DRIVING LESSON FOR DUMMIES

Ever since I became a frequent road user during peak hours again, I have this urge to educate fellow Malaysian road users.

10 critical lessons for Malaysian road users:

1. IKUT KIRI JIKA TIDAK MEMOTONG. Memorize this in your head over and over again. If you drive below 110km/hr, please use the left lane.

2. Cutting queue is NOT cool - it’s the opposite of cool. It’s super uncool and idiotic. It makes people like me HOT. Remember this in your tiny head - everyone else on the road wants to get to point B as fast as we could too.

3. Signaling doesn’t give you the right to simply enter other people’s lane. Follow this sequence – signal, look left or right (whichever direction you are going) and switch lane only if there is no car!

4. You are not the only one who pays road tax, others do too. Please be considerate and don’t expect people to give you way unless you have police escort.

5. Motorbikes are not meant to enter the right lane unless you drive a superbike that moves as fast, or faster than cars.

6. Slowing down to look at an accident (or animals mating at the road side) does not improve you as a person, your karma or your intelligence in anyway whatsoever, unless you plan to stop and help.

7. Decide which lane you want to take at least 100meter ahead. It’s best to use your brain wisely (this rule applies at toll booths, traffic light junctions & yang sewaktu dengannya).

8. FOCUS when you are on the road. Do not drive when you are hungry, horny, sleepy or have the urge to go to toilet.

9. Do not makan jalan. Remember that you are supposed to drive within your lane. There is a reason why the lanes are separated by clear and thick white lines. If you can’t see the lines, you should not be driving at the first place.

10. If you can’t stop them, join them – a perfect example would be using the emergency lane during non-emergency times.

Note to pedestrians: When crossing a busy road, do not catwalk or lenggang kangkong. Walk as fast as you can. Running is a better option.

Wassalam

A wedding and a funeral

What a stark contrast it was for me – 1 week we were celebrating my brother-in-law’s wedding with the whole jing-bang on my husband’s side, and we were burying my nephew the next, on my side of the family. The latter was definitely a solemn affair for the whole family. God knows how sad all of us were (and still are), having to go through such event. In less than 1 short year we lost 2 close family members - my eldest brother and one of his young sons.

I’m not good at writing sad stories, in fact, I totally suck at it. I’m struggling to write this piece while fighting back tears so badly. But I want to write about him. I MUST.

Muhammad Ismail b. Azman, fondly called Me’e, lived a short life. He was barely 18 the day he died, only a few days after he received his SPM results. He was as healthy as a horse just a few days before he slipped into coma. The saddest thing for me was, of all my 12 nieces and nephews, he was the closest to us and I believe to my parents too. Even my husband cried uncontrollably during his funeral. That’s how big the impact of his lost was to us.

He will forever be cherished as a big fella who loved to eat (and could eat an entire cow on his own!), had the sweetest smile, happy go lucky although at times he could be a little bit sensitive, soft hearted and very protective of his siblings. He took after my brother so much, especially when it came to caring for his siblings. I think (actually I KNOW!) I’m not wrong to say that he loved his 3 younger siblings more than his mother ever will, and vice versa.

Picture taken during our last family outing in Penang in December last year. Second from right is Me’e, with his closest cousins.


Dalam kenangan...
Muhammad Ismail bin Azman (16 October 1993 – 1 April 2011)

We all miss you so much. May Allah swt grant you Nur in barzah.
Al-fatihah