Another ex colleague at the Blood Sucking Sicko Company got married in December - I couldn't go to his wedding as I was in the hospital. Also got this photo from someone's facebook. Congratulations Ijam and Safiah (both were ex colleague of mine) - Moga bahagia selamanya sehingga ke anak, cucu, cicit dan seterusnya...

An ex offie mate kat Blood Sucking Sicko Company got married sometime last year and baru sekarang dapat get hold of her wedding picture from facebook. Congratulations Jemah. Moga happy selalu!

Their wedding was featured in this blog and now they have an addition to the family - Anis Mardihah - Congratulations to Jiji and hubby. May your family be a happy one!

A very good friend of mine, Shaz had left to work in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago - glad to hear that he has settled down and is very happy there. To Shaz, be safe and I hope everything will turn out fine over there. Sawasdee krub!

To an ex colleague, Rock @ Hasrul, congratulations on the new arrival - Sofea Zara... May Sofea be the sweetest girl in the world ever...

Al-Fatihah buat Allahyarhamah Wany - an ex colleague back at the old office. My deepest condolences to her hubby Akashah who was also an ex colleague of mine. This is surely a devastating news as the couple just got married two months ago. Itu lah yang dikatakan ajal maut ditangan Tuhan. Kal El yang sakit ni alhamdulillah umur masih panjang tapi yang sihat pula tiba-tiba meninggalkan kita. I cannot imagine Akashah's feelings - I wouldn't be able to accept the fact if this ever happens to me.

Al-Fatihah buat Allahyarhamah, semoga rohnya dicucuri rahmat dan diletakkan di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman. Amin.

A dear friend was just blessed with the coming of a healthy and handsome baby boy - I understand he's the first boy in Ina's family - let's welcome Edrez Alif Hamzah to this world and may your stay be a pleasant and happy one. Congrats to the daddy and mummy, awat tak namakan baby you Kal El?!? heheheh

Just imagine not meeting bukan seorang but a group of people for the last 21 years. Thank you to Facebook technology I was able to gather some really old friends from Primary School whom most I haven't met since Standard Six in 1987. Perhaps it's impossible to gather everyone but at least some very prominent people in the batch could be found; those yang memand takkan dilupakan, yang stood out among the crowd for being the creme and of course those same people who made it successfully in their lives and careers.

I didn't go to a popular town school, indeed the school was near town but students there were mostly children of Army Officers (like myself) and Police Personnel - Yep Jalan Padang Tembak or known as Jalan Semarak now. Since I left the school after Standard Six I had lost touch with most of them. Some went to RMC, some went to MRSM, other daily schools even my ex girl moved to Kuantan (and have not met her till now tsk!)

This alumni was set up at FB a couple of months before Ramadhan and the number grew from day to day until very recently we decided to meet after 21 years. Everybody was excited (pity those who are overseas) Of course there were unfamiliar faces, A fat one came in macho and married with a kid, a tomboy then now a mother of 2 and many other interesting people turned out for the buka puasa get together. Unfortunately I, the initiator of the alumni couldn't make it to the get together for my current health condition. Tapi yiu know, these old friends memang true friends as the moment they got to know I was unwell, they decided to come give me a visit at home.

So a couple of nights back kecoh la my house with unexpected guests - my old friends from Primary school. I felt so happy and honored to have people who cared and would go to the extend of coming to me when I couldn't go to them. These are real friends that everyone deserves. To these people, yes you've made my day and I felt alive that night to have you over at my place. There are too much to catch up but God's willing, InsyaAllah we'll meet again soon when I feel better.

The beauty of friendship touches only those who appreciate their friends.

Another beautiful song written by an old friend Intan, sang by Anuar Zain. Teman Terulung won the weekly champion on the 24th July Episode of Muzik-Muzik AJL 2008 .Congrats Intan! My prayers for this song to be in this year's finals. Amin...



Teman Terulung
Song/Lyrics: Azalea

Bila bertaut senyuman
Mata berlirikan
Memancarkan keluhuran
Cerah kesederhanaanmu
Seindah kejujuranmu

Detik seia sejiwa
Terungkap setia
Tiada upaya sepi
Mekar kudup penantianku
Hadirnya teman sejati

Melangkah kita menjejak mimpi
Bahagia berdiri dengan mu disisi
Harapan kita meniti hari
Sentiasa seiring

Paling agung teman terulung
Tenunan emas sayap hidupku
Tak inginku undur bertamu
Bertakhta teguh
Ke akhir waktu.

Congratulations to the bride and groom, EZ and Zizi who wed last week at Concorde Hotel Shah Alam on 6th July 2008 and at Dewan MBSA Section 11 Shah Alam then ext day. May the two of you be blessed, together and forever. Amin!

To our dear family vet, Dr. Zul who got married on May 25th @ Shah Alam, congratulations. May the two of you be happy always. Aren't they a cute couple?

Congratulations to Achoi & Ctot on the arrival of Aqil Nazhan on April 24th 2008. Ctot and Achoi were our dear ex-colleague who got married in July last year. Aqil Nazhan decided to join his parents earlier than his due date on May 14th 2008.

I've finally got to see a fellow good-friend's, who was an ex housemate/coursemate's back at the Uni, very cute son. the boy, Wan Imran Khalis (photo) is in the running for Mix fm's 2008 Baby Idol Competition. Do vote for him if you have the time. TQ.

I had nothing to do as I was alone tonight. So I searched for my name in Google and guess what? I just found out a very close and dear friend of mine who is in Labuan, an ex roomie and coursemate at the Uni now writes for the Star - he has indeed a column of his own (eh sorry, just sent him a text message, he said "I only occasionally write for the column" - ok ler tuh...) but whatever it is I am republishing it here because

1. he's a dear friend and I am very gila proud of him and
2. he had used my name as well as our other best(est) of friends' names in his examples - ahahah guesslah which is mine?

So, here's the article. on English usage...duh! Engrish...

The STAR

Wednesday April 16, 2008

Knowing ‘form’ and ‘function’

MANY thanks to Mr Oh Teik Theam for the good activity on identifying and differentiating the parts of speech (March 27).

It is indeed beneficial for us to know the different parts of speech within a sentence because it will enable us to correctly position these in a sentence. For example, knowing a word is an adjective allows us to place it before a noun or after a “verb to be”:

1) A diligent man.

2) Azzuhri is diligent.

Other than the different parts of speech, another aspect of grammar that is of great importance is the difference between “form” and “function”.

“Form” can be broadly defined as “what it is” and “function” as “what it does” within a sentence.

Examples of “form” are verb (or verb phrase), noun (or noun phrase), adjective (or adjective phrase) and adverb (or adverb phrase). Examples of “function” are subject, predicate, object, adjectival, adverbial and complement.

It is critical to know the differences because 1) we can grammatically position or arrange all the parts within a sentence and 2) some “forms” can have many “functions” within a sentence, as in the following examples:

1) The students are studying.

2) The students are completing the assignments.

In the above sentences, “the students” and “the assignments” are both noun phrases. However, “the students” is the subject while the “the assignments” is the object.

More examples can be seen in the following:

1) The man is gone.

2) Syahrel is standing under the tree.

3) Irham has placed the vase on the dinner table.

4) Roy is a belly dancer.

5) We have voted Shaz the president of the Q Club.

In 1), “the man” – form: noun phrase; function: subject / “gone” – form: verb (past participle form); function: adjectival / “is gone” – form: verb phrase; function: predicate.

In 2), “Syahrel” – form: noun phrase (proper noun); function: subject / “under the tree” – form: prepositional phrase; function: adverbial / “is standing under the tree” – form: verb phrase; fuunction: predicate.

In 3), “the vase” – form: noun phrase; function: object / “on the dinner table” – form: prepositional phrase; function: complement / “the dinner table” - form: noun phrase; function: object of preposition / “dinner” – form: noun; function: adjectival.

In 4), “a belly dancer” – form: noun phrase; function: complement / “belly” – form: noun; function: adjectival

In 5), “we” – form: noun phrase (pronoun); function: subject / “Shaz” – form: noun phrase (proper noun); function: object / “the president of the Q club” – form: noun phrase; function: object complement.

Good grammar books should have all the forms and functions explained thoroughly.

– Mahid bin Masseluang, Labuan

MOre of Mahid's articles here, here, here and here
Hehehe have I not become Mahid's stalker now?

I am suddenly struck with emotions and remembered this very relevant song by Hujan. Need I say more? Tsk...



Bila Aku Sudah Tiada

Bila, aku sudah tiada
simpan semua lagu ku
jangan di tangis selalu

Mungkin, itu sementara
bila jumpa pengganti ku
jangan di lupakan aku

Pagi itu indah seperti biasa
tidur yang lena terhenti di sana
layap kuyu masih tak terdaya
bukalah tingkap mu
curahkan cahaya...

Siapa yang sangka
bila tiba masa kita
untuk pergi selamanya

Takkan terduga
jika saat ni
tuhan tentukan
aku lah orangnya

Gelak tawa tangisan yg hiba
kenangan kita masa d dunia
alangkah indahnya jika
kita mampu hidup selamanya...

Lyrics courtesy of Mylirik