Rites of Passage

All our life, we embark on different journeys which take us to different places (duh!). For some people, along the way they encountered some rites which signals that they are ready for the next level, not unlike some video games, mind you. The observance of these rites are either cultural, religious or societal influenced among others, which explains why not all of these rites applies to everybody.

When a child is born, he or she either by religion, law or culture, goes through certain rites to signify the child's arrival into this world. From that moment on, we go through such rites as we grow older and wiser. Going to school has some rites of its own, as with the passage to manhood by circumcision or like the Padaung tribe in Myanmar who adorn the neck of their women with gold band, when they reach puberty.

A person close to me has gone through such rites recently. My youngest brother, apparently, has decided to take the first step towards taking the 'plunge in the sea of responsibility' (thats how he described it, hehehe). So last weekend, my family and I went to Sepang to 'merisik' for my brother.

Merisik

Adat ini juga dipanggil meninjau atau menengok. Tujuan adat ini dilakukan adalah untuk memastikan bahawa gadis yang dihajati oleh seorang lelaki itu masih belum berpunya. Ini penting, kerana dalam Islam seseorang itu dilarang meminang tunangan orang. Di samping itu, adat ini juga bertujuan untuk menyelidik latar belakang si gadis berkaitan kemahiran rumahtangga, adab sopan, tingkah laku, paras rupa serta pengetahuan agamanya. Lazimnya adat ini akan dijalankan oleh saudara mara terdekat pihak lelaki seperti ibu atau bapa saudaranya.

Bagi pihak si gadis pula, terdapat beberapa kriteria yang perlu dipertimbangkan sebelum menerima lamaran pihak lelaki antaranya ialah lelaki tersebut perlulah mempunyai latar belakang agama serta mempunyai pekerjaan yang baik.

Adakalanya semasa merisik, wakil lelaki tersebut akan memberikan sebentuk cincin tanya berupa cincin belah rotan dan jika pihak gadis bersetuju mereka akan menetapkan tarikh untuk peminangan. Walau bagaimanapun adat merisik jarang dilakukan lagi kerana pasangan tersebut telah berkenalan terlebih dahulu, justeru itu mereka akan terus menjalankan adat meminang untuk menjimatkan kos dan masa.

You can read about all other Malay wedding culture from the above link. Anyway, its just generally to investigate whether the girl he's interested in is truly single. Its just a formality, as both of them knows each other. Apparently, both of them had already set the date for the engagement or 'bertunang' on 7th July 2007, or 07.07.07. Cheh, so corny la. Pilih la tarikh lain ke apa ke...

Hahaha, well, my dear brother, GOOD LUCK! Hope you'll be a (more) responsible person in the future.

The question...

"Coach, why do we have go through all the heartache and heartbreak of meeting the wrong person all this while if we know one day we are fated to meet the One meant for us in our lifetime?"

A couple of years ago, someone asks me that question. She was my junior at school, one year younger. Not the most famous girl in the school but she had her fair share of admirers nonetheless, among them, two of my friend, Zul and Bad.

My close friend, Zul likes her very much while Bad just getting to know her better. All three of them crosses path ever so often, being close to each other. If its not for martial arts activity, its for some kind of club project. But then, two a company, three is a crowd. Unfortunately for Zul, she only think of him as an elder brother. When he learns of her decision, he was broken but bravely put on a smile and be professional about the whole thing. From that moment on their relationship has never been the same again. All is fair in love and war it seems.

I lost contact with all three of them after school. The years flew by. By chance, managed to get reacquainted with her a couple of years ago. Working as an executive in an automotive company, she is quite successful in her own right. But something is missing in her life it seems. Her other half. Then six month later, she called me and and happily shared the news that she is engaged to be married soon.

Apparently she has actually met that lucky guy before a few years back, but by then nothing happen between them. Either the chemistry was not there, or both of them are with somebody else. But earlier last year, they met again at a social function, became friends and soon, it developed further. Both of them falls in love, and the rest is history. But before she ends her call, she asks me the above question. And last night another female friend of mine asks me the same question over the phone.

"We could meet all the wrong person all this while so that when we finally met that special person, we would know deep down that he is the one meant for us..." was my answer to both of them.

"Men need lots of understanding and little love while women needs lots of love and little understanding"

Where Eagles Soar

Last weekend, it was made compulsory for us to attend a so called company get together, specially for our division. The timing was a little bit rushed as all of us wants the event done before CNY, so a couple of weeks beforehand was a hectic one for the organizing committee, with all the administration headache and logistical problems associated with such event.

In the end, 84 of us made it to the retreat. It was held in PD, at a resort run by one of the nations biggest GLC. It was a cool place actually, located at one of the more secluded places and private beaches (of sort) and surrounded by lush greenery all over. The program started immediately after we reached the resort, with what else, ice breaking and team formation. Yup, our division has grown quite a bit since I joined, so the management feels that this retreat is necessary. I do agree.

The rooms assigned to us is very good, we are housed in either 3 or 4 rooms apartment. Each room got their own bathroom, and aircond. The apartment has a kitchen and living room. The unit I got even has its own veranda, facing the hall where we have our activities. I don't mind having an apartment like this to actually live in, as a house, as its spacious enough for a small family. Hmm, have to start looking for something like it... hehehe

The program proceeded smoothly, except for the keeping to time aspect of it. We had a chance to get to know each other better, for me, especially to know my colleagues from Food Service. They are the ones who usually light up the kitchen, now we're sharing ideas, knowledge and creativity. We are locked in some kind of a competition over our three days there, from obstacle course to mascot building, from designing and securing aircraft contract up to game of paintball (the group favorite), we see the other side of our colleagues seldom seen.

Well, we manage won two prizes. For the team competition, our team got second place. Not too bad for a bunch who did not do too well in the obstacle course challenge, and have a slew of last place in total. For the individual Centers' presentation and show, surprisingly we got first. And to think that we only thought and discuss about the concept of the show 2 hours before going on stage, without any script and makeshift props. But then again, it could be due to our second show, which brings the house down. Talk about having creative colleagues... and I sure am glad that they are on my team.