YOU might be musing: Hell, Bernard is getting soft. Dang, you surely dont go soft in front of this lady-friend of mine. Truth is: I READ GOOD BLOGS AND I FEATURE POSTINGS OF VALUE. And Ena's latest posting has value.
I have always enjoyed her company especially when she is bored stiff with the men-folks' gossiping and the usual macho "have you heard this one?" one-up chest-thumpings.
I especially like Ena's straight-in-your-face honesty. I have not encountered otherwise.
I thoroughly enjoy her writings. Heck, she comes from a good blood-line, wedged comfortably in between her illustrious father, the late Samad Ismail and her elder sister Maria, (Tok Mommy).
This latest posting of hers encapsulates Noraina Samad. Enjoy and learn (?).
TUESDAY WITH........
...my friend and former colleague -- Aishah Ali or, as friends and family call her, Kudu.
"Tuesdays With Bapak" was slowly weaned off this blog after Bapak passed away last September.
It was difficult to reminisce. Perhaps, the heart and mind just refuse to, or has simply stopped functioning to do that.
I'm not sure if I want to revive it. To resume posting my reflections and reminiscences of my childhood and adulthood when Bapak was (somehow still is) so pivotal in my life, is a bit unsettling for me at the moment, as I am convinced that it will be an emotional journey which I'm not so sure I want to get on.
So, I decided that I'll just post little happenings for Tuesdays.
Like this little birthday gathering we had for Kudu at Treats (a cafe/restaurant) in Taman Tun Dr Ismail last Friday. (PIC HERE)
Kudu was three years my senior when I enrolled at ITM's
But we got really close when I joined the NST after graduation in 1978. We have remained so.
I remember her as the tyrannical senior lady who told me off the first day I stepped into the 13th floor of the
(Induction week was when first-year students get to know the school and the seniors and this came after the college's orientation week.)
I was at the 13th floor lift lobby of ITM's multi-storey building when Kudu appeared and asked me, in a stern headmistress-ish voice : "Freshie, why were you not at the induction?"
Me: "I am not a Freshie" ( because I attended Pre-University at the college, so I was technically not a Freshie).
Kudu: (Looking so not amused) "The School Of Mass Comm has not declared you a junior!"
(I think that translated to -- "waah...kau ingat kau terror, eh?")
Then, miraculously, the lift door opened in front of me and I was saved from further verbal assault.
I decided I did not like this senior lady.
So, I turned to her and uttered, quite softly: "Too bad".
Suddenly it hit me that I was going to be in that place for the next three years.
"Alamak....I hope she did not hear that...", I thought.
But she must have heard.
Bapak who had helped establish the
Someone or more, without wasting time, must have happily reported to Bapak about my convenient absence from "induction week" and that brief exchange with Kudu.
You see, Bapak -- if you knew him -- had a way with young people. He was managing editor of NST at that time and he had developed close ties with the school and even better relations with the students who were my seniors.
Word got round, I suspect, that "anak Pak Samad" was enrolled at the school, did not attend induction and, when encountered was "mengada-ngada". Such exaggeration!
The following morning, I was summoned to the office of the head of the
There, waiting for me was Bapak, cigarette in hand, smiling. Aaah...that smile was deceptive.
"I hear you've been arrogant to your seniors......", he remarked.
To cut the story short, Bapak was not pleased with the way I conducted myself, insisted I made up for the bad behaviour by treating the seniors I had offended, to lunch. So, he gave me some money. And yes, I did give them a treat, as instructed.
So...a lesson learnt and remembered.
Back to Kudu's birthday tea last Friday.
The little birthday gathering was organised by a few of Kudu's former classmates with whom she is still in touch. It was kind of impromptu.
The only non-classmates there were my own former classmate Hamidah Yusoff and me.
I got her a mixed bouquet, including roses. She got a beautiful piece of fabric from her former classmate, Nik (nicknamed Teo).
The tea was compliments of Datuk Zainul Azman, otherwise known to his former classmates as ZA.
Making a nostalgic evening for Kudu were (also): Baharuddin, Rose, Molina, Dee Basariah, Zohara (Lola), and Datuk Poziah (Jee).
The food was good -- mee
Great company!
Notice I have left out Kudu's age.
Oh....she is still 35 as far as I can tell.
Happy Birthday, Kudu!
Thank you for an enduring friendship these past 30-plus years...
*By the way, Kudu was NST women's editor and The Sunday Mail editor. She left the NST group in 2006. She is now a media consultant (Ali & Ali) and is a free-lance writer. She is married to former NST and BBC journalist Ishak Nengah, mum to Jo Flizow of Too Phat, Ashraf and Iman, and sister to Datuk Zainun, Mustapha, Saleha (former NST features editor and now editor of Prestige magazine), Othman Hisham and Abdul Rahman..
+++++
HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY AISHA....I WAS AT YOUR 34TH LAST YEAR.
12 comments:
I used to visit both 'mum&anak' blogs
(pakcin).
I hate her writting...biru karat
Your blog ranks low with me in term of intelligence, wit, interest, and relevancy. Furthermore, your self-righteousness and bragaddacio grates. Based on how you and talk and write, you can be compartmentalised ans a pragamatic- but-no-principle-type person. You can say you fight for principles but the way you say readuly "ampu" other people (Nuriana excluded of course!) is just apalling. Too much of the Chinese business mentality of being flexible but end up selling out everyone but himself!
I wonder if you will dare print this letter?
Peter Ustinov, why lower yourself coming here. Do you get sexual gratification torturing yourself reading appalling (double p please) low stuff. I am printing this so that readers get an example of a low-grade comment of one who has the gall to blaspheming the name of one of the most brilliant actors ever to take the stage and filmdom. Gottcha!
UHhhhhhhhhhhhh what does she write?? Mirror blog BFF rocky bru
Stop this Bodekk bodek Zorro
I tot this actor is oredi mati one !?
no need to ampu nuraina ahmad, you know very well she is seen a pro BN/Najib blogger, was also invited by Rais Yatim last nite.
you are pro Anwar. oil don't mix with water.
don't like you to deface politician that you don't like. be professional and gentleman a bit, can or not? fighting for a real cause is not done this way. they are many ways to skin a cat.
don't think she ever want to be associated to people inspired or associated by Anwar
freedom of expression, can or not?
free to criticise, can or not?
Uncle Zorro, despite the fact that i am a man, and i am a non-muslim.. and despite the fact that it could be a fake.. but still somehow i felt so sad listening to the conversation below.
Maybe you would like to post in in your blog, as i have none, so that many will listen to it. We need to bring more awareness as to what happened to Manohara.
We've already lost an Altantuya.
Please, create the awareness if you possibly can. Noone knows where she is. What is the difference between Manohara and Nini?
http://www.sabahdaily.com/2009/04/eksklusif-percakapan-manohara-odelia-pinot-dengan-ibunya/
zorro,
i am not a friend of nuriana. but i do know of her. may i say something to some of your commentors.
anon@7:35P : ayoyo....you poor thing.
zain: another idiot. obviously you are illiterate. i don't think BFF Rocky has a "Tuesday...". I think they are so different.
anti-belit: you must have a small mind. Zorro, obviously, is a friend of nuriana's, so what's the bodek about.
why label her pro-BN and pro-Najib?
you are typical of the pro-Pakatan people.
don't be an ass-hole.
everyone knows she knows many BN leaders and has known Najib since she was a young reporter and he was a young politician.
Did you know that nuriana is also close with Anwar ibrahim? as well many of Keadilan leaders? And many of the (older) Pas leaders?
Of course you didn't, you idiot.
but don;t worry, nuriana also can be friends with idiots and assholes like you.
So what if she met with Rais? She has known Rais for a very long time.. She will meet with anyone. She will sit with anyone.
you obviously knows nothing about her background. So, next time, at least don't sound stupid.
thank you, zorro.
Sam, thanks. I was waiting for just that. We may champion different causes and yet be friends just as Khalid and Sharir Samad are one opposite camps and still remain BROTHERS. Thanks again, Samantha.
I think Nuraina Samad is basically pro-UMNO at heart.
But she runs a relatively neutral blog.
Her late father was a long-time victim of this iron-fisted, power-hungry and corrupt regime...I hope she doesn't forget that.
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