ATTENDING PUAN AZIAH ZAKARIA'S DAUGHTER'S WEDDING RECEPTION

I was invited by Puan Aziah Zakaria to attend the wedding reception of her daughter held at Raja Zarith Sofia Library in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Puan Aziah is an ex-colleague from SMK Taman Universiti who has opted out for early retirement.

As usual, I met many ex-colleagues/friends there. Wedding reception has been a common place for old friends to meet up.

Thank you Puan Aziah Zakaria for the kind thought. Hopefully she will still remember to invite me for other wedding receptions to come.

MY FIRST BITE OF "BIDARA" FRUIT

"Bidara" fruit [mauripus mauritania] is nothing strange to the locals as it is used in the line of one of the most popular Malay "pantuns" [rhyming verse] which goes something like this: "Nasi lemak buah bidara..."

Anyhow, only today I had my first bite of this fruit, found at the night market. Out of curiousity, I bought a kilogramme of this green apples look alike but very much smaller in size. Surprisingly, the fruit was tasteless but it was crunchy and juicy. I guess it would best be eaten with something else, like spicy shrimp paste or preserved lime. Or perhaps, I really would have to get "nasi lemak" tomorrow and eat the "bidara" fruit as the "ulam" (local salad dish).

CHINESE NEW YEAR IS AROUND THE CORNER

How do you know Chinese New Year is coming? When mandarin oranges start to arrive at your doorsteps.

And people are eating mandarin oranges everywhere in school. The air in the office is filled with the pungent smell of oranges. The holiday spirit is already felt.

I just cannot wait for the long break to come in a few more days.

... AND AFTER ONE YEAR

It has already been a year I started working at SMK Dato' Jaafar, Johor Bahru. How time flies. *sigh* I first came in to hold the new post on 5th February 2017. It is already too late celebrate, I guess.

So how has it been after one year? First, the school is much nearer to my house so that should already be an advantage. Second, the smaller population of students and teachers is definitely a positive point to consider. Third, the colleagues are alright - of course I won't air my grudges here, if there are any.

Let's see how long I will be in SDJ. There seem to be a lot movements among the Senior Assistants in schools these days. Anyway, just hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

SULTAN HASANUDIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MAKASSAR

16th OCTOBER 2017 ~ It was finally time to bid farewell to Makassar. I got some time to spend to explore the big and modern Sultan Hasanudin International Airport. It still looked new or it was very well maintained. There were a lot of shops too, more shops if compared to other airports in Indonesia, like Medan or Lombok.

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This should be the very last episode of my trip to Makassar in October 2018. I am still not sure when my next trip will be as the timing for the school holidays doesn't seem to allow me to travel. There will be fasting days and Eid celebration during the school break, for example. I will have to plan harder.

[MY MAKASSAR TRIP MAIN PAGE]

ANOTHER MEETING AT JOHOR PREMIUM OUTLET

3rd FEBRUARY 2018 ~ I sometimes go to Johor Premium Outlet (JPO), but not to shop, rather to meet friends who go there. Mr. Ridwan Wahid and his family were here for a (very) short trip, all the way from Shah Alam. When he announced of his plan, that should be the opportunity to meet up even though initially we decided to gather somewhere else. 

So it was a gossip session over sandwiches and iced lemon tea this time. JPO doesn't offer much when it comes to dining. People come here not to eat and chat in the first place. We had to part ways after about 2 hours, as the outlet was already going to close shops.

I even bumped into an ex-colleague of SMK Taman Universiti, Puan Fauziah Kassim (I hope I got the name right). She was in SMKTUN many years ago and is now in Melaka.

I must say I was glad to see Mr. Ridwan and the girls, especially before they leave for Mekah for "umrah" in a few days. I pray may Allah ease their journey there and may they stay healthy during the stay on the holy land.

GOSSIPING OVER DONUTS AND COFFEE

3rd FEBRUARY 2018 ~ A get-together with two ex-students of SMKTUN SPM batch 2002 was held at AEON Bukit Indah. The place chosen for coffee this time was J.Co Donuts & Coffee - my first time there.

We stayed there for almost 2 ½ hours, even though the place was quite crowded and noisy. (There was a Chinese calligraphy competition held outside the restaurant with many people around). The chit-chatting session was a huge success [EXAGGERATION] and we definitely should get more coffee more regularly next time.

Thanks Mr. Azizul Azman and Mr. Ammar Faiz Zainal Abidin for the coffee, and most importantly, the time and company. We shall see each other again in the next meeting.