#ichamicha

Score: 3.8/5.0

The author really has talent with words. The book contains so many interesting, sincere, truthful, and uplifting quotes. His style of narrating his experience memang berbunga, berkias, ada seni. Kita boleh nampak kegigihan, cara pemikiran, dan liku-liku kehidupan yang telah dilalui oleh penulis. To always get up, move forward, achieve success and always have plan B, C, D and so on. Whenever your ship sinks, don't stay drowned, hop onto your submarine!

“Sesudah tersungkur, bangkit berjaya.” He is definitely a thinker; philosopher? It’s good that he encourages others who may have been put down by the harsh society for having a big vision and thinking all the time, to have faith in oneself and push forward. Others who said your dream is just a dream, they are the ones who stay stagnant.

Maybe it was not the intention; sometimes the sharing may have come off macam masih ada rasa yang berbekas di hati. He was too harsh on himself. For someone who keeps on emphasising to care less about what others think and focus on your own growth, he subconsciously still cares about it; those thoughts actually fuelled his passion, as if indirectly he wanted to prove to those who have let him down or mocked him that he survived and is now successful in life. It is indeed a blessing; he has a strong mindset that he is able to achieve his current life, barakallahu feek!

Cruising through the first few chapters, the build-up of momentum is good. Tapi, after a while it gets tiring, I was waiting for some punches. And yet, I was only the outsider, listening to his monologue.

”Because in the end, the strongest person you will ever meet… is the version of yourself that refuses to give up. And that person is already inside you.” — Yes, that is true. But, not everyone is built the same? Not everyone is born with a strong mind. Some people need support to build and nurture it.

It still feels like a pep-talk opening; it can be motivating, but not much of a guiding presence. You have to look and decide the “guide” here and there, across the book. I get it, the titles of each chapter serve as the mindset values that we should adopt, but no clear, distinctive definitions on how to achieve them, too linear. Buat orang berfikir, tapi tiada solusi. How to build this mindset tho? The delivery and elaboration need to be reconstructed, perhaps?

Big portions of content are observations and their afterthoughts. No proofs, no recommendation steps, no examples, much. Only in the last few chapters, especially in chapter 12, are there a few recommendations shared. Towards the end, the content gets repetitive.

Even the greatest of creation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was instructed to continuously seek more knowledge. This is a lesson for all of us:

“وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًۭا”

“wa qul Rabbi zidnee ‘ilmaa”

“…and say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.'” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:114)

In some parts, I understand where he comes from; perhaps those sentences can be paraphrased better. For example, education and knowledge are always important. Yang membezakannya is formal or informal education. Islam always encourages us to seek knowledge. However, certification or official/formal qualification proofs are not necessary to be successful in life. You can still gain informal education through experiences. When there’s a will, there’s a way! Side notes, SKM Level 3 is an achievement that one should be proud of!

"The future belongs to the prepared”

Anas ibn Malik reported that a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?” The Prophet replied: “Tie her and trust in Allah” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2517, graded Hasan by Al-Albani).

”A prepared man will never drown.” — IMO, you will still occasionally drown, cos life is full of surprises, but with preparation and a strong mindset, you will inshaAllah eventually thrive. Absolute expectation is the root of all heartache. After putting in our efforts, we should put our absolute hopes and trust only in Allah SWT, after all, He knows best! In all occasions, having hopes is okay, since that can motivate us to do better. But never expect things to turn out to be exactly as you foresee, even when you work so hard for it, and you’re relying only on yourself. Cos, there is always a blessing in disguise. Tuhan jadikan kita hidup bermasyarakat, so as much as we rely on ourselves and Allah SWT first and foremost, we should somehow rely on others too, and be integrated. We just have to be wise about it. Symbiotic relationship.

Considering the selling price, which weighs the depth of the content and the thickness of the book, it is a bit pricey. I am not an experienced publisher, but as an experienced reader, I found that having a page number is important for any book. It’s good for reference purposes. As I do when I want to compare quotes or passages. Or when I want to share significant lines with other fellow readers. Another thing, the font size is quite small.

Penutup kata, should one read this book? Yes, because it is mildly mind-provoking, triggering thoughts. Should one buy the book, hmm..mungkin boleh start with e-book first to cut down the cost?

I always believe that to understand the author’s POV, read the epilogue/prakata oleh penulis. :)

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>> Score: 4.0/5.0 <<

The translator, Joe Swift, did a good job. Not only can I imagine the scene unfolding as I watch a Japanese motion picture, but I can also grasp the colours of the Japanese language and culture in the sentences/dialogues. Each chapter begins with a “trivia” about mysterious appearances, deaths and murders from random places around the world. On scary notes, I’ll give it a 2.7 out of 5.0. I admit, on many scenes, meremang bulu romaku, but rarely lingering scary thoughts till you can’t sleep or go to the toilet at night alone. Gruesomeness score, 4.3/5.0? If you can’t stand bloody content, you probably should not read this novel.

It's very dark and gruesome. It's eerie. Takeo Saeki is evil, pure evil. Nothing should justify his thoughts and actions. Disgusting. At first, I thought Kayako was just a gloomy person. As I read on, she turns out to be equally crazy while she’s still alive and equally violent as the evil spirit. A stalker. A pessimistic who blames others instead of reflecting on herself. However, I’m glad she’s the Ju-On, not Takeo. If Takeo were the Ju-On, I don’t want to imagine what would happen to us, the humans. Not saying that others deserve their endings, but personally, I empathised with Rika and Toshio, poor them.

Everything was creepy, getting on my nerves, yet I couldn't seem to put the book down. From the penmanship, we can deduce (I’m stereotyping, yes) that the author is definitely a man. This book is for readers at least the age of 16. The content frequently contains adult scenes/notions. Men-centric, women objectifying. Painfully, it reminds me of the movie “Embun”. Also, it is interesting that Kayako is still journaling after her death; she’s indeed a cheeky b!tch. I am contemplating where I should laugh with this silliness or actually be scared? Kayako is indeed turning a spoiled-brat’s tantrum into a full-blown evil childish haunting expedition.  I actually can’t sympatise with the Ghost-Kayako at all throughout the book. I mean, whatever happened to her can't justify everything she’d done to others. However, after seeing her thoughts from Rika’s perspective, I still didn’t pity her, but I do understand her a little.

Overall, I can’s shake the thoughts that this “incident” reflects the shallowness of the Japanese society and beliefs. Are all these really fate, part of the life cycle? Fitrah manusia hakikinya jahat? Make me understand why in K-dramas, the shamans always try to calm the evil spirits and help them let go of their grudges. So, that Ju-On curse does not fall onto the innocents. One thing I tak puas hati is, the book did not explain the Mariko incident, I mean, how???

Extra sneak peek pages:

K bye.

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Skor: 4.6/5.0

“...buku ini adalah teman terbaik untuk merealisasikan impian penulisan anda!”

Gaya bahasa yang santai dan penyampaian yang amat mudah difahami. Straight to the point, takde “kona-kona”, ayat berjela, basa-basi; tiada. Dia punya bersahaja and welcoming tu sampai we don’t feel burdened, yet we actually gained so many insights, tips & knowledge.

How good this book is? Casual readers pun boleh jadi minat nak swaterbit. Apatah lagi kalau yang memang ada simpan azam begitu, this book is a gem. A companionship? Penyampaian ringkas tapi lengkap dari A to Z. Semua well-explained. Ramah & meyakinkan, kita boleh rasa aura yang penulis tahu, bersemangat & paham apa yang dia sampaikan. Macam personal coaching, really. Antara yang diketengahkan:

Apa mindset yang perlu ada sebelum mulakan perjalanan Swaterbit?

What is the basic kit to be a good writer?

Kenapa Swaterbit? Apa jenis-jenis swaterbit yang ada di pasaran?

Pros & Cons setiap pilihan yang kita buat.

Tips untuk cari tahu lebih lanjut dan permudahkan langkah kita seterusnya.

Literally step by step on the How-Tos in the industry.

Being realistic about the costs.

Personally, saya suka segala ilmu berkaitan penyuntingan; jenis-jenis mereka, macam mana nak pilih. Eye-opening.

Kecuali bab graphic design, ada perasaan macam sedikit rushing dan sedikit tidak teratur? It's like trying to cram everything into one place instead of making sure people are listening. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it is still a very insightful chapter, tapi, in comparison to other chapters, ‘cos they were so good, so fluent, bab graphic design rasa macam touch N go je; selesai tutup buku, janji silibus sudah dibentangkan.

Cuma ada sedikit minus points in “proses merapikan sesebuah buku”? First, ada beberapa kesalahan ejaan. Kedua, bila penulis nak highlightkan certain points, beliau besarkan font size, I think patut bold-kan juga, sebab kalau tak, macam make no differences. Ketiga, content structure was slightly confusing. For one, I strongly feel that bab “ebuku atau Buku Bercetak” and “Buku Bercetak ‘versus’ atau ‘dan’ Buku Digital” should be under the same main chapter, or at least a back-to-back chapter, instead of another chapter being squeezed in between those two. Also, the thing is gaya “handbook” ni bagi vibes kepetahan macam kita buat personal notes dari buku rujukan, buku teks serta pengalaman peribadi. Memang nampak macam mana penulis muntahkan apa yang dia makan supaya kita jadi badang. So, kandungan tentang sebelum & selepas seseorang buat keputusan nak Swaterbit, perlu ada clear divisions, maybe?

Overall, this is an excellent book. Everyone clueless, in a dilemma, or simply needs motivation to be a good author & dreams to publish a book definitely needs to get this book - recommended! Yang suka jadi casual readers in random genre; highly recommended! Seriously, memang senang paham dan tak bosan buku ni. Cheers!

Berminat? Boleh layari plaform rasmi Mesbo Creative di IG, TikTok & FB. Juga, boleh dapatkan buku ini di:

Shopee (Buku Kulit Lembut)

TikTokshop (Buku Kulit Lembut)

eSentral (eBuku)

Oh ya, setiap pembelian buku daripada salur rasmi di atas ni, akan mendapat free gifts juga tau! Penanda buku ke, statement badge ke.. dah lain-lain ~

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Score: 4.5/5.0

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The book is about the life of a librarian named Ember, her relationships with the patrons and the books in the moving library.

Kudos! Once again, the author amazed me. When I read one of the “rogue stories”, Mariposa, my jaw dropped. What a creative mind, wow ~ mindblown emoji The storyline brought me back to my childhood of “A Bug’s Life” & “Antz”. I mean, how can she come up with an impactful, emotional, and raised psychological awareness in such a cute way, based on the life cycle of butterflies and their cocoons, even?! Another one was Forget The Tulips; seemingly uneventful plots turn out to be science fiction. I mean, how?

I am very much in love with the book’s concept! Moving Stories in a Moving Library, indeed. The feelings I get are like reading "The NeverEnding Story" by Michael Ende and watching the film "Inkheart". I, too, appreciate the author's attempt to revamp the Puteri Gunung Ledang’s Folklore from fresh perspectives & interpretations. Just like one of my favourite novels, "My Fair Godmother" by Janette Rallison.  It also reminded me of a Malay novel by DBP titled “Disket Misteri”(not sure why), and the Malay film called “XX Ray II”. Proudly to say, my favourite “rouge stories” are: Forget The Tulips, Heartbreak Asylum & Little Astronaut. Special shoutout to: Haunting of the Fair-weather Ghost, although the story didn’t “tickle” my liking, I empathise with the emotions processed and was impressed with how the plots expanded.

Maybe I am only half-correct, but to me, I think the overall theme of these stories, lessons to learn, is about self-discovery & self-acceptance. It is empowering;  mind, body & soul.

This book is well-thought-out by the author. The plots were carefully curated. The designs were well-chosen. I love how the author always incorporated Islamic values and ease-in Malay culture, including Jawi elements in her writings & book concepts. I thought “Not Here To Stay” already has a handful of memorable quotes, this book has many, many, many, maanyyy; not only quotable phrases, but also impactful definitions!!! fireworks

The only thing I dislike about this book is most of the “romance elements”. There are irresponsible men and even F-boys in this book. Toxic relationships. I understand it is necessary for unravelling the plots, however, oftentimes there can be too much cringeworthy and cliché. Seems forcible at times. Probably the only tolerable cringeness for me was in the story of the “goblin(Gong Yoo) lady”.

As I read on, I am convinced that I like her style, that I ended up carouselling “Inkling” even before I was done with this book. Remember, the author’s note is a must-read, too. I felt relieved and seen. Thank you, N.F. Afrina, for sharing your stories with us. :)

Barakallahu Feeki.

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Score: 3.9/5.0

As the subtitle suggested; finding comfort by making dua to Him, this book invites, and encourages us to repair our relationship with God, appreciate Him and get closer to Allah swt. To address common stereotypes in our culture and recondition our perceptions. Once we grasp the sweetness in Talking To Allah(TTA) in every step of our moments, we have found our solace, inshaAllah.

The content is spread for us like taking a stroll in the evening. It first started with figuring oneself out; what stops us from making supplications? Then slowly, the author reassures us how TTA is an ultimate Muslim lifestyle! :) I always find it comforting whenever authors or anyone introduces the importance of understanding the Names and attributes of Allah. How sweet and consoling it can be! Some inspirational stories regarding Duas are shared, too.

A special section is dedicated to on ideas how to curate our duas. Embrace this lifestyle and make your life impactful today!

P.S. I recommend my fellow readers listen to “Take Me Home” by Jess Glynne. Although it is not a religious/spiritual song or even a hymn/nasheed, when I listened to it, I really felt like I was in a dialogue with God, surrendering myself to Him. May you find comfort in Allah, too. Ameen.

🧮 Skor: 4.40/5.00

"Sesungguhnya sembahyangku, ibadatku, hidupku, dan matiku, hanya untuk Allah,Tuhan semesta alam. Tiada sekutu bagi-Nya, dan demikian itulah yang diperintahkan kepadaku dan akulah orang yang pertama menyerahkan diri."- Imam Hasan Al-Banna.

■ Selain daripada karya-karya Buya HAMKA, saya suka buku-buku karya Pak Latip. Buku pertama beliau yang saya baca ialah “Perjanjian Hudaibiyah”. Bahasanya mudah, penceritaannya ringkas, tapi tetap merangkumi semua yang penting dan menyentuh jiwa. Jaranglah membosankan. Cuma, kadang-kadang tu, terlalu padat.

Contoh, dalam buku ini, banyak sangat nama-nama penting yang diselitkan tapi kehadiran nama itu cuma sebentar. Bahkan banyak yang muncul hanya dalam sepotong ayat sahaja. Yang membuatkan saya fikir, perlukah dimasukkan? Tapi, saya faham, nama-nama itu penting untuk menyampaikan bahawa, takdir pertemuan dengan individu-individu tersebutlah, walaupun seketika, yang telah mencorak pemikiran dan peribadi Tuan Hasan al-Banna sejak kecil hingga dewasa.

■ Buku ini tidak terlalu berat dan berselirat. Maka, amat sesuai bagi memperkenalkan pembaca dengan kewibawaan dan perjuangan tokoh Islam penting pada zaman moden kita ini. Ketajaman minda beliau, ketegasan pendirian beliau, cara diplomasi beliau dan wawasan beliau dalam mahu mengembalikan sinar Islam yang sebenar, jelas terselah walaupun ringkas, memberi inspirasi besar untuk kita.

Betapa cintanya harus kita kepada Allah swt dan Islam. Betapanya, perlunya kita menanam keikhlasan dalam pekerjaan. Semoga kita dapat bersabar menghadapi ujian dan tentangan dari pelbagai arah.

■ Ada beberapa bab dalam buku ini, saya fikir mungkin perjuangan Kaum Muda di Indonesia yang saya kenali melalui karya HAMKA, mereka terinspirasi oleh Ikhwan Muslimin, yakni, Muslim Brotherhood. Bila baca bagaimana tertubuhnya Ikhwanul Muslimin dan perihal ahli-ahlinya, memang tidak mudah. Memang bergetar dada. . ■ Ketika saya sampai ke bab yang menceritakan bagaimana beliau ditamatkan riwayat, pipi saya dibanjiri air mata. Sungguh marah, kecewa, dan sedih saya dengan pihak-pihak munafik. Hampir-hampir saja saya memaki mereka, tapi saya tahan lidah dan hati daripada berkata kesat. Sungguh ingin saya memeluk isteri Allahyarham Hasan al-Banna.

■ Sebuah novel fiksyen sejarah Islam berbahasa melayu yang wajib dimiliki semua. Sesungguhnya, Hasan Al-Banna adalah salah satu tokoh penting yang wajib anak-anak kita ketahui. Allahumma Barik! --- Dapatkan buku preloved ini di Carousell Malaysia. . --- Also, read on:

🧮Skor: 4.0/5.0

■ Si penulis, saudara Afyan Mat Rawi merupakan seorang perunding bertauliah IFP, oleh Institut Perbankan dan Kewanga Islam Malaysia. Sesuai dengan tema PKP, permainan kata yang menjadi tajuk buku ini begitu mencuit hati. :) Di sepanjang perbincang dalam buku ini, pasti dikaitkan kembali dengan isu-isu yang pernah melanda negara sewaktu PKP silam, dan rentetannya. Segala hal, diutarakan semula. Mana perlu diklarifikasikan, penulis akan beri pencerahan. Kemudian, baru dikongsikan cadangan solusinya. Hujah-hujah beliau menjentik minda kita supaya ubah “mindset” yang negatif. Berbanding memberikan langkah-langkah atau solusi fizikal yang harus dipraktikkan untuk berjaya dalam pengurusan kewangan (kecuali dalam beberapa topik), penulis sering kali hanya memberi gambaran dasar dan bertindak sebagai “jurulatih” atau mentor, yang mendorong kita ke jalan yang benar and what the next reliable steps should be.

■ Penerangan menggunakan bahasa kewangan/ekonomi terlebih dahulu, kemudian dengan bahasa yang mudah difahami, pasti akan diberikan kiasan atau analogi situasi umum/harian agar pembaca lebih memahami penyampaian dengan lebih jelas. Ilustrasi dan diagram yang berwarna-warni juga sangat menarik agar pembacaan tidak bosan dan membantu “organise” pemahaman agar lebih berkesan. Dikongsikan juga maksud-maksud istilah yang boleh dianggap “common” sekarang yang mungkin orang ramai kurang mengerti atau salah faham.

■ Buku ini amat sesuai dan harus dimiliki oleh orang yang sudah mempunyai kesedaran matang tentang pentingnya pengurusan kewangan, sangat berminat untuk buat duit dan berazam mahu mengembangkan lagi simpanan sedia ada. Tekad untuk mengubah nasib diri dan keluarga tapi tak pasti bagaimana caranya. Kisah - kisah testimoni yang diselitkan cukup memberi inspirasi agar pembaca bersyukur dan mahu terus bergerak maju.

■ Bimbingan yang diberikan benar-benar, mengipaskan lagi semangat seseorang individu. Terutamanya, bagi orang yang sudah berkeluarga atau bercadang untuk bekeluarga. Baik, ibu, bapa mahupun anak-anak, yang jelas, menjadi ayam tambatan keluarga atau “the breadwinner”. Justeru itu, bagi yang baru bertatih-tatih atau baru mula bekerja yang hanya mahu berjinak dalam pengurusan kewangan peribadi dan tidaklah bercita-cita begitu tinggi atau berpandangan jauh, pada pendapat saya bimbingannya kurang berkesan. Kecuali, individu tersebut, berminat membaca untuk persediaan masa akan datang.

■ Saya sangat hargai ringkasan sejarah kegawatan ekonomi yang pernah dan sedang melanda negara kita, serta perkongsian buah fikiran agar kita sama-sama dapat menanganinya, inshaAllah. Penulisannya membuatkan saya lebih mencintai tanah air kita ini. Hujahnya terkesan mendalam. Buku ini benar-benar memberikan gambaran sebenar kepada orang ramai yang, kemelut mahupun perkembangan ekonomi sesuatu tempat, sentiasa berkaitan rapat dan bergantung kepasa situasi politik dan budaya masyarakat setempat.

Namun begitu, gaya penyampaian buku ini lebih seperti memberi ceramah sehala, bukannya bernada “seminar”. Acap kali, saya berasa seperti mendengar leteran sang guru. Seperti taknak dengar lagi, tapi ilmu yang disampaikan itu berguna, jadi terpaksa telan juga. Seperti kita pembaca ini, dianggap sentiasa polos dan keliru, dan hanya penulis yang mahatahu segalanya. At times, it feels more like a provocation instead of a motivation. Mencabar jugalah, sikit. Apa-apa pun, kita buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih. Buku ini harus dimiliki sebab, memang banyak jernihnya!

■ Antara kandungan menarik: *Empat Bisnes Kalis Gawat * 10 Panduan Beli Rumah Ketika Krisis *Pelaburan Emas vs Unit Trust *Scammer Makin Licik

#ilmuperkasabangsa

Sekian, selamat membaca! --- *This is the abridged version. To read more, please visit:

My mother was a homemaker and a freelance writer. My father was an engineer in the Oil and gas industry. He used to be relocated frequently due to his various projects. Our family, as a unit, consistently followed him. It can be for a few months to several years. I've had the opportunity to reside in every state in Malaysia, except Sabah.

Let's go back to the late 90s and early 2000s.

I was born in Johor Bahru and briefly lived in Bintulu, Sarawak, before relocating to Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, where I lived until the age of 3. Afterwards, we moved to Gombak and Subang Jaya, Selangor. Six months before starting Primary 1, I stayed with my paternal grandmother in Larkin, Johor, to attend kindergarten. In 1997, I enrolled at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampong Gelam in Melaka. The following year, I attended school in Kapar, and the year after that, I returned to Subang Jaya.

Even though my family's official address was in those locations, I frequently took leaves from school to be with my father on short stays in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Sarawak. We often embarked on cross-country trips to neighbouring districts as well. I mostly attended schools for tests and examinations. At that time, I noticed that the public on the East Coast and East Malaysia spoke different dialects, which almost sounded like a distinct language to me. In Sarawak, I often initiated conversations in English. I thought to myself, “Maybe it's because they're close to Thailand.” or, “Cos there are more Ibans than Malays here.” But the local aunties and uncles usually communicated with us in the “KL dialect”, so I didn't face many communication issues back then.

Until that point, all my schooling experiences were in the central and southern regions of Malaysia.

I mostly dealt with similar vocabulary and accents across the schools I attended. When interacting with people of other races, they would either speak fluent Malay or use their accents, so it was customary for me to switch between languages when conversing.

As I sat through countless Bahasa Melayu lessons, I often wondered why the spelling and grammar differed from the way I spoke. I questioned the need to learn words that I rarely hear in daily life. For instance, when I'm thirsty, I've never used the word “dahaga”; I would simply say, “haus.” In the context of going back somewhere or heading home, I never used the word "pulang", it has always been "balik". I only use "pulang" whenever I want to return back someone's belongings. Having cousins from Penang, whenever we gathered for Raya in JB, I noticed that they had different accents, but in terms of vocabulary, I understood them perfectly. Thus, I assumed that Northern people spoke the same Bahasa Melayu. However, after a few memorable encounters, I came to realize I was mistaken.

So, at the end of 2000, we relocated, again, to a small town named Kulim, in Kedah.

What I truly enjoyed about Kedah apart from their “Junjong Waterfalls”, were their night markets, particularly the one in Sg. Petani, which was a family favourite. Also, the local delicacies like Nasi Daging, Char Kuey Teow, and Roti Arab were absolutely exceptional, and you couldn't find them in other parts of Malaysia at the time. On weekends, we often took the ferry to Penang Island, just for the experience, most likely to enjoy the city lights.

My initial encounter with Bahasa Melayu Kedah was with our neighbour across the street, a Chinese lady; Auntie Chin.

My mother and I paid her a visit to introduce ourselves. She was very friendly. Her Kedahan accent was quite thick, I remember thinking, “Auntie is speaking in Malay, yet why I couldn't comprehend a word she said?” I was left bewildered. My mother, on the other hand, chatted away as if it were perfectly normal. I just smiled throughout, questioning my comprehension and listening skills. It took me about a week to start understanding Auntie Chin, and I think it was around a month before I could comfortably converse with her. We had a neighbour to our left who spoke Thai. This introduced me to a new culture and language because the Siam people I met in Johor usually spoke either Malay or Chinese as their mother tongue.

My second encounter happened when my mom asked me to pick up a few items from the nearby corner shop.

I had never gone shopping alone or been to a local corner shop, except the one near my grandma's home. Among the many items on the list, I distinctly recall asking the shopkeeper for “cili api”(bird's eye chilli) and “cili kering” (dried chillies). The shopkeeper responded, “Oh, hang nak cabai... tu sana tu…”, I replied, “No, I don't want 'lada merah' (Cayenne Chili).” After a bit more back-and-forth, we were both left perplexed. I was growing nervous, worried that my mom would scold me for being late. Just then, a kind stranger entered the shop and came to my rescue. He was from KL and said, “Oh, she wants these, cabai burung, cabai keghing…” The uncle exclaimed, “Laaa…”

My third encounter took place on my first day in Primary 5 at SK Tunku Abdul Malik.

My fellow schoolmates referred to themselves as “kami” (we) instead of “saya” (I), and “depa” (they in the Northern dialect) instead of “dorang” (they in colloquial Malay). People actually used the words “dahaga”, and “dahaga ayaq” for thirsty, and many more distinctions. During assemblies, teachers always began their talks with “la la ni…” I was left wondering, “la la what?”. And we called male teachers, “Sir”.

And the following year, we moved to Johor Bahru. Also, something that surprised me in Kulim was that students were allowed to go home during recess. I suppose it's considered safe in small towns.

So, yeah. Ever since then, I started paying more attention to my Bahasa Melayu lessons.