silent conversation

Have you ever been a position where you had a silent conversation with someone? What I meant is a literally silent one...As I go along in this entry you will get what I am trying to share...

I was walking down the streets near Jervis and as usual I had my trusted iPod to sink my boredom while walking alone...As I was walking towards the traffic light, a guy tapped my shoulder and showed me a stop sign...I indicate that he was telling me to be careful and look out for the incoming vehicles...So the green man on the traffic let went red and I stopped and said thank you to him...He replied with a smile and a nod...So I was like, oh maybe he did not really want to talk...So I walked on...He tapped my shoulder again...I smiled and ask him if I could help him...He took out his phone and typed something...I felt a little bit weird...And this is how our conversation went (thru his phone)...

The Guy: Hi, I am actually dumb(as in he is unable to speak/bisu) and I just want to say hello to you...

Me: Oh, I am sorry...and how are you doing?

The Guy: I am good, I saw you walking and I just want to say that I like your hair...Are from China?

Me:Thanks, that is very kind...You have a nice smile on your face...I am not from China actually but Malaysia...Its part of Asia...

The Guy: Oh I am sorry, but thanks for the compliment..Did you come hear by a boat or a plane?

Me: (I wanted to chuckle but I felt it was not appropriate) By plane, we don't use the boat since I came in here legally to study...

The Guy: Thats nice to know...I am sorry for saying that...Its very nice of you to have a chat with me thru the sms function on my phone...Have a good day and look out for the cars when you are walking....

Me: Its my pleasure, hope to see you sometime...Take care now...

That was one long conversation typed on his phone...What a day isn't it...Actually this happened to me a week after I arrived Dublin...Honestly, I was afraid when he took out the phone but that was quite an experience having a silent conversation with someone...It is amazing how friendly some people can be...Being disable does not stop anyone,this guy thought me something on that day...Whoever you are, may God bless you...

'Kindness is a language the dumb speak and the deaf can hear and understand'

-Christian Nevell Bovee-

hold my hand

Studying, working and living here in Dublin has given me an array of colourful daily life...There are a lot of things that I see and experience which is definitely worth to share...Well this is my view as a foreigner here it maybe different with other people...Like I said in my previous entries, I meet nice wonderful poeple in the bus,train, while sitting down alone in the mall area and even while walking...

Last week during work I met and interesting lady, and old lady which looked like everyone's favourite grandmothers...As usual, I was serving some customers and then came this cute old lady with a smile on her face asking me for a pot of tea...I made the pot of tea of her choice and asked her if she needed anything else...Well, this time is different she needed more than just a sandwich or a pot of tea...She has asked me to hold her hand, and without hesitation I hold her hands...It was quite a grip and she said "Thank you my child, I have no grand children and I don't know where my children are now, it is nice of you to hold my hand." I replied, "Don't say thank you, I miss my grandmother very much so you made my day as well."And she said, " Thank you love, you are very kind, its freezing outside." I just gave her a smile and continued with my work and I overheard her conversation with her friend saying that she loved how friendly some people can be and most of them are in Obrien's Illac...What a great day isn't it despite of being tired washing the dishes and serving my customers their favourite sandwich...One thing I learn for a long time working in the service line is to be able to make the customer feel like its their second home...

This is one of the best experiences and of course I have more...I don't know why but I am closely related to the older generations...Maybe I connect better with them or maybe I am very used to having older people around me like arwah Tok and Mek...Thanks to them, I am such a lovable grandchild to the old folks in Dublin...

"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever"
-Author Unknown-

A Song For My Ratu Hati...Muna Hj.Kassim...(Mummy click the Play button ok)

am i not Malaysian enough ah?

I must say I am definitely one of those people who will always remember my roots no matter where I go...I am always proud to say, I AM FROM MALAYSIA to anyone I meet...I am pretty sure that reading the title might make someone ponder if I am going to write something about a person yang 'lupa diri'...Actually what I am about to share is rather funny experience of a Malaysian in a foreign land...

As for those who doesn't know, I study and work part time at a sandwich bar...If you've read my blog you would notice some of previous posts...As we all know, everything that happens daily is a life experience that may be happy,sad or whatever you go through it...Beat it lah kalau jatuh basikal sambil hantar nasi ayam to my sister or my bus rides to college...This experience I had today is rather funny to me...Today is the first day I question myself...Am I not Malaysian enough?

So this is what happen...As usual, I will be at the bar waiting and serving my regular sandwich craze customers...Then comes a student, which is definitely Malaysian too me...I am sure anyone who travels or study abroad will know if someone is from their country tak kisah lah Cina,Melayu or India...Right? Or so I thought this way all the time...So the usual script...Can I help you there?And she replied she wanted a cappuccino...So I made the cappuccino feeling rather happy to get a customer from my country...Ye lah dah lama tak cakap Melayu, hari-hari battle with the lidah belit2...(For example: Would you like some budder(butter)?--->actually ini mengajuk kawan-kawan dari negeri cina yang berusaha gigih untuk mendapatkan accent)

I bluntly asked her, "Are you Malaysian?" And of course my Malaysian instinct was correct..."Yes, I am from Malaysia...You Malaysian ke?Seriously you don't look Malaysian" Honestly, I don't know how to feel...Hello tak nampakkah Melayu/Malaysian written on my face...And I said "Ummm,ye saya orang Malaysia,by the way terima kasih and enjoy your meal."Then the person replied to me"Sorry, you memang tak nampak Malaysian, mesti dah duduk lama sebab your English bukan macam Malaysian...Dah lama duduk and kerja sini ke?" And maybe my answer to her draws a big shock on her face when I told her I just arrived here in September and worked for almost 2 months in Dublin....

Honestly, I am not sure on how should I feel...Insulted?More to confused to me...I think I do look Malaysian and I am always proud to be Malaysian...I have more to tell and I will write more on my experiences here as a foreigner...For this entry I will quote from the legendary Hang Tuah which is...

"Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia" -Hang Tuah-

PS: See I am very Malay ok...

**Picture credits to Kasikampus Blog

Cracked Pot

An interesting email that I would like to share with all...It inspired me and I hope you'll get something out of this as well....

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An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.'

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!