LIFE SEEMS TO BE A CONSTANT CLASSROOM. EVERYTHING IN LIFE COMES TO YOU AS A TEACHER.
EACH MOMENT SEEMS TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE LESSON FOR YOU TO LEARN.
EACH OF THOSE MOMENTS,
YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN.
PAY ATTENTION.
LEARN QUICKLY.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
As I was doing a short (as in distance, not height) walk this morning, I passed by some of my neighbours who were chatting with each other.
“Wah! So leng chai”, they remarked when seeing me with my new hair colour.
“Like Hong Kong…” one lady was saying as I interrupted, “movie star”, I said.
“No lah!”, she exclaimed. “Like the Hong Kong chee chong fun seller in Court 2”, she said.
The other lady said, “Before, like one of the singers from BPS group”.
I corrected her, “You mean BTS, the Korean singing group”.
“What BTS? BPS you know” she said, sounding slightly irritated. “Batu Pahat* Seniors group”, she said.
“Oh….Okay”, I laughed and nodded, understanding.
Then, she shows me her smartphone (Known as “cell phones in some countries. But, here in Malaysia, they are known as smartphones. If you try to argue, people will give you the “Don’t try to give me the lip”).
She said that she could hardly read the time on it. When I saw the screen of her phone, smartphone that is; “10.17am” in big bold digits.
I bade them a good day and continued on my short distance walk. Judith, my other neighbour living down Road B, said that I now look orang putih. I laughed😂….must be because of my name😁.
The first few…er many moments, minutes of being 68 years young, has been great.
The morning started with an early breakfast with family – Jeannie and Laura. Though there are multiple, more like many multiple restaurants in that area in Shah Alam; Yau Yat Khan is one of the busiest for breakfast.
Then, I went for a short walk, following that, replying to the hundreds of birthday wishes from people on social media. and the smartphone…family…friends…my book fans…people I have not met…yet.
As I write this article, I am thankful for the last 68 years. During the younger days of my siblings and cousins on my father’s side, my late Grandfather, Charles Atkinson used to sayon each of his birthdays, “Completed the year, now moving into my next”. This means that I have completed my 68th year and now am into my 69th.
I look at the future, which is the next moment forward, with awe, fascination and excitement. I don’t have too clear of an idea of what lies ahead…mysterious…journey into the unknown…yet. I intend to plot the course as I go along.
What I do know is that I have an amazing family – my wife, Jeannie; my daughter, Laura and her husband, Praga; Dad and mums (including Mum Ong, my mother-in-law), siblings and their families; uncles, aunts and their families, my La Salle School mates that go way back from primary school and the teachers and the other wonderful people, too; that make each day complete. My dear friend, Keith Ganesan, who is in Tokyo this morning, sent me a message saying that we must meet for a cigar when he is back. I replied, “That’s an absolute Will Do”.
I take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their kind wishes, thoughts and remembering this day.
Life is an amazing beauty in itself. Living it is taking it to the next level.
NOTES:
1. “wah” and “lah” are some of the expressions unique to Malaysia and this part of the world. If you are not from Malaysia; come and experience this unique living experience. The lives of Malaysians are centred around the food table. Anytime is a good time to eat. Before long, you’ll be wah-ing and lah-ing away, merrily.
2. *Batu Pahat isa town in the southern state of Peninsular Malaysia
Birthdays are always cherished
as launch pads to your next adventure.
Today, the youngest of the Atkinsons, Laura;
celebrates her birthday.
Our very best birthday wishes
in all her ventures in her new adventures.
YOUR MIND WILL BELIEVE WHAT YOU TELL IT.
TELL IT THAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.
TELL IT YOU ARE SMART AND AMBITIOUS,
THAT YOU ARE ALMOST THERE IN ACHIEVING
ALL THAT YOU SET OUT TO DO.
TELL YOUR MIND THAT YOU ARE FEARLESS AND BRAVE IN ENSURING THAT YOU DO ACHIEVE ALL THAT
YOU SET OUT TO DO.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
An awe-amazing start of Father’s Day – with family. I remember the first day I became a father – What a privilege and honour it was then…and is still now…even more…
Here’s wishing my father, my brothers, brothers-in-law, all fathers in the family, and all fathers (including my classmates and schoolmates from school)
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
A RECOGNITION THAT IS WORTH IT’S RECOGNITION.
It’s 2.13am on a Sunday morning. My bed’s beginning to call out my name and my body is saying, “Okay, coming.” But (not “however” in this case), my “brain is saying, “Hang in there. You’ve got to get this article published early before the first thing in the morning (or in simple English: “like yesterday”). The truth: my brain is winning hands down.
It is 9.09 am on the same Sunday morning. Noooo, I’ve not been at this for about 7 hours and get to this far only. Though it does happen occasionally… when I am piecing together an article.. Okay okay, it happens quite a lot…my mind goes into “mind-mapping mode” when one idea leads to another and another.
I had a quick breakfast – a slightly thicker than thick slice of marble-walnut cake from Berry’s and my Hydraflask corked mug of Nescafe Gold black without clothes. Is gold black or black gold? Without clothes?…Like in the buff?
After a series of Devil Wears Prada, anything’s possible. It first started with Jeannie and I catching a movie, Devil Wears Prada 2 3 days ago (no, it is not 23 days ago). Then, Jeannie said she had not watched the first Devil Wears Prada. So, I applied my journalistic research skills (whatever it means) (the little that I think I have) to find it.
A trait that I picked up from my father when I was much younger (which means I am young)…as I was saying when I was much younger, was to record down all the movies that I watch: date, movie title and the actors & actresses. I have been doing that for about 50 years, where my recording was maybe about 1% – 2% missing information which included forgetting to record the movie. Up today, I have watched 2,454 movies, which isn’t a lot. I never really had time for movies. One thing I should have included in my recording was a capsule review. Then again, when I browse through the titles of the movies, I can recall some of the movies, even though they were decades ago when I watched them. Some of the titles, I have to crank my “go-back-through-history” hard to figure out movie. Then, there are others, even very recent ones…I simply have no clue in remembering them.
Yes…my father. Do you know that today is his birthday? He is 94 years old.
HAPPY 94TH BIRTHDAY DAD! KEEP ON ROCKING!
About a month ago, he was in hospital. On one of my visits to him, I said, “Dad, you are going to be 94 years old in just over a month’s time. What are your plans?” Without skipping a beat, he replied, “Pretty much the same”.
He is 94 today and he is going to continue doing what he has being doing to do more of that. His memory and wit is still pretty sharp.
It is MOTHER’S DAY today as well. Man o man, it’s tough being a mother, especially being my mother. From the stories she used to tell us, she became a “mother” to her nephews and nieces in her early teens. She had to look after them while her elder siblings went to work. Just to put things in perspective. My mother was 14th of 17 children of the Gomes clan. Then, when my sister, me and my brothers came along, her very own children; she was pretty much in control of things.
My mom was kind and good natured in school (her classmates / schoolmates and relatives can attest to that) and till this very day, is the same person. My late sister, Jen; late brother, Nigel, Terence, Malcolm and me (of course), together with our own families can attest to that. She has given all her life to being kind and good-natured, not just to us, but to everyone in her life.
I wish my mother and all mothers to their own children, to others, to people around them,
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
BE GRATEFUL FOR LITTLE MERCIES.
CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY, EVEN TINY ONES.
GRATITUDE TURNS WHAT WE HAVE INTO ENOUGH.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
Yes, it is another day in paradise, with Jeannie.
We, her immediate family, i.e. her husband (me), our daughter, Laura; Laura’s husband / our son-in-law, Praga; and her mother, Mum Ong; had a lovely, quiet dinner with her.
Jeannie has always been a blessing in all our lives. She is just the same as the first day I dated with her, 32 years ago.
HAPPY, HAPPY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEANNIE!
LOVE YOU ALWAYS!
Just received a container (bottle?) of pineapple jam tarts and another container of cheese fingers – both absolutely homemade – for sure. These are no ordinary pineapple jam tarts. These are top-of-the-line, best-est pineapple jam tarts around town (here I mean Subang Jaya, Pee Jay (also known as Petaling Jaya or P.J.) (1) and Kay El (Kuala Lumpur or K.L.) (2). The cheese fingers are great, too.
It all started when I got a text message from my cousin, Rachel Jacques, “Merry Christmas Alan and Jeannie. I want to send you some pineapple jam tarts. Was thinking of you when I was making them”. My reaction was “Wow!”.
Thinking of me when she was making them. What a way to start Christmas morning, receiving this wonderful message.
Jeannie and I took a short drive to Mid-Valley Shopping Mall (3) for brunch and to pick up a couple of things. “Short drive” means the distance is the same as always but the drive was a breeze with hardly any traffic on the Federal Highway.
We were in Klang (4) a couple of hours or so later, to celebrate and bask in the joy of Christmas with the Atkinson family, a tradition of sorts for as long as I can remember.
Must do, have to do or want to do. We want to do. For us, the family gathering together on this joyous occasion is one of the best gifts we can give and get from one another.
Being in the presence of one another, sending family waves to each other, says it all. In this day and age, it is becoming more challenging for us to meet one another. Almost everybody face- screens each other. Terror one, two and three. Don’t play play. (Actually can). (5)
Jeannie and I were the earliest to arrive at dad’s and mum’s house, so we were able to have some 2-on-2 (Jeannie & I, and Mum & Dad 😁) time with mum and dad. I was about to say, “We gotta spend time with Mum & Dad” – the American way. However, “gotta” in this context means we have to make the extra effort.
They were watching a musical show on tv. Mum was in her element, singing along with many of the carols. She sang soprano and could hold her notes and timing pretty well. Dad was as usual, in choir conducting mode – “conducting the choir”.
The rest of the family, including my neice, Ashley (Terence’s & Mabel’s daughter), who was on holiday from Europe; arrived shortly after.
Jeannie got a chicken sort of dish prepared though the high tea was catered. Uma made a wicked (awesomely awesome) Shepherd’s pie, Mexican style, complete with cachos.
The food was great the evening was great, most of all – the whole family coming together was great.
Jeannie and I headed to the Archibalds for dinner. We arrived a few minutes ahead of 7.30pm. Most of their guests were already there, meaning the phrase “typical Malaysia time” was waning. Punctuality here meant being earlier than the stipulated time.😁
Patrick’s and Hazel’s guest list was a bit unusual, a first; at least to me. There were about 20 guests.
The “main star” of each family that was there, was a person that was a godchild of theirs. Jeannie and I were a bit modified. Patrick and Hazel were witnesses to our daughter, Laura’s marriage. Can I say this was a “themed” dinner?
I found out that some of them were from Klang in their schooling days – all of whom were great fans of mum’s (my mother, better known as Mrs. Atkinson) butter cake. They grew up with mum’s butter cakes at birthdays and other celebrations.
The mix & match (if there was such a thing for food at dinner) of dishes (not just empty dishes but with food on them😉😀) at dinner was pretty good. If I had to choose one that was my very favourite for the evening; it would have had to be the cutlets.
Christmas Day came and went. Like that lah! (Malaysian expression).
At the Atkinsons on Boxing Day
“Boxing Day”, the day after Christmas; was one of the most important dates in the Christmas season in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Besides boxing each other (which we were made to believe, yet had no idea why. No google and ChatGBT back then.), it was “Open House” at the Atkinsons of Klang.
The morning usually began early (it should… after all it is the “morning”), with family members from the Atkinsons and Gomes clans – uncles, aunties, cousins and lots more being the first to visit. Our neighbours and friends made up the rest. The boys of La Salle Klang and the girls from HIJ Convent Klang made up the next big number of visitors. We also had many visitors from other states in Malaysia, as well as visitors from abroad that added blessings to our family.
Open House at Jalan Ladang (where we used to stay), quite often lasted non-stop for 2 to 3 days. Food flowed. Drinks flowed. Throughout the time – always. Music played 24 hours, non-stop, almost. The time when the music stopped was because it had reached the end of a vinyl record, or open-reel tap-deck, or cassette tapes. Turn it over to the flip side, and continue with the music.
The house was a big house with a lot of land, including a badminton court. It was amazing how we accommodated so many people with so many people over the two to three day hive of activity. But we did. The La Salle guys from my late brother Nigel’s, Terence’s, Malcolm’s and my batch; my late sister, Jennifer’s classmates and schoolmates of HIJ Convent, our cousins – they all reminisce about the great times they always had with us during our Christmas Open House and other times, too. We lived near La Salle School, which meant our home was a natural stopover for the boys. We always had fun – kaw kaw (6) maximum.
Fast forward to today – we may have never appreciated the time we had as much as we appreciate them now. I wonder if appreciation is quantifiable – if we add the energy of our appreciation now to the time we were living in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Today’s world is commandeered by the screen in front of us, be it the smartphone, tablet, computer big-screen. With the introduction of A.I. and ChatGBT, many people have willingly surrendered their rights to think and make decisions – to technology. Make no mistake – at the apex of technology is still helmed by human. Can you imagine another “the Martians Are Coming” (7).
While technology and all the gizmos that come with it are exciting and mostly helpful when used appropriately, they are tools to help our everyday life, instead of our everyday life becoming enslaved to these devices. I love tech and all it has to offer, but I won’t trade human-ness for them.
Let the spirit of being with people continue to be the magic of Christmas.
NOTES:
1. Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya are cities in Selangor, the west central state of Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysia.
2. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, is a bustling, ultra modern, cosmopolitan city of Malaysia.
3. One of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia, Mid-Valley Megamall is located in Kuala Lumpur.
4. Klang, is officially the royal city of Selangor.
5. Don’t play play actually means seriously, or this is serious.
6. Kaw kaw means strong or concentrated. Kaw is usually associated with coffee. Kaw Kaw would mean absolutely maximum. He got a reprimanding kaw kaw for the multiple errors he made in his work assignment.
7. “The Martians Are Coming” usually refers to the panic caused by Orson Wells” 1938 radio adaption of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, presented as fake news bulletins, but it’s also a popular phrase in sci-fi.
WHAT MATTERS IS NOT HOW OTHERS SEE YOU, BUT HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF.
THAT MEANS EVERYTHING.
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR WAKING UP
EACH AND EVERY DAY – A GIFT.
WITH GRATITUDE, WE GLOW WITH KINDNESS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
