PARENTS & CHILREN

A simple man tells how his booking an air ticket for his father, his
first flight, brought emotions and made him realize that how much we
all take for granted when it comes to our parents.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on MAS.

The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him.

When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me.

But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life.

As a child how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for football, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have satisfied to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes?

Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?

Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young, it is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments.

Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care need to be given to our parents and elders.

Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR PARENTS!!!

Something to share...

I am very grateful to my late parents for their decision sending me, their eldest son, to further my studies in Taiwan in 1965 and to England in 1972. My late father was a tailor and he hired other tailors in the rented shop in Kuala Lipis, Pahang. My late mother was an ordinary housewife but she had to cook meals not only for our family but also for the tailors in the shop. Later, they also sent my two younger brothers to study in Australia.

I always feel proud of them for the sacrifice they had made to provide me the opportunities of higher education abroad despite of the difficult financial situation they had to face at that time. Without their strong determination and commitment, I wouldn’t have the chances to study in foreign countries and later became a planter with my Agriculture degree from National Taiwan University and MSc degree in Advanced Plant Sciences from Wye College, University of London. Just like our parents. I and my wife also committed ourselves by sending all our five children to further their studies overseas; 2 in America and 3 in Australia. Praise The Lord!

As parents we do not expect much return from our children. Nevertheless, as we are aging, gracefully of course, we do hope that they can be more patience to us and never forget to be tender, love and care for us as we grow older and older….

God says,” Listen to your father, without him you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her your appreciation.”
– Proverbs 23:22

Warning from God,” If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark.” – Proverbs 20:20

A TRIP TO TEMBILAHAN, RIAU

My wife was supposed to take Mandala airlines from Jambi to Batam on 29.8.2007, ETD 1510WIB and the ticket was purchased on 28th and confirmed. However, something unbelievable and unexpected happened. On 29th morning @ 0900WIB we were told that the flight was cancelled and there would be no flight to Batam till 12th September. Accordingly, the plane was grounded for thorough checking and repair. The flight has not been resumed at time of publishing. As told, it has been postponed to 25th September.

My ticketing staff after checking with the travel agent told us that my wife could take Batavia flight to Batam via Jakarta but seats were only available on 1.9.2007. Since I was going to Pekanbaru to meet up my VA on 3.9.2007, it was decided for her to take a flight from Pekanbaru to Batam taking the opportunity to visit her cousin sister who was married and settled down in Tembilahan. It is a costal town in Riau Province about 88km from Rengat, mid way to Pekanbaru.

My wife and her cousin sister grew up in Sumpat of Pulau Bintan. Their grandfathers were brothers. In the 70s, her cousin sister was working in Tanjung Pinang and my wife went to work in Batam, where we met and fell in love. We were married in June 1975 and settled down in Segamat, Johor, Malaysia. Her cousin sister was married the same year and settled down in Tembilahan. Since then, both of them have not met each other for the past 30 years.

The trip to Tembilahan was, indeed, meaningful and quite emotional for my wife. She was very excited for making the trip though the journey took about 8 long hours of traveling. The road to Rengat from Jambi was winding and our vehicle was slowed down by trailing behind big trucks and buses. The road from Rengat to Tembilahan was narrow and houses were built so close to roadside that our driver had to drive very cautiously with extra carefulness and alertness. To our astonishment, we had to cross for not less than 100 bridges before we could enter Kota Tembilahan.

With the address given to us, it was not difficult to locate their shop house along Jalan Jendela Sudirman. Nevertheless, we had to call her several times to make the right turn as we came into Kota Tembilahan. We left Jambi @0730WIB and arriving Tembilahan @1630WIB. We stopped for lunch at Rengat @1400WIB for about an hour.

When they met for the first time after not seeing each other for the past 30 years, there was so much excitement and joy with tears. They talked for hours, full of happiness, all about their good old days until we had to make move to check into the hotel @1900WIB. The conversation resumed when we went for dinner @2000WIB until we went back to hotel @2230WIB.

I wish our children after reading this amazing incidence will remind them that somehow “blood is always thicker than water”. They must value their brotherhood and sisterhood as they get married and having their own families later on. Always get in touch with each other. Whenever there is an opportunity to meet, don’t call. Call only if cannot meet but don’t just sms to save cost. It is much closer to hear each other voice than to read short messages. I used to call my late mother every night. I call my wife without fail whenever we are not together. I also call my 2 younger brothers and my only sister quite often when they don’t call me after some time. Life is full of joy and happiness when we always love and care about our dear ones. Indeed, this is God’s blessings on every family. Praise the Lord.

TODAY NOT TOMORROW

When I came across this signboard one day in Kuala Lumpur, some inspiration went straight into my mind and I felt that I could use it to make a powerpoint presentation to motivate my plantation management staff in Indonesia. So I took out my camera to snap a shot of this signboard.

Whenever my old pal, JM Tan, emailed me, he used to remind me of all the favourite songs we used to sing along during our good old time in Clifford Secondary School, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. "TODAY NOT TOMORROW" reminds me of Elvis Presley's "IT'S NOW OR NEVER". This has to do with TIME MANAGEMENT.

GOD is good and fair. He created 24 hours for one day, not a second more nor a second less for everybody. So we have 8 hours to work, 8 hours to rest and 8 hours to sleep, and that's very ideal for everyone. Of course there are people who work more than 8 hours a day, but there are also people who sleep more than 8 hours a day!

For an workaholic, he always feels that he has insufficient working time. So he works and works and keeps on working for hours, forgetting that he needs a break to rest. Worst of all, he expects others to have same working attitude like him. But there are also people who dare not leave their offices after working hours just because their bosses are still around.

There is nothing wrong in working hard, but it's better to work smart as well, meaning that we have to optimise our available working time. By working smart, we can actually get work done on time if we really focus and dedicate ourself to "DO IT NOW" instead of wait and see. Very often, we are wasting our time by slow action or no action at all.

A job well done is able to finish our job "TODAY NOT TOMORROW" because there will be new job waiting for us to do tomorrow. "IT'S NOW OR NEVER" is a positive attitude as far as TIME MANAGEMENT is concerned. Pak Sungkimin, one of our Senior Plantation Managers, used to wear a cap with a phrase "TOMORROW WILL NEVER COME" stitched on it. I praised him for his positive thinking in TIME MANAGEMENT!

Just for joking, an I.D.I.O.T. is " I Do It On Time". Surely we are not idiots if we can do our job done on time! Hahaha.....

HONEY CURES

It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. A famous magazine named Weekly World News published in Canada dated 17 January 1995, had given a list of diseases than can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists. Honey can be used without any side effects for all kinds of diseases. Scientists of today also accept honey as Ram Ban (very effective) medicines for all kinds of diseases. Today’s science says that, even though honey is sweet, if taken at the right dosage as a medicine, it will not harm diabetic patients.

Arthritis

In a recent research done in Copenhagen University, the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of 1 tablespoon honey with half a teaspoon of Cinnamon powder before breakfast. They found that out of 200 people treated, 73 patients were totally relieved of pain within a month. Most of these patients could not walk or move around freely, but after the therapy, they started walking with less pain.

Make a paste of 1 part honey & 2 parts luke warm water and a small teaspoon Cinnamon powder. Massage itching part of body slowly.(Pain should recede within 15 minutes!)

Drink 1 cup of hot water mixed with 2 spoon of honey + 1 small teaspoon of Cinnamon powder everyday. (Can cure chronic arthritis!)<

Bad Breath

1st thing in morning gargle with 1 teaspoon honey + Cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. (Breath stays fresh throughout the day!)

Bladder Infections

Drink 1 teaspoon honey + 2 tablespoons Cinnamon powder in a glass of luke warm water. (It destroys germs of bladder!)<

Cancer
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully.

Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should take 1 tablespoon honey + 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder 3 times a day for 1 month. Continue with Oncologist’s treatment. (No Harm Lost!)

Cholesterol

As per information received in a Medical Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

2 tablespoons of honey + 3 teaspoons of Cinnamon powder in 16 ounces of tea. (Can reduce cholesterol level in blood by 10% within 2 hours! As for arthritic patients, if taken 3 times a day, it lowers the cholesterol level.)

Colds

1 tablespoon honey in luke warm water mixed with ¼ teaspoon of Cinnamon powder for 3 days. (Can cure chronic cough, cold & clear sinuses!)Fatigue

Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful than detrimental to one’s body strength. Senior citizens who take honey and Cinnamon in equal parts are more alert and flexible.

Take daily before brushing ½ tablespoon honey in a glass of water sprinkled with Cinnamon powder. Drink another glass in afternoon around 3 pm. (Can increase vitality within a week!)

Hair Loss (even suffers from baldness)

Apply before bath a paste of hot olive oil + 1 tablespoon honey + 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder. Keep for @ 15 minutes. Then wash Hair.

Heart Diseases (improve blood flow)

In America and Canada, various nursing homes had treated their patients successfully with honey and Cinnamon, improving blood flow.

Make paste of honey & Cinnamon powder. Apply on bread. Eat regularly for breakfast. (Relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heartbeat.)

Immune System

Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

Daily use of honey and Cinnamon power strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks.

Indigestion

Sprinkle Cinnamon powder on 2 tablespoon honey. Take before food.

Infertility

A couple in Maryland (USA) had no children for 14 years and left hope of having a child of their own. Both husband and wife started taking honey as stated below. The wife conceived after a few months and had twins at full term !

For impotent men: before sleeping, take 2 tablespoons honey.

For women who do not conceive: take a pinch of Cinnamon powder in ½ teaspoon honey. Apply on the gums frequently throughout the day (slowly mixed with saliva enter the body)

Influenza

A scientist in Spain has proved that honey that contains a natural ingredient which kills influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

Longevity

4 spoons honey & 1 spoon Cinnamon powder in 3 cups water. Boil to make tea. Drink ¼ cup; 3 – 4 times a day. (Can keep skin fresh & soft. Also arrest old age!)Loss of Hearing

Take honey & Cinnamon in equal parts daily (Restore hearing)

Pimples

Make paste of 3 tablespoons honey & 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder. Apply on pimples before sleeping. Wash with warm water next morning for 2 weeks. (Can remove pimples from the root !)

Skin Infections

Apply honey & Cinnamon powder in equal parts on affected parts can cure Eczema, ringworms & all types of skin infections.

Stomach Upset

Honey taken with Cinnamon powder releases gas & pain in stomach, curing stomach aches & clear stomach ulcers from the root.

Toothache

Make paste of 5 teaspoons honey + 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder. Apply to aching tooth 3 times a day till aching stops.

Weight Loss

Drink honey & Cinnamon powder, boiled in 1 cup water, every morning, in an empty stomach. Drink again ½ hour before sleeping.

Something to share….

Many of us in Jambi Regional Office have started taking pure honey taken from the pokok sialang quite close to our BPE kebun. The purchase was arranged through estate management of PT BBIP at Rp 30,000.00 per 1 liter bottle and its pureness has been guaranteed. I and Pak Leong KH were cheated once of buying honey mixed with brown sugar and egg white. We can buy a bottle of 35g Cinnamon (Kayu Manis) powder @ Rp 5,000.00 in any supermarkets or malls in town.

Honey is good for us. As it was written in Proverbs 24:13a & 25:16, God said,” My child, eat honey; it is good.” However, he warned,” Never eat more honey than you need; too much may make you vomit.” This has been explained by Dr Elizabeth Subrata, an Indoneisan Christian doctor, in her book “Rahasia Umur Panjang” (Secret of Long Life) that honey contains substance than will prohibit the intake of honey more than required to avoid the increase of glucose level in the blood.

She further talked about the benefits of honey:

• Honey contains several types of enzyme, minerals, 18 amino acids and vitamins which help in digestion, absorption and assimilation.

• Honey possesses more nutrients than other sugar products.

• Honey is able to destroy bacteria & other microorganism.

• Honey contains several natural antibiotics which have effective function of healing the infested open wounds.

Always replace white sugar with honey for health’s sake. No more soft drinks or syrup drinks. (Accordingly, a can of soft drink contains 6 teaspoons of sugar. This is harmful to the body especially for those people having high sugar content in their blood.)

Decision Making

The story given here is quite interesting and really gives us an insight into DECISION MAKING

Which one will you choose?
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train came, and you were just beside the track interchange. It was not possible to stop the train but you could make the train change its course to the disused track and saved most of the kids.

However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Alternatively, would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make...

Analyse the situation………….

Think and reflect…

Decided your answer!

Now … go ahead

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.

However, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.

This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are.

The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. In addition, in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

To make the proper decision is not try to change the course of the train because the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens.

If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe.

If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! In addition, in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one. "Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."

Something to share….

Making an impulsive or a hasty decision is not the real decision to be made. An impulsive decision such as diverting the train can turn into a disaster in not only killing one child but also putting all train passengers at great risk of being killed and wounded too.

At times, we used to make ad hoc decision just to find a way out at the critical moment of time or during crisis management. However, such an impromptu decision may not be applicable to all circumstances. Nevertheless, we need to keep making decisions according to different issues and circumstances. A decision made is still better than no decision made!

Whereas some people just can’t make decisions. They will wait and see what is going to happen. Indecisiveness is, in fact, their real problem!

A right decision may not be a popular decision. So what? How could one make a popular decision but not a right one?