THE COFFEE SESSION WITH EX-STUDENTS

   21ST MAY 2025    ~ A meeting was set with five ex-students of SMK Taman Universiti [of SPM batch 2001] at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf located in Iskandar Puteri at 8:30 p.m.

With work and family commitment, it was not an easy task to get these people to sit together for a chatting session over coffee.

The last time we had coffee in a big group like this was two years ago [READ HERE].

We had to bid goodbye at 11:00 p.m. as they needed to go to work the next day. We wonder whether we would be doing this again in two more years from now as everybody was always busy to get together nowadays.

STOPPING BY AT KOTA ISKANDAR MOSQUE FOR AFTERNOON PRAYER

   5th DECEMBER 2024    ~ I had to attend an event for retirees at a restaurant in Puteri Harbour at 2:00 p.m. [READ HERE] Therefore, I decided to stop by at Kota Iskandar Mosque to perform my afternoon prayer as my house was quite far from the venue.

This should be my third time visiting the mosque, and only this time I had the chance to take photos of the holy building.

People just finished their Zohor [noon] prayer [in group] when I arrived.

This place will be very busy on Friday afternoon starting next year as Johor Government had decided to change the working weekends from Friday to Sunday [again].

I personally feel the authority should take a more serious effort to maintain the mosque's cleanliness and appearance, inside and outside, as it is located in the state administration centre.

THE SPECIAL EVENT FOR THE RETIREES ORGANIZED BY JOHOR BAHRU DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICE

A special event was organized by the Johor Bahru District Education Office for the academic and non-academic staff who had already retired and will be retiring soon. As for me, I have been a retiree for 11 months already.

The event was held in Yanalis Club & Cafe in Puteri Harbour, Iskandar Puteri.

I met a few friends there, but there were people who did not turn up for the event.

First, there was Puan Suhana Suratman, an ex-colleague of SMK Taman Universiti.

Then, I met Mr. Armugam who sat at the same table, an ex-colleague of SMK Dato' Jaafar.

A friend of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia [UPM] who was doing her Bachelor Degree in Counselling, Puan Hafsah, was also there.

It was just a brief function and I had to get some other food which was more filling at other place right after leaving the venue. That should be the very last party related to my retirement, in the last month of 2024.

BREAKING FAST AT RAMADA MERIDIN, NUSAJAYA

17th MAY 2019 ~ Some people were kind enough to invite me again to join the company's/family's iftar/break fast at a hotel. This time the chosen venue was Delish Restaurant at Ramada Remidin, Nusaya, somewhere near to Legoland Malaysia.

As usual, there was a huge spread of food but the dining area was a bit too small. That however would not stop people from enjoying all that was put on the buffet table.

Unfortunately, I realized I could not consume (too) much food during break fast. That could be the age factor.

Besides Mr. Syazwan Shavarein, an ex-student of SMK Taman Universiti who just came back from the UK for his break, an ex-colleague, Mr. Syazarul Shahrir was also there. He just returned from Malaysia after following his wife who is (still) studying there.

The hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Shavarein

I would like to thank Mr. Shavarein and Pn. Norazlina, and the family members for inviting me to their Iftar session every year without fail. Only Allah may repay their kind deeds in the month of Ramadhan.