Happy Birthday - Nur Nadilah

I would like to wish "Happy Birthday" to intern Nur Nadilah Mansor (aka Nad) who is celebrating her birthday on 29 September.

Happy Birthday to My Dearest Ila

Dearest Ila,

Wishing you a very happy happy birthday!

You have been the source of strength and inspiration to me,
to the kids and to a lot of other people.

We are truly blessed by your presence.

Zaharim

A Day of Disorientation and Unwanted Incident

I normally have "non work-related" things to do on Saturday, either playing golf or doing things together with Adillah. But yesterday I did not have any "non work-related" things to do so I felt a bit disorientated. The night before I stumbled across something interesting and exciting which I have been planning to do in the future. That got me really excited. At the same time I have a dateline and an important task to complete before the middle of the week. However, they are not as exciting as building up the concept for the future project. Objectively I should just continue to work on the dateline but my heart says otherwise. That made me feel a bit disorientated.

Just before noon I decided to go to office to download a few large files from the net. I left office at about 3.30pm. However, as I got to the bottom of the lift, I realized that I had left the thumb drive which contained the files I had just downloaded at my computer in the office. I was not so sure if I should get the thumb drive knowing that I may not use it at home at all. Somehow, I decided to go up the lift again to get the thumb drive. Finally I was ready to go home.


However, as I entered my car I heard a loud 'bang' just outside of the K-Economy Incubator car park where my office is located. To be precise, at the junction between Jalan Business City and Lingkaran MITC. It was the kind of noise that happened in an accident. Rightly so, an accident between a van and a motorcycle had just happened. I waited for a few seconds to see if the motorcyclist could get up from the accident but he did not. So I decided to get to the scene of the accident and to my horror I saw a lot of blood on his face. Worse still I saw a huge cut on his chin and it looked as though his chin was dislocated. He was struggling to breathe and looked a bit unconscious. I seriously thought he was going to die as 'thick' blood was flowing out of his face.


The two guys that knocked him over with the van were extremely horrified to see the result of their reckless act. They asked me to call the ambulance but somehow I was not sure what number to call to so I called Adillah instead. I was panicked and horrified too! Somehow I felt that calling the ambulance was not the best way to get him to the hospital. It took me a few minutes before I realized that the center for Melaka Integrated Rescue Squad and a police station is just about 100 meters away at the junction between Jalan TU 1 and Jalan MITC. So I ran as quickly as I could to the center and within a few minutes they were at the scene of the accident. I was there when the rescuer attended to the guy but I just could not bear to look at his. Within minutes they were off to the hospital.


I guess I would have missed the incident if I had not gone back to my office to take my thumb drive. Worse still, the two guys that knocked the construction worker over wouldn't have a clue of how to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. Putting that aside I just hope that in the end he will be allright. I left the scene of the accident feeling more disoroientated!

A Walk Along Singapore River

I was in Singapore at the beginning of the month to attend a seminar and workshop on story telling. The event was held at The Arts House which is located near the Singapore River. Although I had been to Singapore many times, that was the first time I visited this part of the Lion City. The instructions from the organizer said I should take the MRT (Singapore's underground transport) to either Clarke Quay or Raffles Place. I decided to disembark at Raffles Place because it would be nearer for me to walk to The Arts House from there.


The walk from Raffles Place MRT station to The Arts House was relatively short but it was a very revealing short walk for me. As I strolled along the river to a 140 year old suspension bridge (Cavenagh Bridge) that would get me across, I encountered a few sculptures along the river bank, a museum known as the Asian Civilizations Museum, and a very scenic view of restored old shop houses located along the river.


The Singapore River, like many other rivers in the world, has a very long history. Archaeologists have found evidence of settlement and maritime commerce which can be dated as far back as the 14th century. To understand the history and the importance of the river to Singapore, a visit to the Asian Civilizations Museum is a must.


The museum has six thematic galleries. A visit to the museum begins with the Singapore River Interpretive Gallery which tells many stories about coolies and Chettias, the indegenous Orang Laut (literally translated as the sea people), and the newly arrived Europeans. Other galleries will bring you further back in time and across the myriad cultures of Asia. The museum also uses the latest technology to help visitors explore and experience the subjects and objects on display.


As I walked further towards the river mouth I came across an area known as The Esplanade. From there I could see the theaters known to Singaporeans as "The Durian", and the giant ferris wheel known as Singapore Flyer. I did not walk far enough to catch a view of the Merlion (a fictitious animal with the head of a lion and the body of a fish) which is located the river mouth.

If you are planning to spend a few days in Singapore then a walk along the Singapore River is something you should not miss.