Wistfully contemplative nights

It's very quiet and peaceful in the house as I type in these words into the computer as almost everybody is asleep at this early morning hour( 1.00am) here in Melaka,Malaysia.


I've just returned from a delightfully refreshing night walk around the neighbourhood in an attempt to get tired and hopefully sleepy as my sleep is disturbed tonight by that large cup of arabica brewed coffee i sipped with some jamaican rum earlier during the evening meal with friends and family. 


Funny,how many moons ago, i remember a time when i could drop off like a log even with a large cup of Nescafe in my system before bed times but now-a -days that's a peculiar pleasure i no longer enjoy.


The night winds are absent on this bright and moonlit night and instead it almost feels ambivalent &  calming in a victorian movie kind of way; distinctly brooding and yet temptingly beautiful; without even the sounds of the insects and nature that usually envelopes such nights, as i walk the grounds of tarred but pot holed paths surrounding my Home.


The pale moon shadows appear only to dissapear and dance and flit about trying to play tricks on the eyes as the clouds shift past slowly, hiding the full moon  a little but allowing it to peek down upon the earth now and then as I walk away from the normal tarred roads towards the direction of the woods that circle my Taman as i am wont to do.


The joys of a nocturnal jaunt around the vicinity of my Taman (housing estate) is one that I've been remiss to enjoy these past few years as laziness and the schedules we keep makes these walks and jaunts a distant requirement in my life although in earlier times it was an almost nightly pleasure that i reserved for myself.


It's a pity  that i've allowed so many nights to go past undiscovered since my last little night frolic because the night time is beautiful if you move away from the amber city lights and wander off to the peaceful and serene wooded parts of the unlighted streets,paths and walkways.


 It allows you to think ; though, i am aware that little exercise normally scares many people :)


This weekend as many previous weeks, breezed past us almost without notice,as the world went about it's ways unperturbed. Life in a small city like Melaka is a pleasure most days and the tranquility of life is further smoothen by the joys of meeting with family and friends over mutually satisfying ethnic dinners (chinese,nyonya,indian,malay,korean,japanese etc) and the occasional tea time roti bakar at the kopitiam; breaks to chat and keep up with each others progress in life.


The bonds of relationship is re-kindled every time we make the effort to meet up with each other as life moves very fast when you are busy and no where is this more evident than in my own life as my wife and I never fail to get an invite to partake in such simple pleasures with our fellow friends & relations though being an extroverted introvert, such simple routines does require an effort on my part to observe but the dividends of that bond and relationship always surpasses our own frail fears and bothers.
The world at large may be full of strife and fear; but in our own controlled environment,(today at least) such opportunities makes one relish the beauty of life and of present times.


About a month ago, my eldest son, Utheya surprised us with the Good News that he & joey had decided to settle down and get married. The young man gave us a surprise when he opened the subject, but knowing his ways and his wants, we gave them our blessings witout much ado as although he may appear to many who do not know him personally to be rushing into married life, but the truth is he's been a man who knows what ,when and where he wants  his life to head for quite a while now. This is something he must have thought over and contemplated well upon before even thinking of informing us and as parents the best we can do is to give him our utmost support and blessings.


As i've often advised my children, my greatest gift to them has always been the option to do what their hearts desire while i'm still around to protect,advise and correct them.


Hopefully, this simple gesture on my part will further enrich and fulfill their lives  and allow for their growth as decent human beings as over the years, I've noticed that many parents are so engrossed in chasing the mighty ringgit and their perceived social standing; that they follow societies rules and regulations so blindly and without question that mundane and simple acts of self love, compassion, personal freedom and the right to live one's own life the way one wants to, is often relegated to the corners of our daily life's struggles in order to show that societal mores and cultural affirmations are followed obediently. 


This often results in the individual being bitter with his/her lot in life should they not be ready or had stumbled a little in life as more often than not they feel pushed and molded into a one size fits all definition of success and many a times it looks and feel like all of society is looking at them ,evaluating them; judging them, which puts pressure on them as young individuals as what the meaning and definition of success should be (given the current generational gap & griviences) can be varied and time constrained as in truth,someone whose doing jolly well today may not be so 10 years down the road. 


Or vice-versa.


People should just learn to relax more,don't you think?
As i stare at the computer screen as i type these words,the still of the night passively engulfs me and the drowsiness of pre- sleep returns to greet me into a lullaby of dreams and expectations of a better tomorrow when i awake.


 Adios.

Mother's Day 2011

Almost without warning, the month of May 2011 has arrived and another occasion to celebrate Mothers Day has presented itself for all of us in the family. Another year has transpired between then last mothers day & now and 365 days has come and gone without much ado in our lives.

As a family these occasions present all of my kids and I an opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives who are the bedrock of our daily lives. It must be said here that mothers are the glue that binds the family members together as without them the men in the family will have no cause to even get together as everyone is just too busy with their own schedules and responsibilities. 

Days like this gives us all the opportunity to shower the women in our lives with love and  show the appreciation we have for them.

In this regard, my eldest son is to be credited as he does take the time to make an effort to celebrate as a family such occasions and through his vigor and concern, his siblings too learn to show appreciation for the  validity and joy of such get togethers and this i confirm binds the family together as a family that celebrates together binds strong together. My second son,Chandra (truth be told), is also turning into a respectable and caring young adult as his actions during these fluid and often fast times reflect to me a young man who understands his desires and wants but who learns to temper it until such times that he can earn it himself. His lessons in life at home with the family and outside with his friends and social groups, that has been learnt and will be learnt will do him good later; as the trials and tribulations of life cannot shake you if the basic bedrock of your desires, want & worry are tempered by patience and a sense of propriety.

For he , like all my other children, has been advised  that a man that forgets most of what he once knew and allows himself to be continually distracted, confused, and in denial will ultimately suffer the consequences of that neglect and failure. If that were that to happen to a family man, they would all be worse off because of him.

So, what these writings of 

mine can encapsulate and impress upon my children and their children; I hope, is to enervate their imagination of who their predecessors were as much as possible. The exertions and tribulations of our sophisticated urban  living are such that not many take the time to bare their soul and intellect  for the benefit of others anymore but  celebrations and shared laughter like these,these are the perfect opportunities to reflect and be concise in showing appreciation of what matters most  to our hearts and they are good indicators that the family is traveling on a promising future together. 

Most times, it grows on me that the days are getting shorter now compared to earlier days as time breezes through with not a care and if we are not careful, suddenly hours become days become years become decades. The joy,fun and vitality of yester- years almost inexorably replaced by the current worries,concern and frustrations of daily life. 

Several incidences that happen together recently brought this realization closer to home for me as the past weeks saw a long lost friend suddenly turning up back in my life. Thillai Nathan @ Mohd.Ashraf was a close companion 20-25 years ago, when I started working in the Malacca Village Resort (a Beaufort Property). He was responsible for and a witness to some of the most memorable days in my life during those times .

A worldly and wise travelling muse now, Nathan is the epitome of a likable and amiable fellow as his trials and tribulations that he underwent earlier in his life as well as his martial arts training and discipline has made him a very strong and matured individual and father to 3 beautiful young girls today. It was fun and memorable to meet up with him again after all these years. (The fact that he follows my blog makes it easier for him to keep up with the latest goings on in my life! )

At the same time, news arrived to us (Michelle & I ) that a classmate of mine, Paul Fernandez has passed away  recently because of a Heart Attack. He is the 7th person from my school days to have made the one way reservations so far. It is sad to hear such news and even sadder that not many of my class mates seem to remember him as he was one of those quiet and amiable fellows who mostly stuck to the background and never caused any troubles. Apparently, Paul was working as a Chef on a Foreign going vessel and they were in Holland when the attack occurred. He leaves behind 3 children and a lovely family.

Very Sad.