why is it so hard to let go

Transitional period.

Just a couple of weeks ago

I dreaded going to work. Swear to god!

I wish I could sleep the whole day. No, I wanted to sleep the whole week.  After all I have put in solid 32 years of excellent work that I loved and cherished, I owe it to myself super-splendid rest.

This week - I am on the mission of clearing my leave before real retirement. Sleep whole day? I tried but of no avail. I failed miserably.

My garden is calling for me, so was my mountain bike, my drawing board was screaming to be colored, I get tired just thinking about potential things to do during retirement.

Out of a blue, a friend who I have not seen for 34 years, who retired called  to inquire about  tax  implication now that she wanted to make Penang her home with her newly married retired French husband. She has just retired from lecturing in Singapore’s Universities.

On retirement, She admitted too that she felt like a chunky part of her life is missing now when she doesn’t get to wake up in the morning, doll and dress herself up and sadly there is no office to go to and no job to do.

I always told my fellow lecturer friends, we are like an artiste, once you are out there on stage, I mean the classroom, then you will be worshipped and thus you could make a difference in someone’s life, lecturer must maintain their good appearance and enhance their looks, practice integrity, and articulately making presentation like this is the last day of your life. it's showtime.

If you are not performing, i mean lecturing, then it  feels like you are reduced to zero – nothing.

Learning to let go is not very easy when you were so passionate about what you do all those years and people told you that things you said and did touched so many of their lives.

My friend said, “I know those are baggages that I will gladly severed so that I only look forward of what my new life. I have money, time and freedom on my hands, I could tour the whole world.

Thanks Beng Lan, I am going to do the same. I am seriously thinking of moving into Consulting at the same time teaching young children to recite the Quran, maybe help to organize free food the homeless in the city. It’s a good enough start don’t you think?

#thanksAllah4blessedlife, 

#akubersyukur

#iamaghostwriter

Location: Kenyir Dam is in Terengganu. It is a 260,000 hectares of man-made-lake as a water source for the northern state of the Peninsula Malaysia. The damming of the Kenyir River completed in 1985.

Date:   Leave Putrajaya Moohamadiah Mosque at midnite 25/03/2019 .

             Leave Kenyir Dam around midday 28/03/2019

Purpose:   Rehlah Mahmoodiah 2019, #nikmatsilaturrahim #breakthechain - it’s 3-in-1 package. Fishing, Getting close and in touch with nature and other humans and To put into practice the late nite prayers (qiamulail) in a serene and free of routine environment.

Participants:  24 All-male dwellers of Precint 18 including an imam and an ustaz while mostly other pensioners and die-hard fishing enthusiasts.

The boat:   Our boat was called Ratu Kenyir - a double deck modest boathouse with basic amenities, 10 rooms could accommodate up to 28 pax to the fullest. It offered a complete kitchen, eating area, 2 bathrooms with toilet: a squat and sitting bowl. OMG! Need I mention this? Yes, very importantly as a matter of fact because senior citizens with knee problems don’t do well with the squat ones.

Day 1

The night journey was expected to takeoff at midnight and the journey was supposed to take up no less than 6 hours. We stopped at Kijal RNR for Subuh prayer and resume to Gawi Jetty at the Kenyir Dam at about 8.30 am, already breakfast was waiting for us on deck. The package we took provides a captain and 3 cooks that pampered us with 6 simple but sumptious and delicious meals daily.

one for the Album

that's Ratu Kenyir - our Boathouse

Right after the security briefing, off we steered to first destination, a small island call Kenyir Dam Herb Gardens

Safety Briefing

Two Speed Boats on standby

single bed

double bed

. Rare species of herbs were planted here especially that give man and women longevity in their daily married lives. 

But of course the singles could find herbs that are the main ingredients of beauty and health products. They have a small hut that offered drinks of the herbs in the original taste and a small gift shop that sells the finished products.

demonstration of the extraction of the herbs

try the taste of the herbs in the original form

Next stop was waterfall, we took a dive and swim to the waterfall and the water wasn’t too cold, just perfect for the hot afternoon. Once you have whipped up your appetite with all that jumping in the waterfall, it was time for lunch.

pit stop - waterfall

The boathouse then proceed to the fish pit and the fishing enthusiast brought out all their rods to catch our bbq dinner, the cooks already started the bbq-pit fire. To everyone surprise, not one single fish was caught and the cooks brought out the marinated chicken and fish satey and a fried rice.

anglers in action

lunch

It was a kind of rain-sunny-rain weather while we were there with occasional breeze. It wasn’t that hot but rather stuffy at night but I have no complaints, the fan was working. I was ready with the roll-on insects repellent, but shockingly, there were no mosquitoes, Well what a day!

Day 2

Roll call was at 4.30am performed the qiamullial and subuh prayers simultaneously that ends around 6.30am. There was a short tazkirah by the Ustaz, which has been the practice for every solat in this trip. “breakfast is ready” and so the hungry ghosts jumps downstairs and help themselves to food, glorious food - with the nasi lemak prepared by the cooks. It was superb!

bonding session

qiamulail

Slowly the boathouse moved towards another fish pit and as up to afternoon, no fish were cought. I saw disappointing looks on those fishing enthusiasts, ustaz and imam included. History repeats itself on the second day, they set up different teams to change the way of fishing, they dared using the net at the chest-deep ends , a team went out further into the lake and tried the different approached, they brought back a pail of different fishes, so it was not a disappointing trip after all.

savouring the catch

Day 3

Breakfast was served after subuh prayer, we packed our belongings, the boathouse cruise slowly to the Gawi Jetty. By midday we board the bus, destintion Putrajaya.

Unlike them, I am a real moronic amature when it comes to fishing! I just catch the moments in my SLR, look Ma! No hands, no physical fish!

tips - practise diligence:

1. bring lots of bottle water to hydrate yourself.
2. bring you own plastic bag to gather your personal bottle and rubbish and carry them overboard with you when you leave.
3. take a shower or answer the call of nature when the boathouse is moving and not when it is static.

#boathousekenyir, #rehlahmahmoodiah, #breakthechain, #thanksallahforblessedlife, #akubersyukor. #iamaghostwriter.