The Zoo Out There

1.
The weekend was a long one since I don't have to work on Friday so we took the opportunity to take the kids and cousin Ika to the Zoo. I could not recall when was the last time I been there but is was sure a long time ago, I think it was with one or two of my buddies when we got bored at the college hostel one weekend so we decided to visit the monkeys and gave them some Marlboro for their own entertainment - the monkeys were much more bored then we were too I guess! (Owhh..don't do what we did laa ok! We did it out of curiosity and back then Zoo Negara was not really a place where people do trips and all like this recent couple of years lah!)
Anyway, the kids enjoyed the show..... and I "kena pau" by this bird by the name of Kikuro....smart Zoo Keepers, they used RM10 as the benchmark and I have nothing much in my wallet by RM10 being the smallest denominator! So literally, "terbang Rm10" while the other audience plus my wifey & kids laughed and clapped!! Ahahaah! I am just glad the kids enjoyed the trip...I could not complete the whole session cuz it's Friday and I have to go for Friday prayer.

2.
....well well well....
Another surprise other than "terbang RM10" was when a lady kept staring at me and my kids....then called out "Eh kau meh sini kejap" (Samseng siout!!)...it was Ellina Razak (those who knew Anuar & Ellina would know her lah kan) whom I never met except via my buddy Danil in FaceBook & when I was with the band taught by her father - Cikgu Razak Shafie @ JakPie. I forgot to mention to her that I actually was behind the drumset for one of her concert rehearseals - had to play one number from The Bangles for that matter... terpaksa ketuk itu drum cuz I was just warming up the instruments with the bunch on heavymetal/speedmetal numbers when suddenly Cikgu JakPie asked the band to do the rehearsal and the actual official drummer was still not around!

Anyway, I had to make a move to KLCC for prayer so I told my kids to enjoy the rest of the Zoo and off I go....just to discover a story to writer about in this blog...


3.
There were at least 4 taxi drivers waiting at the exit gate of Zoo Negara. One of the pakciks asked me..

P1: Nak pergi mana encik?
T: KLCC, boleh pakcik?
P1: Kalau KLCC, boleh la tapi sekarang ni sibuk la kat situ, kena charge sikit, nak buat apa gi KLCC?
T: (Half smiling & thinking - Aish...tak reti ke hari ni hari Jumaat) Nak sembahyang Jumaat la pakcik.....
P1: Kalau KLCC, Rm30 laa encik
T: (Trying to not ROTFL, packing the DSLR into the bag and still half smiling)
Another Pakcik who was having some peanuts entered the frame...
P2: Nak sembahyang kat WangsaMaju aje laa encik, masjid pun besar, selesa
T: Ohh Masjid baru tu, saya tahu Pakcik, saya duduk WangsaMaju pun...
P2: Haaa...WangsaMaju Rm15 ajer encik
T: (Pergh...aku kayuh basikal tak sempat berpeluh ketiak dah sampai! Now I am really smiling!) Tak per la pakcik, KLCC tak pergi ke?
P2: Sekarang ni jam kat sana, susah nak masuk & keluar nanti.
T: Ohh...tak per la pakcik, terima kasih ye! Assalamua'laikum! (Non replied my salam - ikut kitab Fiqh cara jawab salam, dpt free negative points dah pakcik2 tu semua)
T: (Mumbling - Baik amik cab gi KLIA jer!)

About 200 meters from the exit gate, a taxi driver (the name is Pakcik Shaharudin) was exhaling his last puff of cigarette and asked me...
PS: Nak pergi mana dik?
T: KLCC pakcik, boleh?
PS Kalau pakcik hantar kat LRT station WangsaMaju boleh? Pakcik pakai meter.....berapa diorang mintak kat dalam tu?
T: (Laughing) OK tu pakcik, LRT station pun ok jer. Diorang mintak RM30 KLCC. WangsaMaju Rm15. Baik saya jalan kaki jer balik condo saya kat WangsaMaju dekat sgt ni!
PS: (Laughing) Memang macam tu la diorang....tak pernah pulak kena, bertekak2 dgn penumpang pasal tambang tapi masih lagi diorang charge mcm tu. Ambik kesempatan dari dulu...

We had a conversation on this & rezeki in general...Pakcik Shaharuddin is the type that would not want to ask for more that what is supposedly the fare his clients supposed to pay - legally - because bila hati dia rasa tak sedap he would not feel the rezeki is a good one for him to give his family.

Rezeki yg sedikit mana pun kalau berkat & halal, will take us far.

He sent me to WangsaMaju LRT Station, taxi meter rate RM5.30. I gave him RM8 and he was so thankful for that amount (Not berlagak laa...my intention was pure, I know he needs the extra RM3 more than I do....I always gave more to any taxi drivers who'd engage in good conversation with me anyway!)


4.
Thank you to Pakcik Shaharudin, I made it in time for Jumaat prayer and meet my buddy, gave my D70s for him to use for his job whil I took his 70-200 f2.8 ultrazoom lens for Agong's assignment on Sunday.

Great lens that Nikkor....tested it on the kids playng in a pool of Lego blocks!

5.
...while busy composing I realized my lecturer was there too so, I greeted him and he was quite surprised to see his BBA student now is a professional photographer...Well not really Sir (I told him) maybe one day...insyaAllah...
He admitted he had many students so he could not recall my name. I told him it is totally OK! Student yg tak ingat cikgu yg tak patut..not the other way around! The lecturer was one of the fiercest & "kedekut markah"...but I tend to like his was of lecturing - we came into the lecture ready to discuss the intended topic - we had to do our readings & research much earlier and those who did not will surely be in a limbo!!

I scored quiet well in his classes but the most important thing was he taught us to think differently.....Allah blesses him!

6.
After a couple more shots I was approached by a dude.....who has been a frequent in a forum and asked me if I am Torque~! He came from JB and he was observing me doing my shots for quite a time before he decided I am Torque and decided to say hi....ahahah...I should have not put on the red tee-shirt lah! The dude asked me why I am not active in the forum anymore. Simple - got other priorities! He's doung well down south I guess because he came up tp KL to get some styuff from another professional photographer. Anyway, it's great to finally meet you Jak!


7.
Friday was sure a long day cuz I went night shooting with Sy Din & Hazarizal....while worrying about the Agong's assignment all the while!