Hipster

I have been looking for the right word to describe my definition for this kind of people. It has been awhile until I came across this word in a recent Facebook post. It matches correctly.

The clearest example goes viral on Facebook nowadays. Sejak aku kembali berjinak dengan aktiviti outdoor ni especially hiking, dan aku joined satu group Facebook. Tujuannya nak dapatkan info menarik seperti tempat or lokasi hiking, tapi aku dapat sakit mata instead. The growing numbers of hipster hikers are such an eyesore. 

You can obviously tell the difference between a true hiker from the hipsters. And the mishaps started coming in with accidents, falls, tonnes of rubbish, forest fires and even deaths are common. They are simply ignorance and plain careless. They don't do homework and zero experience, but yet boasting via selfies.

Apa orang buat, depa pun nak buat jugak. Tambah lagi ada mobile phone canggih untuk selfie, post on social medias & mula meraih popular. Orang lepak Starbuck to enjoy the freshly brew caffeine, depa pun nak jugak. Depa tak enjoy pun coffee tu, but main handphone, selfie & post & boast.

Orang amalkan hidup sihat, bagus lah depa sahut kempen tu. So the running industry had a boost from health conscious minded people. Yang baru tersedar dari lamunan beratur beli nasi lemak or roti canai. Maka ramailah yang participate in events. Dan banyaklah running events tumbuh macam kulat. Aku sebut kulat instead of cendawan sebab event ni semua mengenakan bayaran yang mahal. Setakat nak lari 10km tapi kena bayar sampai RM80. Tapi these hipsters tetap setia sebab it is their new living culture, hidup sihat, trendy. Tidak disangkal juga, ada yang berjaya sehingga ke peringkat ultra distance, tapi bila aku tengok muka depa, it is empty in passion. 

Tak payah tipu or cover dengan ribuan 'likes' or gambar-gambar selfie merata dunia hang pi.

Hence, we have a new species and a wide variety of sub-species. From hipster hikers to hipster runners. And ada jugak hipster big bikers. Yang ini ada segelintir yang akhlak habis ke laut. Setakat ni, agak masih kabur nak determine hipster cyclists. So far, it looks genuine.

#passionate

#hipster

#poser

Going Independent

Setelah hampir 18 tahun bekerja makan gaji, akhirnya aku telah membuat keputusan untuk resign dan mengambil langkah yang agak drastik dalam perjalanan hidup 45 tahun ini. Aku decide untuk bekerja sendiri. At this age and with the commitments, it is a risky attempt tapi aku dah tak boleh tahan dengan atmosphere kerja makan gaji yang terkadang tergelincir dari batasan baik dan buruk. Aku ingin memasang niat semula, iaitu mencari rezki yang halal & cukup.

"We will be forever a sovereign democratic and independent state founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people….”. 

- Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Aku mulakan dengan mengambil cuti tanpa gaji selama sebulan. Just in case, the try out fails, aku boleh masuk pejabat semula. Tapi aku mungkin belajar through laluan yang agak jauh or sukar sebab aku tiada vision yang jelas tentang apa yang aku nak buat. A piece of me nak jadi penulis, another piece of me nak jadi penterjemah. Dunia yang sangat baharu untuk aku dan banyak ragam yang perlu aku pelajari. 

Tapi Allah swt itu Maha mengetahui, sedangkan aku langsung tak pernah terfikir atau find deep inside yang aku ada bakat lain. 

My closest friend was my sister. She supported my idea of quitting my job and try my own. She keeps track of my everyday progress. She keeps on motivating. She outlined every steps for me as guidance.

Betul. Apabila setiap bulan bergaji and suddenly takde fix income for a month, boleh memeningkan. Apatah lagi bulan kedua dan ketiga. The commitments build up and the challenge became stressful. Tapi keputusan tekad aku untuk tidak kembali makan gaji mendorong aku untuk terus bergelumang dengan beban. Aku yakin, it will be temporary. Allah knows best.

That was where aku melipat kali gandakan hubungan aku dengan Allah swt. Setiap saat dalam solat aku really appreciate. Aku betul-betul communicate dengan Dia. Aku hayati every baris bacaan ayat-ayat Al-Quran serta tasbih dan tahmid yang keluar dari bibir ni. 

Dalam aku mencari-cari pendapatan tetap, aku menerima beberapa kerja freelance menterjemah. Aku terjemah abstrak thesis, laporan, SOP dan sebagainya. Tapi income tidak konsisten. Aku ambil sebagai rezki yang halal dan pengalaman sambil membantu mereka yang memerlukan. Niat kena betul.

My sister threw me an idea which I think was feasible. In December she persuaded me to open an intensive class for primary school students. Hence the marketing took place few weeks prior through Facebook, Whatsapp groups etc. 

Alhamdulillah, I survived the two weeks programme. Dan dalam pada itu, aku bertambah yakin dan motivated to start my own tuition class in 2016 as my fix income.

Alhamdulillah, sekarang dah masuk bulan kedua aku menjalankan, mengurus dan mentadbir my own tiny business. It is service oriented. The education industry. Mendidik anak-anak jiran ilmu. Diharapkan berkongsi ilmu ialah antara amal jariah yang terjamin ganjarannya di akhirat kelak.

Kinabalu

Masa berlalu terlalu pantas. Kini sudah masuk bulan kedua dalam kalendar Masihi 2016. Terasa setahun yang lalu macam masih fresh dalam ingatan. Aku perlu take a few steps back untuk berlipur lara untuk post kali ini sebab everything started quite a year back.

Menjejak awan at Laban Rata accommodation, 3272m

A year ago, someone dalam komuniti kami telah petik the idea of scaling up Mount Kinabalu. And the idea evolved so fast that it catered 24 individuals within weeks. I was one of them. It was my second attempt. The first was in 2007 in a small party of 7. However, this time the group is huge and the buddies were like perfect.

Though after my first attempt, I was like sort of retired from all this mountain madness, due to time and age of course, but this party is irresistible. You wouldn't want to miss it.

Fund was collected in stages. We had a year to come up with it. It was a good idea, ample and convenient. I like the idea. We bought our flight in January with Malindo at RM325. And some where in April we paid our climbing fee deposit of about RM314. The balance of it came it subsequently and followed by ground handling expenses. With a total of almost RM1000 per person, we find it perfect.

Then came in the training. We scaled a few neighbouring hills and mountains such as Pine Tree Trail, in Fraser Hill, Gunung Datuk in Rembau and Gunung Bunga Buah at Genting Highland. The later was my favorite since the old mountain days. I like the view from the first Rock Garden Peak of Genting Resort. It also reminds me of Gunung Tahan.

I even started running again. After a laborious attempt at Bunga Buah, I knew that I need strong legs and stamina. Hence, the running started weeks before Kinabalu and I revisited the favorite local 8km loop.

On 31-January 2016 we made it to the peak of Mount Kinabalu. 4095.25 meters, as the highest ground in South East Asia. All 24 of us. Totally exhausted but with buddies like this, it was fun. Alhamdulillah.

The cold and chilling wind was stronger than before but the hours spent and magnificent views were prestine.

Low's Peak Smile

Litterbugs

Aku rasa by this time, blog mungkin dah takde dalam tatabahasa masyarakat. Cuma dengar orang sebut Insta dan Facebook aje. Blog pun sekali sekala bila aku Google untuk rujukan religious material. Itu pun sometimes agak outdated. Memang orang dah jarang membaca dan blogging. On the other side, aku notice di Facebook dah semakin ramai penulis buku dan followers depa. Ramai. Dah ada tribes. Baguih naaa...

Well at least I now have a peaceful mind to write about anything. Subject matters can be a wide variety of topics.

And the first for this 2016, that had just crossed my mind moments ago is about mentality, mindset, akhlak. The biggest issue and it is becoming cancerous in our community.

The thing that I saw just now was sick. Seorang pelajar sekolah menengah yang baru aje keluar pagar sekolah lantas dengan tanpa rasa bersalah, and in fact nampak bangga, buang botol minuman terus ke dalam longkang tepi jalan. Sakit mata memandang, sakit lagi hati ni. Instinct aku rasa macam nak berhentikan kereta & starlet budak tu suruh dia kutip balik botol tu.

The first thing that I wish to blame is no other than the parents. Aku tak blame this kid sebab pendidikan akhlak dia ialah tanggungjawab parents dia, bermula di rumah. But then again, perhaps dia takde parents. Tapi dia masih di bawah tanggungjawab sekolah sebab supposed ada pendidikan sivik dalam silibus.

It is the most common scenario di luar pagar sekolah. Dalam sekolah memang bersih. Tip top. But the akhlak dan disiplin was left only within the fence. Once keluar, bumi yang Allah pinjamkan ni takde nilai untuk dijaga. Tapi balik rumah, tidak pulak dibuangnya sampah di atas lantai ruang tamu, kan?

And the second most common scenario yang lately jadi viral bila our hutan, waterfall, taman, laut pun tak dijaga adab tu. How can one do not have conscience for this? Kalau dalam Islam, manusia yang sebegini belum sampai level mumayyiz. Tak boleh beza antara yang baik & buruk, yang suci & yang najis. 

Dan mungkin mereka ni ingat ada kontraktor mai kutip sampah dalam hutan or atas gunung tu. Or nanti ada sukarelawan mai anjur aktiviti kutip sampah jebon-jebon ni. Akal ada tapi tak pernah kisah nak guna. Remeh mungkin untuk mereka sebab akal tu lebih senang & selesa disimpan di rumah, and ikut nafsu instead.

Perhaps akhlak manusia semakin nipis akibat terlalu berputar di dalam dunia dia sendiri. Dunia makhluk lain, tidak dipeduli.  Sick people.

Full of hope that parents will open their eyes and hearts for the sake of future generations, this generation Y or Z or whatever huruf hangpa nak pakai. You can be rich and bold, or strong and religiously driven, tapi without good conscience, akhlak, adab dan segala silibus tuk nenek kita dulu ajar, jangan panggil diri tu berjaya.