Monday 4 May 2009

A Blast on a Birthday

It was supposed to be a quiet birthday celebration together, just the two of us. A whole day enjoying the spring Monday Bank Holiday of 1980; the first time I celebrated the birthday of my husband of a few months. It was a beautiful day but we chose to remain indoors, perhaps a quiet dinner later at Khans of Bayswater or El Efez, our two favourite haunts.

In spite of the hustle bustle outside the window; the whole world walking in droves towards the park, we refused to budge and sat lazily on the sofa watching what must have been a John Wayne movie. And then, it happened. First the programme was interrupted to show developments on the events that had the world glued to the TV for the past few days. It was to be the latest on the siege of the Iranian embassy in Princes Gate, across the park from where we were.

On 30th April 1980, a six-man team of the Democratic Revolutionary Movement for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRMLA), took over the embassy, taking 26 hostages; staff and people who had gone there to get visas to travel. They killed a hostage and threw the body outside the building,

This was my first taste of terrorism, bomb blasts and security alerts; with more to come.

On the screen, several men (SAS) were seen on the balcony of the building and before too long, we heard what seemed like a distant thunder; both on screen and from outside the window. It was real drama unfolding almost at our doorsteps. It was scary. We looked outside the window and people stopped in their tracks and were looking at the black smoke billowing from across the park. Within a few minutes, five gunmen were killed and 19 hostages were saved.

Yes, I still remember the evening of 5th May 1980. London, or rather the UK has always been a playing field, fertile grounds for foreign terrorist groups or freedom fighters, depending on how you see it.
Tomorrow, 29 years on, we are hoping for a quiet celebration, with four children and five cats.


Happy Birthday AG and thank you.

I feel a syaer coming but that will have to wait.








The one I prepared earlier:
Syaer untuk Sang Suami

55 comments:

Pi Bani said...

1980? I was in form five then. Can't recall any DRMLA, I think masa tu I heard more of the IRA stories then those of other "terrorists".

Anyway, happy birthday to AG. Wife dia bagi prezen apa kat dia? :)

Zendra-Maria said...

Happy Birthday to AG. Semoga Allah panjangkan umur, murahkan rezeki, kentalkan iman untuk hari-hari mendatang. Berapa batang lilin kali ni ya?

Kak Teh said...

Pi, I tau laa you muda! Masa tu I dah kahwin, and yes, you are right, IRA bermaharajalela masa tu.

Prezen for AG? nanti esok baru boleh post gambarnya. Kalau hari ni spoil sikit.

Zendra, thanks. Lilin? Well, suffice to say if we were to burn all, they will trigger the fire alarm, and/or put a suntan on us around the birthday cake!

Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles said...

Happy Birthday to Pak AG.Seronok jumpa dia baru ni di Malaysia Hall.

I dok teringat,kesian kat dia dok cebek bag plastik penuh dengan baulu,tat nenas (almost dah jadi habuk),etc dari St Pancras ke rumah...hehehe..

Sayang tak dapat jumpa masa nak balik hari tu.

By the way, tak sempat lagi nak ke rumah abe Ajie/Kak nisah.maybe this weekend pi sana.

Kak Teh said...

Is, thanks a lot - semua dah nak habis!! jam tarts dah jadi sejarah. Tadi baru habiskan kueh Sugee. Nanti pi rumah ajie and nisa - jangan lupa remind duit untuk library.

Ya - its a pity tak jumpa, tapi tak pa, kita akan jumpa di sana pulak, Insyaallah.

Naz in Norway said...

Happy Birthday AG. Semoga panjang umur, murah rezeki dan bahagia selalu.
Amboiii Kak Teh ... gambar ala ala mysterious lady gitu...hehe!

Kak Teh said...

naz, hahaha - gitulah gara-garanya. Kalau gambark berdepan nanti terkejut pulak orang ramai!

kay_leeda said...

Yes, I remember watching the drama on one TV station news, can't reacll which one though. Didn't understand much about what was going on. I just knew that there were people taken hostage.

Happy Birthday to AG, semoga diberikan segala yang baik-baik, panjang umur, murah rezeki and ceria sentiasa :)

Kak Teh said...

kay, thanks for your doa and may God bless you too.

Since that blast, there's been many more - my mother used to worry about my brother in Belfast, London is just as bad.

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Amboi amboi! sexynya belakang AG punya girlfriend tu!

Happy bday Wan! May Allah swt bless you always... amin.

melayudilondon said...

oohhh kak, kasi ucapan kat abang ye?
dia mesti suka prezen tu.
tapi kalau you janji tak lupa makan vitamin + tak makan benda microwave, dia lagiiii suka. heheh

Kak Teh said...

Puteri, hahaha!sebab tu tunjuk belakang saja sebab kalau dari depan lain ceritanya pulak! Thanks for the wishes and will let the birthday boy know, if he hasnt already sneaked in and read the entry. Sometimes, he plays pretend donno one!

Melayu yang balik ke london, mesti lah dia suka prezen tu!! dan sekarang ni mana boleh lupa makan semua itu vitamin sebab dia bawa sendiri untuk dimakan! kalau tidak dia tanya apa yang dah makan - kalau teragak2 jawab, game over!

isabelle said...

Happy Birthday, AG!
When KakTeh says (writes) she's looking back at 29 years ago, I smile to myself. Bcoz 29 years ago, I was zero :P

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Hehe, another good Taurean in the midst. May Allah swt continue to shower the Birthday Boy and his family good health and good fortune.

Pretend dunno, acting dumb - Hmmm, another loveable trait.

Kak Teh said...

Isabelle, lamanya tak nampak. Busy? yes, 29 years ago ....that makes me feel soooooooo, er not so young!

GUiKP, ya, he can make donno one! very the taurean. You also taurean?

MrsNordin said...

Happy Birthday, AG!

And to MrsAG, hope the surprise is a blast!

ilene said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AG!

So romantic of your wife to dedicate a syair to you on your special day. May the flame of your romance never dies but continues to glow brighter by the day.

Kak Teh, can't wait to see the present you got for your hubby!

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Of course. Is action speaks louder than words, very the Taurean trait too? But AG is not a man of few words kan? Bilalah dapat a glimpse of that long love letters?

My word veri is birdi. Agaknya teringin sama nak wish Happy Birdi.

KG said...

Happy B'day AG...buku you I baru baca dua tiga helai...asyik dok lena saja i ni!

Nampaknya you Taurean mcm I jugak, Kak Teh awat gambarq tak dok sebelah sebelah...main cak cak no...

Kak Teh said...

Mrs N, sungguh lama nak tunggu nak surprisekan dia! The children bought him a Notebook, then we decided to give it to him at 12 midnight sharp. tapi dia solat pulak...and wirid panjang pulak tu...so, I told the children, I wait in the room - bila i cough dua kali - semua masuk bawa kek and present. Lima belas minit kemudian baru boleh batuk2 to signal to the children they can enter the room. He loves it! Now he can carry it around and do his work everywhere he goes!

Kak Teh said...

Ilene, I will try to post the picture of the Notebook. I am quite jealous actually because my children gave me a big one - quite heavy, but this one is nice and cute.

GUiKP, yes, tak banyak bersuara tapi bla tulis boleh tahan jugak. boleh buat thesis!

Kak Teh said...

KG, laaa, kalau gambark dok sebelah menyebah tu dah macam besa sangat. Macam ni laa best nampak intriguing sikit. lagi pun kenalah teka apa kak teh kata kat dia sampai dia dok tersengeh macam tu!

ummisara said...

Kak Teh,

1980 i masih di kindergarden tau hehehehe.

Happy Birthday to AG, semoga diberikan segala yang baik-baik, panjang umur, murah rezeki and ceria sentiasa ....

Awat hang kak teh tunjuk belakang saja???

MHB said...

Happy birthday AG!!

p/s: apalah yang Kak Teh dok kata kat dia sampai tersengih lagu tu no.. ;-)

nadya.s said...

happy happy birthday pak awang goneng. didoakan panjang umur, murah rezeki and stay hemsem selalu...

kakteh, kasik hadiah kaw2 sket thn nih :P muehehehe!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, AG.

And can I assume, by looking at the way AG was smiling in that photo, that Mrs AG has a wow!meow! woof! surprise for AG? Hee hee!

Can't recall the 1980 IRA attack. But I remember the 1993 one at Bishopsgate 'coz I was an intern with one the investment banks in the City then.

anedra said...

Happy Birthday Pak Teh!

Sweet Serenity said...

Pak Teh Dearest...Happy Birthday from everyone here... must find way to lay fiber optics down the seabed and connect your brains to mine so you can transmit some of your creative juices my way...May Allah bless you always...lots of love from oli on behalf of the entire clan...

Kak Teh said...

edelweiss, thanks for kind words and more importantly for the syaer tu. You memang pantang tengok syaer dan pantun, terus akan jawab.
Tak pa la sekali sekala tengok belakang. Masa tu ada cerita, jangan pandang belakang! hehe!

MHB, kak teh pun dah lupa apa kak teh kata kat dia. That was takens ome time ago, masa Dato Lat came to London and we organised a talk for him at Malaysia Hall.

Kak Teh said...

nadya, thanks - the hadiah is a small Notebook he can carry around with him. You shd see the look on his face - macam budak dapat toy!

Andrea, it wasnt the IRA, it was Liberian. May be if you google siege of IRanian embassy that will remind you.

Madam Tai Tai Again said...

Dear AG,

Happy Birthday to you! May your life be blessed with many good things in life, a healthy body and love from your family.

Kak Teh, after years of marriage you can still come up with a surprise for his birthday, huh? Terror tu. Still tak kekeringan idea.

Kak Teh said...

anedra and oli, thanks on behalf of Pak Teh. Nak extract creative juice dia? hmmm, nak buat ayark asam ka?

MTT, surprise tu pulak tengah-tengah malam. The thing is thatm we cld have given during dinner tonight, tapi, kak teh yang tak sabar nak tengok.

Mama Huptihup said...

happy bday AG, moga pnjg umur dan dimurahkan rezeki :D

kak teh sungguhlah misteri nmpk dr belakang mcm gitu :D

tahun 1980 i baru umur 4 tahun..tak tahu apa benda pun lagi haha

Memorable trails... said...

Happy birthday to AG.
Happy tenguk k teh sharing happy moments together terus menerus.What s the secret ya k teh?

Mulan said...

happy birthday pak AG..
happy lah sokmo2 nya..

"sang isteri menyapa,
si suami ketawa,
oh sungguh ceria,
pasangan yang bahagia.."

Kak Teh said...

Lyana, tahun 80, lyana baru 4 tahun? ish ish ish, mudanyaaaa! Kalau dan bila jumpa dengan kak teh jangan remind ya?

Madam Gold, mana ada rahsianya, cuma mungkin sebab kami duduk berjauhan dari kaum keluarga - tak ada lagi tempat mengadu dan bermanja, dia lah saja yang ada. Alhamdulillah setakat ini masih boleh bergurau senda.

Kak Teh said...

Mulan, terima kasih,

Sang suami tanya mengapa ketawa,
apakah ada apa-apa?
jawab si isteri, perlukah
ada apa-apa untuk buat mu ketawa?

Perbualan tanpa kata-kata,
ketawa tanpa jenaka,
senyuman tanpa perlu menyapa,
itulah kita, teman se ia sekata.

mekyam said...

aiseh mcm org dating! so cute. :D

happy b'day, AG!

selamat bilang banyak2 lagi tahun, both of you dear people!

DrSam said...

Happy birthday to AG abang Ganu kite! Wish him a blissful life ahead and senyum sokmo.

Baru nak tanya, what is the secret of staying romantic until now Kak Teh?

Chahya said...

Happy Birthday to your hubby AG.
1980...alamak, I'm still in primary school....vaguely concerned about world issues then, only cartoon and play.

Being together for so long with AG is a present in itself :)
Congratulations for his ?? bday and congrats to you too!

Bustaman said...

Happy Birthday Wan!
May there be many many more birthdays shared. Amin!

MY CUPPIE CAKE said...

wah wah romantisnya abg wan dan kak ara

Kak Teh said...

mekyam, long time no see! I thought you owe me an email, no? Busy ka?

Dr Sam, manalah ada secret mecret. You pun ada formulanya juga. sama-sama lah kita kongsi. Bagi kak teh, live one day at a time, no promises and no expectations. Insyaallah.

Kak Teh said...

Chahya, well said! wah you pun muda lagi!

Pok Ku, nasib baik ada Pok Ku yang sebaya dan sewaktu dengan kita. Thanks for best wishes. he has been worried abt you - dia ingat you sakit, thus he called. Take care.

Karim, ada laa sikit-sikit. Nanti kak zaharah balik bagi rasa sikit cuppie cakes tu!

lenzaidi said...

Kak Teh is never lacking in grip of her media communicative skill. That picture itself tells us a thousand words..caya lah Kak Teh!.
Happy Birthday to you AG.

Kak Teh said...

lenzaidi, ...and nothing escapes your eyes! Thanks for kind words and wishes. Lama tak muncul di sini.

Berisman said...

Kak Teh,
Pls convey my happy birthday message to the handsome man in the photo.
I must say this is a very romantic photo of both of you;-)

-Best wishes
-Adib

Fadhil said...

Salam Kak Teh,

I remember that Iranian embassy siege quite well. I was a scrawny 17-year old spending his first few months in London, attempting to study something at an A-level college in the south of the capital. The news of the successful SAS assault had us in awe.

Wishing Sdra AG a wonderful bestday. Semuga terus sihat dan murah rezeki. Amin.

Kak Teh said...

Pak Adib, thanks for the wishes and I will indeed convey the message. the "hemsem" guy is having his beauty sleep, hehe!

Oldstock, somehow I guessed you were around during those days.
It was really impressive seeing the SAS operating live, not too many casualties considering the threat from the terrorists.
Thanks for the wishes.

nadya.s said...

KAK TEH,
ada post hari ibu link to kak teh's article kt blog nad,.. :) saje bgtau.

cheers.

tireless mom said...

Hi Kak Teh

Happy birthday to AG. Semoga panjang umur and murah rezki. Moga celebrate many more years of birthday with you.

Mama Rock said...

kak teh, happy birthday to AG. and to many more years to come :)

Fiona1 said...

Kak Teh!
Thanks for the message. I'm privileged to have made your acquaintance. Can i add your blog link to mine?

Kak Teh said...

nadya, thanks for linking the article.

TM , thanks fr the good wishes. Insyaallah.

Kak Teh said...

Mama rock, thank you.
Fiona, It was nice meetng you and what an evening!!