Just taking stock.

 Sun Oct 4, 2020.

Just thought I'd take stock of things on this humble post.

Like Hank, I started this blog 12 years ago. Blogging had been around like, forever. Aspan tried to set up the first blog for me. But I came across this little book on blogging. Coming home, I thought I might as well try it. 

I had written to "Readers write" or something on New Straits Times many times before that. I was pleasantly surprised that every time I sent my notes, they printed them, though they edited them here and there. I just wanted to polish my English. But I wrote on things I know, right from mind to paper, the way I know.  I suppose they sounded genuine and worthy of space on their papers. Once I caught the blog-bug, I left "Readers write". (A few friends followed them, by the way).  Naturally my most productive year was that first one. Up to now I count 512 postings. At about 600 words each, I should have more than 300,000 words altogether. As I'd said to Hank, maybe I should put them in a book.

I'd always wanted to pen my memories so my children and their children could share my life experiences. I'm leaving them no money. I might as well share my memories. I sure would like to record all that I can recall in seven decades of living thus far.

Somewhere in this blog in the last 12 years I'd already mentioned flashes of some of these life experiences. I may have even mentioned some  more than once. I don't keep proper track. They haven't been done in any particular order. I sat down and wrote what inspired me  each time.   Places I visited, schools I went to, work that I'd done, past times that are still fun, relatives old, new and sadly departed, and friends old, new and also sadly departed. I feel I should dock them all somewhere just for memory's sake.

I have a world map on the wall in my  room.  I put red dots on all the countries I'd visited. Not too bad. All continents except the Arctic and Antartic seem covered. The next plan was to make annual forays into neighbouring countries for 1-week hops these last few years, which I did. But the pandemic has put that on hold. Bandung, Bangkok, Saigon and Bukit Tinggi are all within 2 hours of KLIA, and even repeat visits have  been enjoyable and cheap.

All immediate uncles and aunts are gone, from both my father's and mother's side. I attended all their last rites, but have not been able to make visits to their last resting places, and I feel guilty about it. Many I have fond memories of, because my parents took the trouble to make visits, even when they were far, say, in Gua Musang and Butterworth. These were not within easy reach, because until my father was about to retire, he didn't have a car.

Several first cousins have also left us. One in Jengka 23 I had wanted to be with when he died, but couldn't. I'm still marking it in my "to do" list to visit his grave. I met his widow at a relative's wedding and told her so, but she jokingly ( I hope ) brushed it off.

Even here where I am now, many old neighbours have gone: Ahmad Abbas, Yusof, Hj. Ishak, Pak Din, Shahruddin, Aziz Tadin, Md. Nor Tadin, Col. Arham, Cikgu Dollah, Hj. Amir,  Hj. Yusof Ahmad, Ustaz Ayob and Ustaz Hassan. These were just those on the same road or adjacent ones.

Where I reside now looks like my last stop. This is my second time at this housing estate. The first time was on my second posting to Seremban before being moved back to head office. I'd always planned to retire in this town because it is the capital of NS, can you believe that ? I was thinking, I couldn't retire in KP where I was born and bred. Seremban seemed free of the KL traffic. I'd purchase a 6,000 ft house lot in Kg. Jiboi. But Seremban didn't remain traffic-free, and the move to Seremban was hastened by events. So here I am, and the Jiboi lot was sold. 

I've been here for 25 years now. Seriously, I was imagining that my children would lay me to rest at the Maqam Tuan Haji Said, the large and more famous of the Seremban Muslim cemetries. Alas, just this year, MAINS issued a circular saying it is now full and must be closed. New tenants are directed to the Senawang-Econsave plot, not far from where I am now. I'll just leave it to my surviving children.

I have to write about all my uncles and aunties. Amok in Kuala Jempol could be my first subject. Then the others in Kg. Ibol, Ulu Bendol, Kubang Rusa, Batu 46, Datuk Keramat, and Butterworth.  

I have to write about Tg. Malim, KP Residential Area, Tebat Kering, Port Dickson, Sg. Besi, Alor Gajah, Ampang Jaya, Damansara Utama and Port Kelang. These were places where I stayed, studied or worked.

I have also to write about where the kids went to school. That would cover a slightly bigger area; Petaling Jaya, Cheras, Seremban, Melaka, Perlis, Shah Alam, Sydney and  Hawaii. 

This time I'll have to gather material before I write. I might lose the memories of those long years, long gone but not completely forgotten. Yet. Hopefully.

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