::Own The Interview, 10 Questions to Ask::

For many job seekers an interview can seem too much like an inquisition. That's usually because they're doing all the answering and none of the asking.

"Somewhere in the interview you have a chance to impress the employer on your own terms and see if the job is a good fit for you," says Florida-based career coach and executive recruiter Jonathan Milligan. "And you absolutely should take this opportunity. By asking the right questions you can determine if the job is right for you and also show you're engaged and interested in the job."

Employment experts identify five key question areas where you can gain insight, put yourself in a good light, and take some control in the interview.

Identify their pain.

· "What is one of the biggest problems the company faces that someone with my background could help alleviate?"

· "If I started in this job tomorrow, what would be my two most pressing priorities?"

Find out where the company is going.

· "Where do you see this department/company in five years?"

· "What are the long and short term goals of the company/department/work group?"

Determine whether you'd fit in.

· "How would you describe your company's culture?

· "What tangible and intangible qualities attracted you to the organization?"

Show you're really interested.

· "What additional information can I provide about my qualifications?"

· "What are the next steps in the selection process?"

Ask follow-ups.

· "Can you clarify what you said about ...?"

· "Can you give me some examples of ...?"

"By requesting clarification or examples, you show interviewers you care and that you're thinking deeply about the issues they brought up," says learning and development consultant Bill Denyer. He suggests taking notes in the interview, using keywords to jog your memory of what was discussed but not burying your head in your notebook.

What you don't want to ask are questions with obvious answers, according to Susan RoAne, author of "Face to Face: How to Reclaim the Personal Touch in a Digital World."

"You really need to do your homework," RoAne tells Yahoo! HotJobs. "Before the interview go to the company website and use search engines to get up to speed, and browse social networking sites like Yahoo! Groups to see who knows what about the company."

"And never, never ask an interviewer, 'How long is the vacation'? or, 'What does your company do?'" RoAne added.

Some experts suggest waiting for the inevitable "Do you have any questions for us?" at the interview, while others recommend looking for conversation openings to ask appropriate questions.

"It depends on the situation," Milligan says. "If the interviewer seems to be reading from a sheet of questions, don't interrupt. If it's a more casual conversation, you may have chances to turn the questions back on the interviewer."

"It's important to remember the job interview is a two-way street," RoAne said.

::Frail boy-king Tut died from malaria, broken leg::

Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun suffered from a cleft palateand club foot, likely forcing him to walk with a cane, and died from complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria, according to the most extensive study ever of his more than 3,300-year-old mummy.

The findings were from two years of DNA testing and CT scans on 16 mummies, including those of Tutankhamun and his family, the team that carried out the study said in an article to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It also established the clearest yet family tree for Tut, indicating for the first time that he was the child of a brother-sister union.

The study said his father was most likely Akhenaten, the pharaoh who tried to revolutionize ancient Egyptian religion and force his people to worship one god. The mummy shown by DNA to be that of Tut's mother also turned out to be a sister of Akhenaten, though she has not yet been identified.

Tut, who became pharaoh at the age of 10 in 1333 B.C., ruled for just nine years at a pivotal time in Egypt's history. While a comparatively minor king, the 1922 discovery of his tomb filled with stunning artifacts, including the famed golden funeral mask, made him known the world over.

Speculation had long swirled over why the boy king died at such a young age. A hole in his skull long fueled speculation he was murdered, until a 2005 CT scan ruled that out, finding the hole was likely from the mummification process. The scan also uncovered the broken leg.

In contrast to the golden splendor he was buried with, the newest CAT scans and DNA tests revealed a sickly teen pharaoh, weakened by congenital illnesses finally done in by complications from the broken leg aggravated by severe brain malaria.

The team said it isolated DNA of the malaria parasite in several of the family's mummies, including Tut's — the oldest such discovery.

"A sudden leg fracture possibly introduced by a fall might have resulted in a life threatening condition when a malaria infection occurred," concluded the article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Tutankhamun had multiple disorders... He might be envisioned as a young but frail king who needed canes to walk."

Like his father, Tutankhamun had a cleft palate. He also had a club foot and suffered from Kohler's disease in which lack of blood flowwas slowly destroying the bones of his left foot — an often painful condition, the study said. It noted that 130 walking sticks and canes were discovered in Tut's tomb, some of them with trace of wear suggested they had been used.

The new study also answered long standing questions over Tutankhamun's family. His grandfather was thePharaoh Amenhotep III, and his father was mostly likely the famous Akhenaten, who attempted to change millenia of Egypt's religious tradition by forcing the country to worship the sun god Aten, instead of usual multiplicity of deities.

Some archaeologists have speculated that Tut's father was a little-known figure, Smenkhkare, thought to have ruled as a pharoah or co-regent.

Archaeologists have never been certain of the identity of Tut's mother. DNA tests pinpointed which mummy is that of his mother — and that she was the sister of his father — but her name remains uncertain. Brother-sister marriages were common among ancient Egypt's pharaohs.

The studies also disproved speculation that Tutankhamun and members of his family suffered from rare disorders that gave them feminine attributes and misshapen bones, including Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that can result in elongated limbs.

The theories arose from the artistic style and statues of the period, which showed the royal men with prominent breasts, elongated heads and flared hips.

"It is unlikely that either Tutankhamun or Akhenaten actually displayed a significantly bizarre or feminine physique," said the article.

::Islamofobia di Eropah::

Selepas rakyat Switzerland mengundi untuk mengharamkan pembinaan menara masjid di negara Eropah itu, sentimen Islamofobia di negara-negara lain di Eropah mula menunjukkan wajahnya.

Undi sebanyak 57 peratus menyokong pengharaman pembinaan menara masjid di Switzerland itu memberi gambaran perasaan rakyat negara Eropah yang terkenal dengan sikap berkecuali dan tempat lahir badan Palang Merah antarabangsa.

Sikap ini mungkin sesuatu yang baharu, tetapi boleh juga merupakan manifestasi apa yang sedia dirasakan selama ini, dan hanya terzahir apabila digerakkan oleh sekumpulan ahli politik berhaluan kanan.

Dua parti politik berhaluan kanan yang membawa isu ini untuk diundi menggelar menara masjid sebagai simbol agenda politik Islam, berdasarkan aliran fahaman yang melihat Islam dan orang Muslim sentiasa mempunyai agenda politik untuk mendominasi, dan fahaman bahawa Islam menafikan hak-hak orang lain.

Malangnya, isu ini tidak mendapat respons meluas dalam kalangan negara Islam, ketika Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC) yang ditubuhkan dengan tujuan membela umat mencapai usia 40 tahun.

Belumpun reda isu di Switzerland itu, pengharaman itu dan semangatnya mendapat sambutan dalam kalangan lain di negara Eropah sekitarnya. Geert Wilders, ahli politik anti-Islam di Belanda menyambut tindakan itu, dan dilapor berkata, "Apa yang boleh dilakukan di Switzerland, boleh dilakukan di sini."

Dunia Islam sebelum ini dikejutkan oleh Wilders yang terlibat dalam pembikinan filem anti-Islam berjudul Fitna, yang memfitnah Islam dengan pelbagai tohmahan tidak berasas. Wilders tidak berhenti dengan filem Fitna dan sedang meneruskan agenda anti-Islamnya.

Sebelum undi mengharamkan menara masjid dilaksanakan, kumpulan anti-Islam di Inggeris berkumpul melakukan protes menentang apa yang dilihat "proses Islamisasi" Eropah.

Selepas undi di Switzerland, kumpulan ini yang diketuai Liga Pertahanan Inggeris dan Hentikan Islamisasi Eropah mendapat suntikan semangat baharu untuk meneruskan kempennya.

Protes kali kedua - selepas yang pertama dua bulan lalu - kali ini menyifatkan menara masjid sebagai simbol dominasi Islam dalam masyarakat Kristian yang sekular.

Protes yang sama berlaku di Jerman sejak beberapa tahun lalu, menyaksikan ahli dan penyokong kumpulan berhaluan kanan menentang pembinaan masjid. Kumpulan-kumpulan ini turut terkesan dan pada masa sama memberi kesan kepada apa yang berlaku di seluruh Eropah.

Konservatif di Jerman bersuara menggesa Muslim negara itu "berpada-pada" dalam membina masjid, walaupun mereka mempunyai hak membinanya.

Selepas lapan tahun "ancaman Islam" dijadikan tema politik dunia ekoran serangan 11 September, 2001 di Amerika Syarikat, kesannya semakin mudah untuk dilihat di seluruh dunia.

Di Belanda, Switzerland, Inggeris dan Jerman, Islamofobia menunjukkan wajahnya, dan mendapat sokongan ramai rakyat negara itu.

Apa yang berlaku ini menunjukkan siapa sebenarnya yang tertutup, sukar untuk menerima kepelbagaian dan realiti globalisasi, tuduhan yang mudah dikaitkan dengan orang Muslim.

Perdebatan mengenai hak dan demokrasi menjadi lebih sukar dengan perkembangan ini, terutama sekiranya Eropah yang kuat menjajanya di peringkat antarabangsa (termasuk menjadikannya sebagai syarat kemasukan Turki ke dalam Kesatuan Eropah) gagal menangani gejala ini di wilayahnya sendiri.

The Often-Overlooked Interview Advantage: Good Grooming

There are dozens of factors that affect whether or not you land a job: from your work and expertise to your education and your personality. In addition to these weighty factors, your appearance also counts, in particular good grooming.

Fashion stylist Colin Megaro, the founder of Planet Style Concierge, says that today, "Grooming standards are definitely higher across the board." Megaro, whose company offers style analysis, personal-shopping services, and more, offers up these tips to make sure you're good to go at your next interview.

1. Good grooming is standard, no matter the industry. If you work in the music industry, you may think you can push the boundaries of good grooming -- but you'd be wrong. "Standards do not vary from industry to industry," according to Megaro. "No matter what you do for work you should always be well-groomed. Take some pride in yourself and always present the best you."

2. Nail it! Men and women should always be manicured, according to Megaro. "That's right, gentlemen! A manicure and a good buff go a long way," he states. Megaro, who styles both men and women, advises women to choose neutral colors for nails. "Bright red, black, or jeweled nails are not appropriate for the workplace."

3. Don't look shady with a "five o'clock shadow." The rugged look probably isn't best for the office, either. He says, "Five o'clock shadows aren't OK -- even after five o'clock. If you're heading to an interview from a current job or even from home, schedule it so you have time to wash your face, shave, and make sure your suit is fresh and wrinkle-free."

Facial hair can be fashionable, but it's probably best for men not to rock the ZZ Top look. "If you must have it, it needs to be short and well groomed," he cautions.

4. Put your best foot forward. "Women MUST have a pedicure if they're wearing open-toe shoes, but even if you're a man, your shoes shouldn't look as if you regularly walk on hot coals (unless that's the job you're pursuing)," Megaro counsels. He recommends that shoes always be polished with proper soles. If you scuff a shoe, he reveals, "A Sharpie the color of your shoe can save the day!"

5. Wear it well. Make sure your clothes reflect the job you're pursuing. "When dressing for an interview, research the company and dress accordingly. If you are interviewing at a bank, wear a classic suit with a beautiful tie or scarf. If it's a media company, you have a bit more freedom. Aim for a more modern suit with a great briefcase/bag. You should show your personality and individualism when it's appropriate," he states.

6. Breathe easy. Fresh breath is a priority if you're going on an interview. Megaro points out, "You don't want to smell bad breath on other people and, trust me, they don't want to smell it on you!" He recommends brushing your teeth, carrying breath mints, and keeping mouthwash in your desk or breath strips in your pocket.

7. Use scented products sparingly. If you're wearing cologne or perfume, exercise caution. "Yes, it can be worn, but please do not bathe yourself in it. Remember that some people are sensitive or allergic to smells. Also, no one wants to walk into a wall of cologne," Megaro says.

8. Act natural. Aim for a daytime appearance, especially when pursuing an office job. Megaro, whose company also offers wardrobe consultation and shopping tours, urges job seekers, "Avoid wearing too much makeup or overpowering nail color, and keep hair color to natural tones. We don't need to see bright colors, over-done highlights, or bad wigs."

9. Tress to impress. Beware of overdone hair. Megaro says, "Too much, whether it be color or product, is never attractive!" If you're a bit too coiffed, you may appear high-maintenance, and, possibly, out of touch.

Why the prosecution of Anwar Ibrahim matters to the west?

In the past two years, Malaysia, which has been a one-party state since it gained independence in 1957, has made remarkable strides toward becoming a democracy. That it has done so is mostly due to the efforts and political talent of one man – Anwar Ibrahim.

So the fact that Anwar went on criminal trial last week should deeply concern the democratic world. The outcome could determine whether one of Asia’s most economically successful countries preserves its stability and embraces long-overdue reforms.

A former deputy prime minister in the ruling party, Anwar was deposed and jailed in 1998 by former Malaysian strongman Mahathir Mohamad.

A manifestly unfair trial followed in which Anwar was convicted of homosexual sodomy, which shamefully remains a crime in Malaysia.

Six years later, the conviction was overturned by a court, and Anwar resumed his political career – this time as an open champion of democracy in Malaysia and other Muslim countries.

Anwar succeeded in forging a coalition of opposition parties, including his own multiracial People’s Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PKR), an Islamic party (PAS), and a secular party (DAP).

He has campaigned against the government’s toxic policy of racial discrimination, which funnels economic favours to well-connected members of the ethnic Malay majority.

In the past two years, his coalition has pulled off a string of stunning victories in state and parliamentary by-elections; it now controls four of 13 state governments. If led by Anwar, it would have a fair chance of winning the next national election in 2013.

That’s one reason it’s suspicious that, three months after the state election victories in 2008, Anwar was once again accused of sodomy.

Another is that his young male accuser was seen with aides of Najib Razak, who is now prime minister; Anwar says he has evidence that the accuser met with the prime minister and his wife shortly before making his charge.

A third is that the case has been transferred from criminal court to a higher court whose judges are closely linked to the ruling party.

If Anwar is convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and would be banned from politics for five years. He is 62.

The ruling party no doubt hopes a conviction will cause the opposition coalition to crumble. But it could just as easily provoke a backlash against Najib or street demonstrations that could destabilise the country.

That’s why the Obama administration and other Western governments interested in stability in Asia should make clear that the imprisonment of Anwar would be a blatant human rights violation – and not in Malaysia’s interest.

The Washington Post (editorial)

From Vandalism to Art to Nostalgia

Eric Felisbret stood by a chain-link fence, watching three men spraying graffiti on a backyard wall in Upper Manhattan. One man smiled and invited him over. “You can go around the corner and when you see a sign for a seamstress, go in the alley,” the man said. “Or you can jump the fence, like we did.”

Mr. Felisbret, 46, chose the long way. Not that he is unused to fence-jumping. In the 1970s, that was one of his skills as a budding graffiti writer who stole into subway yards. Using the nom de graf DEAL, he was part of the Crazy Inside Artists, a legendary crew from East New York, Brooklyn. This time, though, instead of wielding a spray can, he pulled out a camera and took a quick snapshot of the artwork, done with the landlord’s permission.

“It’s really retro,” he said. “Look inside the 3D letters, how he added all those spots.”

He would know, and not just because the artist was his brother, Luke. Over some 30 years, the two men have amassed a photographic archive of New York City graffiti that is among the most comprehensive collections anywhere. Since 1998 much of it, along with interviews of artists, has been showcased on their Web site, www.at149st.com.

And now Eric Felisbret has published a thick, glossy new book, “Graffiti New York,” a survey of the art that mirrors his own life trajectory — from outlaw origins to mainstream respectability.

What started in the ’70s as a visual assault on commuters has attained a certain acceptability, if not cachet, thanks in part to the city’s crackdown on subway graffiti in the late ’80s. Today, ambitious aerosol canvases hang in galleries, while corporations like Nike, Coca-Cola and Sony hire graffiti muralists to paint storefront advertisements. Vintage photographs plucked from archives have inspired a small industry of coffee table books.

Old-school graffiti — with intricate tangles of kinetic letters and cartoonish characters — is just about everywhere except the place that was once its sole domain: the metal skins of subway cars.

While the city seems far removed from the days of entire trains slathered in spray paint, Mr. Felisbret believes there is probably just as much illicit graffiti in town, only more scattered — on trucks, rooftops or the upper floors of buildings. His book shows examples of all sorts.

But today’s renegade writers dazzle more with risk taking than artistic merit. Unlike the artists who executed elaborately drawn and colored tableaux decades ago, younger outlaws have little chance to develop into accomplished painters.

“The train yards used to provide the opportunity to do things illegally and creatively at the same time,” Mr. Felisbret said. “You had privacy and time. Now if you do something illegally, you have to be quick. You can’t stand on a corner and paint for hours.”

His Web site’s name is a nod to one of graffiti’s most famous spots — the “writer’s bench” at the 149th Street and Grand Concourse stop on the No. 2 line. During graffiti’s heyday, the bench was where artists gathered to trade ideas and admire rolling canvases.

Then, as now, photographs were the only lasting evidence that a piece had ever existed. But today the photos reach an audience that far outstrips that of even the most hyperactive All-City Bomber from the ’70s.

“The trains used to move your name around,” said Mr. Felisbret, who is a freelance graphic designer. “Now the Internet moves your name for you.”

Henry Chalfant, the photographer and filmmaker who was among the first to document graffiti’s boom years in New York, said Mr. Felisbret’s Web site and insider’s perspective have helped propel graffiti onto a global stage.

“His site is the most important one, along with Art Crimes,” Mr. Chalfant said. “It has transformed the scene internationally, where everybody can find out everything they need and link up with people.”

The site’s current mix of elaborate pieces and quickly written tags also underscores a tension in a community of artists that now spans several generations. To some younger artists, the beauty of an intricate wall done with permission — and time to spare — is no match for the adrenaline rush of fast and dirty bombing on the sly.

“You could paint 100 pieces legally, put them on the Internet, and somebody in Germany will say, ‘Wow!’ But they won’t know that the writer took no risks,” Mr. Felisbret said. “Face it, there are two ways to get credibility — artistic merit or the assumption of risk. And for traditionalists, the assumption of risk carries far more value in the culture.”

That might be why some European aficionados arrive and immediately start asking how they can paint the side of a train. (Mr. Felisbret says some also think that teenagers rule the city and all graffiti writers are break dancers.)

“They have this idealized view of the culture,” he said. “They have fetishized something that does not exist anymore.”

The teenagers who could once slip through fences and dart among the rails are now middle aged. Some, like Mr. Felisbret, stopped writing graffiti long ago and embarked on more mainstream jobs in the arts. Others, like Joe Lopez, consider themselves weekend writers who don’t need to break the law to pursue their art.

“You get a job, you make some money, you get married and things slow down after a while,” said Mr. Lopez, 52, who started tagging CLYDE when he was a teenager in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. “The last time I did the trains was in the ’70s. Then I branched out to other things, Central Park.”

Where? “The whole park,” he said. “The rowboats, everything. Every boat was mine. For about two years I burned it.”

Now his name can be found — legally — on walls in the Inwood section of Manhattan, not far from the fabled “ghost yard,” a sprawling maintenance depot that runs north of 207th Street along 10th Avenue. He does his art for fun, not for money — and with permission from landlords.

“I don’t have to hustle,” he said. “I have a good job.”

His days of sneaking into a train yard are over. He can walk in through the gate.

“I work for the Transit Authority,” Mr. Lopez said. “Believe it or not, I’m a supervisor in the No. 4 yard.”

p/s : Eric Felisbret is no longer the young man who painted illegal graffiti. Now, in pictures and words, he records the work of his generation and a new one.

InsyaAllah by Maher Zain

Everytime you feel like you cannot go on

You feel so lost

That your so alone

All you is see is night

And darkness all around

You feel so helpless

You can`t see which way to go

Don`t despair and never loose hope

Cause Allah is always by your side

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Everytime you can make one more mistake

You feel you can`t repent

And that its way too late

Your`re so confused,wrong decisions you have made

Haunt your mind and your heart is full of shame

Don`t despair and never loose hope

Cause Allah is always by your side

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Turn to Allah

He`s never far away

Put your trust in Him

Raise your hands and pray

OOO Ya Allah

Guide my steps don`t let me go astray

You`re the only one that showed me the way,

Showed me the way 2x

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah we`ll find the way

Dia yang bergelar Lelaki

29 Januari baru sahaja meninggalkanku dan kini 7 Februari makin menghampiriku. Kedua-dua tarikh ini amat bermakna bagi aku kerana ia merupakan tarikh dua orang adik perempuanku diputerikan, Fatin Nadia (22) dan Irsalina Syaza (11). Manakala dua orang lagi adik perempuanku iaitu Awatif Nazurah (14) diputerikan pada 4 Mei dan Ainaa Syafiqah (19) diputerikan pada 25 Mei. Saban tahun tarikh kelahiran adik-adikku ini mengingatkan aku kepada seseorang, seorang ketua kepada keluarganya, seorang suami kepada isterinya, seorang ayah kepada anak-anaknya.

Lelaki ini juga merupakan seorang yang penyabar, seorang yang penyayang dan sentiasa memberikan senyuman. Apabila tiba saat ibuku hendak bersalin, dia akan bertanya soalan kepadaku, soalan yang diulang setiap kali ibuku hendak bersalin, “Hanan nak adik lelaki atau perempuan?”, lalu jawabku “adik lelaki”, kemudian dia menyambung “Hanan rasa mama dapat baby boy atau baby girl?”, jawabku “baby boy”. Begitulah jawabku setiap kali ditanya oleh lelaki berkenaan, namun Allah lebih mengetahui di dalam mengatur kehidupan hambaNya.

Aku masih ingat bagaimana aku sentiasa bersamanya dan mendampinginya saban hari. Dengan dia aku mengenal muzik, dengan dia juga aku mengenal Al-Quran. Dia akan menengking aku apabila setiap kali bacaanku salah dan dia akan memulas telingaku apabila setiap kali aku membuat kesalahan dalam matematik. Dia merupakan seorang tenaga pengajar yang amat dedikasi terhadap pekerjaannya. Walaupun dia mengajar di sekolah kerajaan tetapi keinginannya untuk melihat aku mempelajari ilmu agama menyebabkan dia menyuruh aku memasuki Ma’ahad Al-Abbasiah, sebuah sekolah agama rakyat setelah aku menamatkan persekolahan di peringkat rendah.

Pada tahun 2001 semasa aku di tingkatan 3, sekolahku mengadakan satu majlis dan aku terlibat sebagai ahli jawatankuasa pelaksana majlis tersebut. Semasa majlis berlangsung, guru kelasku iaitu Ustaz Aswad memanggilku lalu berkata “ada seseorang nak jumpa kamu”, apabila aku menoleh lantas wajah lelaki yang selalu aku dampingi terpacul di pintu kelas. Dengan senyuman aku berlari ke arahnya. Dia menyuruh aku memasuki kereta Toyota Corolla berwarna putih kekuningan. Aku masih ingat lagi nombor pendaftaran kereta tersebut iaitu ABC 6075. Aku dan dia sering menyanyikan sebuah lagu apabila kami berada di dalam keretanya “ABC 6075, ini kereta Wak Rahman yang punya”.

Tetapi kali ini dia sudah tidak lagi menyanyikan lagu tersebut. Dia juga jarang berbual dan lebih suka kepada senyap. Setibanya kami di Pekan Tanjung Malim, terus dia membawaku ke sebuah tempat di hujung barisan kedai usang yang usianya hampir mencecah seratus tahun. Dia menyuruh aku memilih sepasang kasut baru tetapi aku hanya diam tanda tidak tahu. Lalu dia memilih sepasang sandal sarung berwarna hitam untuk aku. Kami meneruskan perjalanan ke Universiti Putra Malaysia di mana majlis konvokesyen akan berlangsung. Aku melihat dia mengenakan jubah konvokesyen berwarna hijau pucuk pisang dan topi pengijazahan lalu beratur di tepi dewan utama. Kami yang lain dikerahkan masuk ke dalam dewan utama. Di saat dia menerima segulung ijazah di atas pentas, terlintas di benakku bahawa suatu hari nanti aku pula yang akan berada di atas pentas menerima segulung ijazah manakala lelaki tersebut duduk di satu sudut sambil menyaksikan aku.

Hari demi hari lelaki tadi terus mendiamkan diri seribu bahasa, tiada sepatah perkataan pun yang keluar dari mulutnya. Dia tidak lagi menjamah hidangan yang lazat mahupun kari kepala ikan yang menjadi kegemarannya. Dia hanya menjamah bubur nasi ataupun bubur gandum dengan segelas air susu soya. Setiap empat jam dia akan makan dua biji panadol dan satu sudu syrup heroin untuk mengurangkan kesakitannya. Tetapi baginya ubat tersebut bukan menghilangkan kesakitan tetapi hanya sekadar menenangkan jiwanya. Selama dua tahun dia hanya menjamah bubur gandum dan air soya dan selama dua tahun jugalah dia mencari penawar bagi kesakitan yang ditanggungnya. Daripada bomoh sehingga ke doktor pakar, semuanya memberikan jawapan yang negatif namun dia tetap bersabar dan pasrah dengan dugaan yang dihadapinya. Baginya semua ini adalah ujian dari Allah untuk melihat hambaNya tunduk kepadaNya. Sinar harapan masih wujud baginya untuk sihat seperti sediakala lalu dia membuat pinjaman kerajaan sebanyak RM140,000 bukan untuk kos pembedahan tetapi untuk membina sebuah rumah impian untuk keluarganya kerana selama ini mereka hidup menyewa.

Masih jelas diingatanku bahawa dia ingin melihat aku menyambung pengajian di peringkat universiti dan dia juga ingin melihat rumah impiannya. Pada suatu hari dia dijangkiti demam daripada anak-anaknya membuatkan penyakitnya menjadi lebih teruk. Beberapa jam selepas dijangkiti demam, dia dimasukkan ke hospital. Keesokan harinya pada tarikh 3 Oktober 2002 aku menerima panggilan daripada Hospital Besar Tapah, mereka memaklumkan bahawa dia sudah tiada lagi di dunia ini. Menitis air mataku apabila menerima berita tersebut tetapi apakan dayaku, Allah lebih menyayanginya dariku. Kini rumah yang tersergam indah tidak sempat di duduki oleh dia, segulung diploma milikku juga tidak sempat untuk ditatapinya. Sehingga kini aku sentiasa berdoa untuk kesejahteraan rohnya sebagaimana dia berdoa untuk kejayaan aku. Moga Allah merahmati rohnya dan menempatkan dia bersama orang yang beriman dan soleh. Bagiku dialah yang selalu memberi semangat kepadaku, dialah yang mengajarku erti kehidupan, dialah yang bernama Abdul Rahman Bin A.Khalid, dialah ayahku.