Thursday 8 February 2007

And Jackson Makes Five



The place was The Dorchester. The company was awesome. The Mr Fix-it was a genious.

He was just what you’d expect him to be. And more. It is not likely that I’ll meet a more soft spoken person than Jermaine Jackson of the Jacksons Five, lately of Celebrity Big Brother – he with the big heart and noble mission to help the needy children of the world.

It is very seldom that my children are impressed with the assignments that I do. But on that particular afternoon, the youngest cancelled his appointment, the second took half day off work and the third left uni after lunch time.

Jermaine or Muhammad Abdul Aziz looked very smart when he walked to our table. But he also looked very tired, especially after the rounds of meetings and interviews.

“Yes, I don’t mind going back to Big Brother house again,” he said jokingly when I remarked that the house must have been the only place where he must have had the most rest, away from fans and journalists. Even when we were talking, there were people who walked up to shake hands with him.

Yes, there was hardly time to rest after the big hoo haa in CBB where Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was subjected to the most appalling treatment by some of the housemates. And it was Jermaine’s calming effect that shone through during moments when Shilpa nearly broke down.
In my book, he is the real winner.

Since he embraced Islam in the late eighties, Jermaine admitted to finding such peace and calmness in himself that inevitably radiate to people around him.

“I’ve become a better son, a better brother, a better father and a better husband,” he said.

“God had blessed our family with this talent and it is just right that we should use our talent to give back to society – especially those in need,” he said, referring to his charity, Earthcare International Foundation. He spoke about the children of Africa whom he hopes will benefit from his charity work. He spoke about the environment and his concern about the human abuse of the world that Allah had created.

So, it will be in Dubai next year that he and his brothers will get together for an event to celebrate achievements by individuals who had done so much for humanity. But for now there’s plenty of work to be done to bring awareness and get people to come together and “erase scars of disease, famine, poverty and conflict from the landscape and soul of Africa and developing countries.”

And all too soon, it was goodbye and thank you for your time, Mr Jackson. As for the children who were fuming because I had sent them away during the interview, they were more than pacified when Mrs Jackson, Haleema, stopped and chatted to them.

And yes, here’s a message from Mr Jackson:

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's snowing? really? ooooh... wish it was snowing here, been a long time since I've seen snow! (I'm so ulu, kan... haha)

UglyButAdorable said...

salam kak teh..wooiii jumper jermaine kerr..interesting sungguh kak teh nie..

still snowing?? in london?? lamer dah tak snow raser nyer...

Unknown said...

KakTeh,
Alamak, glamour habihlah KakTeh ni. Btw,I'm sorry about your Jasper. I was devastated when my Tengku Chomot and Tengku Gebu died many years ago.

Mulan said...

syok kak teh dapat jumpa jerm jack tu.

btw, pls compile & publish yr writing la kak teh.

Rohaya & Taufik said...

Kak Teh, I can't wait to read your interview with Jermaine. I was glued to watch this CBB because of the bully scene sparked between Jade and the gang with Shilpa. Jermaine was really cool.. and he is a good example of a wise Moslem man who always tolerate and accepts differences of others..

Unknown said...

jERMAINE!!! Va va voom. That's the way to go Kak Teh. Can't wait...

A Mature Student said...

Kak Teh, can't wait to come back to read.
Snow's gone. :( Sigh! What a let down. My son was snowed in his halls of residence this morning. They were all waiting for someone to come and dig the snow away.
Jasper? What happened?
I think that's the end of Celebrity Big Brother but I never watch it anyway until the Shopa incident.

wonda said...

Sorry, to hear about Jasper. Will read your post when my eye is better. Thank you for reading my travel story and commenting on it. Just to show my thanks, please hop over. I'm back temporarily.

ManaL said...

And i'll be there....Jackson 5.

Snow settled view at hyde park: priceless.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Teh,

Hope you and family not caught outside the snow.

Sorry abt Jasper. You treat each of your pet with so much affection. I don't mind being your cat.

Hope you have teh halia at home. It has a calming effect and besides the cold weather.

Fauziah Ismail said...

Kak Teh
Snowing in London while KL panas terik. We're told to expect drought in the next few months. But are people taking heed of our weathermen? Unlike those in the US and UK, ours had more misses than hits in their forecasts.
Jermaine Jackson of Jackson 5? Grew up listening to them and the Osmonds. Err ... ada interview dgn Osmonds tak?

wmw said...

Yes, it would be interesting to read up on Jermaine's story. Will be waiting....;o)

Blabarella said...

How are you feeling now, KT? Much better I hope. After we chatted, I caught H on MSN and told him and he was pretty upset himself, even though he doesn't know anything about Jasper or what he looks like.

H is in London now, staying at the Hilton Paddington, but will be returning to Cairo tomorrow evening. He's complaining about the snow!

So JJ really IS Muslim huh? I googled that before, and many websites said that he wasn't. Can't wait for that write-up of yours. You are SO lucky to have met him & to have such gorgeous kids!

Blabarella said...

Jeez, that last sentence of mine came out sounding all wrong!! Oh, you know what I mean lah KT!

Kak Teh said...

may, we were warned butI didnt believe it until at abt 5 this morning and I woke up to see a blanket of snow outside and it was still heavily snowing. And of course - a bit of snow - the london transport grinds to a halt..airport tutup...it seems a sticky kind of snow pulak! i was late for work.

UbA- aha...kak teh pun tak terduga boleh jumpa dia.

anasalwa, I still called out to him. Just now I was looking at Tabby butI was calling Jasper.

Kak Teh said...

mulan, insyaallah, one day.
Ruby, now it is yr turn to get me Sir Cliff Richard and nothing less!

Judy, our Jasper left us on Sunday. It is old age and we have had him for 10 years. He was very much a part of the family.
and Judy, psssst! It's shilpa , not Shopa!

rohaya & Taufik, yes, he spoke a lot about how religion was the calming factor for him when he was in the house. and indeed he was the soft spoken jermaine that we saw on CBB.

wonda, take care...and dont strain your eyes..please.

Kak Teh said...

manal, snow after being troddden by millions of feet..aaarghhhh!

hi&lo, my children complained that the cats are better treated at home.
It is still very cold although the snow has melted.

x-matters, di Malaysia, it is hujan di sana sini..so they cant go wrong.
The osmonds? hmm tall order - must pull longer cable.

Kak Teh said...

wmw, hahaha - now I am nervous as everyone's waiting!

blabs, thanks for listening! I know you'd understand. and H in London? why didnt he call?
and yes, i know whatyou mean...remember I am dyslexic?

Ordinary Superhero said...

'The' Jermaine Jackson? And he's a muslim? Oh how outdated the files in my head already.

Read in the papers abt the heavy snow in London. I think the Star got a picture in its front page today.

Anonymous said...

Dear Kak Teh

Ada tanya dia tak mengenai MJ, coz dengar kata dia yang suruh MJ pergi duduk kat Bahrin?

Tak sabaq dah ni nak baca you report.

Nani

tokasid said...

Salam to kakt teh and all.

Harap kak teh sabar tentang Jasper. Memang spa2 yg bela kucin akan rasa macam tu. rasa macam kehilangan family member.

Jermaine dah jadi Muslim for several years now and residing kat Gulf countries( kat Dubai ka kak teh?). I think his decision to hijrah there after becoming a Muslim was the best move he made. He went to a less 'dugaan' place. Maybe later he might go back to US kot?

taufiq nampak seronok jumpa Jermaine noo....

Typhoon Sue said...

kakteh...how come you get to meet all these celebrities all the time eh? I'm so jealous... not that I'm a fan of jermaine or anything.

so it's snowing huh? syiok nyerrrr... nak buat snowman..

demonsinme said...

Madam KT:

THE CHAIRS, THE TABLE AND THE CLOTH WE DINE ON
(my gift to those who are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters)

On the chairs, the table and the cloth we dine on,
mama serve a sumptuous meal,
a sumptuous meal made form the hunt that papa kill,
the hunt that papa brought back on heavy old wheels.

On the chairs, the table and the cloth we dine on,
papa carved the luscious veal,
while mama kept our hunger vigil,
so that our little tummies feel no shrill,
till we have the night’s fill.

By the chairs, the table and the cloth we dine on,
papa stood on the site with his pipe lit,
cleaning blood that his hunt has spilled,
and chasing out the winter’s chill,
so that we feel no gritting frill,
after we had our night’s fill.

Round the chairs, the table and the cloth we dine on,
mama walks with a clean white cloth,
cleaning our mouth from filthy froth,
while kissing the sleepy eyes under the brows.

To the chairs, the table and the cloth we dine on,
we haste a bow and a cheery bye,
and wish the leftovers tomorrow they will dry,
that tomorrow again on you we dine,
with the meals mama made so fine,
made from the kills that papa find.

O chairs, table and cloth we dine on,
we trust that tomorrow would also be fine,
there you’ll wait for us to dine,
when we wake after the sun comes to shine.

ailin...(still) in aalborg said...

Hey! You never dress up like that when I'm in town! Mentang-mentanglah Jermaine Jackson! cis.

Rockybru said...

ah,
sitting here at austin chase in bangsar with ena (3540 jalan sudin) and sheikh (kickdefella.blogspot.com). too much latte but we are ok. place is wi-fi so we sit with our lap-tops. i go to your blog and ena is now telling sheikh about how you guys were when you were back here back then.
i told them about your chocs and we then we spotted yr united candy up there. sweetest moment for the three of us.
thank you for the support.
hidup jermaine!

Kak Teh said...

OSH, Alhamdulillah, he is.
Aty the snow? well, in london the snow never lasts and there's just patches out there in the garden.

tokasid, semalam kak teh panggil tabby and kak teh hairan pasal dia tak pandang kak teh pun. rupa-rupanya, kak teh panggil nama Japser berkali-kali. Bila kak teh sedar dah tak tahan nak menangis lagi.
It really made taufiq's day when he met up with Jermaine.

Kak Teh said...

sue, well, tak lau lah macam mana. Perhaps I hang around dengan a certain Dt JC kut. Cable dia tu panjang and kuat sikit. He was the one who introduced us.
the snow? what snow? di london dah habis.

demonsinme, thank you so much for the dedication. am touched. I will now look at tables, chairs and cloth with a different set of eyes.

ailin oi, you mean when I met up with you tak glamour ke? Ish, kak teh ingat dah elok dah tu! Eh but you must remember, to meet up with you, kak teh bawa Robert Redford, kan?

rocky,
good to know you are wi-fied and latted. The candy - not one but three, have been there since day one.
and is ena telling the good bits abt us back then?

D said...

It's SNOWING!!! Hurrah! Made any snowmen? We made 3 snowbabies, as opposed to a big fat one!

maklang said...

bestnya kak teh...tak sabar nak baca cerita!

KopiSoh said...

kak teh how come you know all the fehmes people wan, come closer sikit I rub shoulder with you, hehe.

A Mature Student said...

Kak Teh, haha, now you really believe that I don't watch Celebrity Big Brother. I watched a couple of nights to see whether it was truly racism or bullying or what as I didn't just want to listen to what was on the radio alone. :)
Thanks for making me aware! Shilpa?
Sorry to hear of your loss. At least Jasper is no longer suffering.
I think if Alice came back she will definitely say I should be Chair of MCC!
When are you going to write about JJ? Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Kak Elle said...

kak teh like everyone I'm waiting for the big scoop with JM...too bad we don't have the show big brother over here.

simah said...

ni gambar ni kena frame ni akak...
hapopy betul akak..

*how the children tagged along*..ni tak sabar ni nak tunggu cerita :0)

Mama Rock said...

oh, how i missed blog land and the first thing i saw was you and Jermaine! wow! cant wait for your story :)

Pak Tuo said...

Salam Kak Teh,

I wonder weather you dah interview Eric Clapton or John Mayall?

well.....teasing aje.

Sorry for the long absence.Buzy sikit.

Qong Xi Fatt Chai.
I wonder how SOHO looks like now?
Still trendy yuppies hang out?

Wasallam.

NorAiniJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NorAiniJ said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Wow, bestnya dapat jumpa the Jermaine Jackson.

Can't wait to read more about the 'date' hehe...

*NorAiniJ

Anonymous said...

ensem anak teruna you tu

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

Thanks for your sweet visit to my blog. 'Happy Valentine's Day' dear.

I am so sorry about Jasper. I know that empty feeling with the loss of loved ones or something and in your case Jasper. My heart goes out to you. I pray your heartache will lessen in time.

Btw, thank you so for offering me a little excitement with the challenge the other day. Sweet.

High Power Rocketry said...

Oh JJ

Anonymous said...

Salam Kak Teh,

he he tabik dari sini! Ya lah, glamor betul, jumpa hang tuah lah, jakson la, lepas tu ada time pulak answer comment sebiji-sebiji; keep it up being so lively and active

thewailer said...

a'kum kak teh, waah peminat jackson five! I love their songs too!

kak teh, if it is within your time frame, could you please email me? I have some enquiries regarding 'puisi melayu klassik', malay history and literature, thanks! mariq.gem@gmail.com

Kak Teh said...

d, by the time kak teh balik kerja, there's hardly any snow left. In London, it is always like that. But i did take pictures on the way to work.

mak lang, sorry abt the delay with the write - up. suddenly tersibuk.

firehorse, can, can! You can be my paparazzi!

judy - here, at last!

Kak Teh said...

kak elle, i think too much of reality TV not too good laa. Stay that way. We cannot turn channels without getting one reality tv programme.

simah, hehe anak2 kak teh dah letak di website dia orang sendiri dah.
mama rock, where have you been? and welcome back.

pak tuo, I have not interviewed eric clapton, but i did got to his concert at the royal albert hall. nanti nak kena tarik cable kuat lagi laah.
as for soho...well, i think ithas its own charm and uniqueness!

nj, date? hehe!

Kak Teh said...

anon, thank you for the compliment.

ruby, the pleasure is mine, just some harmless fun. we will think of something else to spice up our life, eh?

r2k, yes, it was JJ.

has, hahaha, hang tuah, jermaine jackson...and who knows sapa pulak eh?

Kak Teh said...

the wailer..yes, kak teh dah hantar!

silversarina said...

Kakteh,

I've been ur fan for so long....Ni my 1st comment.

Bestnya dapat jumpa dan chat dengan so many celebs....I dapat baca pun Alhamdulillah. Tq.

Kak Teh said...

iloveujordan, happy birthday to you! I visited your blog but couldnt comment! Tak aci laa macam ni.

Anonymous said...

kak teh,

assalamualaikum. lama dah duk ikut blog kak teh,diam-diam. baru sekarang rasa nak join. u r my super duper truper senior kat tingkat 13. sekali sekala tulislah pasai awang goneng!

NorAiniJ said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Wow, he (jermaine jackson) indeed is a very soft-spoken muslim gentlemen. I can't barely hear his words even with my speaker set to maximum.

On other note, Kak Teh, I am all out on pokmang's suggestion. Writelah a bit abt bro Awang Goneng, after all it's valentine's day right.

Go Kak Teh go!

Anonymous said...

Oh Kattay , I cannot hear laa what JJ is saying.

Dengar sebut Kattay, Kattay ajer.

p/s kalau nak interview Eric Clapton, sound I cepat-cepat. I'll hop on the first plane !

silversarina said...

kakteh,

tq 4 dropping by....I dah open my blog 4 comments...

Still surfing ur previous n3s....tak puas...best.

KopiSoh said...

Happy Valentine Day kak teh!!!!
So how's the bus ride ah?

Kak Teh said...

pokmang, selamat datang ke blog kak teh. nak tulis pasal awang goneng? aaaah, cuba try baca entry baru ni...u think its about him ka?

nj, memang jj tu soft spoken. Kak teh nak dengar balik interview on my tape recorder pun susah. aaah, rupanya ada penyokong pokmang.

MA,ya - i simply love it when he says, kattay! eric clapton???guess what, jumpa Boney M singer and Patti Boulaye last night!

Kak Teh said...

loveujordan, haha! lama lah tu nak habis. and yes, i have visited you too.

firehorse, i did ask whether a cup of tea is okay? no bus ride - too expensive.

Anonymous said...

kak teh,

berkenang sgt dengang awang goneng bila baca post dia dalang blog pokku di bawah rang ikang kering dulu. awang goneng memang terrer dan saya salute habis dia bab-bab translate bahasa tranung kite ke english! pls citerlah sikit hari ni kang velantaing day! take care.

rawna said...

aunt!
haven't seen your childen for eons.. they are SO grown up and georgeous!

Kak Teh said...

pokmang, salah satu yang memikat hati kakteh tu laaa...pandai dia menyusun kata dan bermadah indah. Kecek omputihnya terrer laaa. tu dia kalau nak tau.

rawna, yes, you have not seen them for such a longtime. and shame on georgie for not telling us he was coming, or else boleh juga jumpa dengan saudara mara.