop.

"Huh?"

"What have you given to me? to your father? to your sisters? to your brothers?"

In my head. Oh...no, Mak is getting crazy. She is not only different from other kids' mothers, now she wants me to give her money.

"But I only seven years old Mak, where do I get the money? Every day you only give me thirty cents." I thought I was smart. In a way I reminded her that thirty cents wasn't enough.

"You bring your lunch everyday.You don't have to spend your thirty cents."

"But you know I don't spend all the money."

"Good, don't spend them at all. By Friday you get $1.50, give them to me and I put them away, by the end of the month you get $6.00. When you ask me for money, I have them for you."

I was sure Mak was getting crazy. She spent too much time by herself. If she wasn't pulling out weeds from her little vegetable garden or searching for little insects on tomatoes's buds, she would be at her Singer sewing machine, sewing something. Why can't she be like other kids's mothers on the block? Sitting together, giggling and swapping stories?

"But that would be my money that you are giving back to me."

"No. It's not your money. You are not working. Your father does."

I got to come up with a better strategy.

Salem Trip

 
I'm sure any Baby Boomers who watched black and white tv back in the late 60's remember the character on a broom.

 

In the Land of Dinosour

Except for the seagulls, the beach was deserted. The sky didn't look promising, but it's fall, the sun might comes out later, who knows?  The tide was low. I was glad I had my gloves on.

After fifteen minutes, I ran into a black labrador (I think it was labrador) wearing  an orange bandana around its neck matching its owner bandana on his bald head.

About 200 meters I passed The Bandanas, I spotted a yellow tiny figure nestled between pebbles and seaweed. I stopped and picked it up.

Imagine if this bad boy is still roaming around on earth, how am I suppose to run? One thing for sure I'll be running for my life not for my health.

I made it to Castle Island finished one loop. The second loop was basically dragging my ass up to the top of highest part of Castle Island, where it faces the ocean.

 

 

I stood with my back to the wall of Fort Independent, my eyes closed, I listened to this.

 

A sense of sadness and missing washed over me, and at the same time I felt so calm when I walked back to my place.

Don't Know Much

Thinking that I know what was working and what wasn't for a client was the first mistake I made when I first dipped my feet into social work. I had read about it, they talked about it at the workshops, and during the staff/clinical meetings, it's one of the topics that we have talked about it. But like many of us, we learned the lesson by experimenting it, or in a blunt way, when we make a mistake.

 
It is a humble way to learn that despite the education, degrees and the books that I read, I don't know anything about the person who is sitting opposite me until he trusts me to open up. Until he is willing to share his fear, his anger, his disppointment, his joy and his dream. Until then, I don't know a crap about him except things he thinks I want to hear.

The Last Nasi Impit & Ketupat Sitting-And the answer to Gurindam Jiwa

Earlier this afternoon I was at Zaimah & Yazid's place in Braintree, a few miles away from my hood' for Hari Raya gathering. I was looking forward to this gathering as I missed the previous two Hari Raya gathering.

The photos I uploaded here speak the volume of how wonderful, fun and lovely the event was.

 

Ramlah Dean, Noriah Williamson, Zul Mess, Jeha, Sitiaishah Salim, Zaimah (the hostess), Ginny WanZaid, Mariah & Sairah Glick.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeha was preaching about her famous Laksa Sarawak to Noriah W.

 

The ketupat pulut might not be perfect to be called Ketupat Palas, but they are ketupat nevertheless.

 

And now, Sairah's turn to give a crash course of her famous Teh Tarik to the ladies.

The rain didn't stop since morning. Pouring all day, but who cares when you had ketupat pulut, nasi impi, laksa Trengganu (Ginny WanZaid), laksa Sarawak (Jeha Niam), laksa asam (Yasmine Saulnier), masak lemak cilli api (Noriah W) and plenty more of delicous dishes. Sorry ladies, I can't remember all.

Ohh.....yes, Sairah brought some fresh keropok leko which she prepared a day before.

The best way ever duduk bersembang.

 

 

 

 

More of 10K Run

 Jane & I walking to the starting line

  
 

Pinning on my bib number.

Note: The messy newspaper all over the place. I didn't do it. Really.

Our friend Laurie wanted to make sure the red brick building on Beacon Street was on the background.

 

A small patch of wisehair, errr...I meant gray hair hidden next to a woman in black shirt.....that was me. And that was Jane in red t-shirt in action.

 

Runners in master class on the front line.

Red Running Shoes

I wrote here  a few times how much I enjoy running, and many times I whine about not enough time to run because of  bla, this, bla, bla that. Until today, I never entered  any races before. There are hundreds of races all year around in Massachusetts, but don't ask me why I hadn't entered in any of those.

Last May or perhaps June, my good friend, Jane convinced me to register to  10KTuft Health Plan for Women Race. It would be fun, she said. Why not. I registered on line. Mailed the check and forgot all about it. Last week when after Jane returned home from her trip to Iceland she called me and reminded me that we needed to pick up the bib number, official t-shirt and chrono track timing tag.

Yesterday we  metat Bombay Cafe' for lunch. The food was delicious. After the lunch we walked up to Nike Town on Newbury Street to drop our old running shoes. Actually I wanted to drop three pairs, but some women are attached to their beautiful shoes, handbags and clothes, whereas I am attached to my books and running shoes. So, two pairs will do for now.

After the Nike Town we walked to City Sports on Boylston Street to pick up the tag and the bib number.

Jane and I met at Park Street Subway station at 11:30 a.m. Lovely afternoon, breezy and plenty of sun shines. The race started exactly at 12:00 noon. The first mile Jane and I ran side by side. Into a second mile I picked up my pace. When I passed 5 mile mark, I knew I couldn't make it under one hour. I hadn't run seriously for a while, but as I was approaching the finish line, I saw the official time on top finish line banner: I hour 7 minutes. The digit blinked, blinked, blinked.......

It was a exhilarating feeling. I heard someone's voice in a crowd near the finish line said, "Red shoes, you're slowing down, come on, you can do it."  It didn't matter if it was meant for somebody else. My official time is 67.37 minutes or 10.87 minutes/mile pace. Yikes, but I'm so proud of myself.