A well-laid out plan

I had it all well planned for the last 3 months of 2010. Amidst the commitments attending numerous meetings for ISM, Board of Quantity Surveyors and the Construction Industry Development Board, I had scheduled my own professional and personal agenda which fit in well within each month. Amongst these were a 2-day assignment in Miri and a 5-day assignment in KL in October, off to India for a 10-day technical cum social visit in November and I would finished the year with a 12-day umrah trip in December. However, one by one started to crumble and left me with nothing!!!!

It all started in early October when the organiser informed me the 2-day assignment would be postponed from October to November and venue changed from Miri to Bintulu. Okay I adjusted some meetings to accomodate that and equally excited as I could extend the stay for a family vacation as we've never been to Bintulu. Then I was informed that the 5-day assignment would also be postponed to November and venue changed to Langkawi. Okay - I juggled that too within November and getting more excited as this could also turn into work cum holiday/shopping vacation. Then I realised that the umrah trip would be in early December. This was when the crack in my well-laid out schedule began. Something had to give as it would be too short a time for me to recuperate from the India trip to my Umrah trip and further more there would be problems in the application of visas which both required my passport. So mistake No.1 was cancelling  my participation to the India trip.

The 5-day assignment was again rescheduled to early December which clashed with my umrah trip. So mistake No.2 was rejecting that 5-day assignment as later I was informed that the umrah trip would be postponed towards the end of December. Tail between my legs I sms the organiser if they would still be interested to appoint me for the 5-day assignment. No answer - I guess that meant a No thank you. I was asked to take up another assignment which clashed with the 2-day in Bintulu. Mistake No.3 was rejecting that additional assignment because as it turned out the Bintulu one was subsequently cancelled. And the last straw was when I was informed that the Umrah would be cancelled as the Saudi government decided not to issue any visa for the month of December. So mistake No.4 was hoping for a miracle to happen.

They say if you fail to plan than you plan to fail. Yes true but even a well-laid out plan is not meant to be if God so decide. Kita bisa merancang Tuhan menentukan. So now I have this long month holiday with no where to go as most hotels would be fully booked by now. I can just imagine my children going "Ma - I'm bored!!!" and my daughter rolling her eyes.

9

The perfect date of 10.10.10 and the incredibly once-in-a-lifetime 20.10.2010 came and gone. However not much happened to me on those dates. The numbers 1 and 2 had never been my number in terms of position in class during my tertiary education. I was an average student just enough to carry me forward just cukup-cukup makan. But I had just realized the uncanny significance of number 9 in my life. I was born in 1959 at 9.00am with a birth cert no. 308989, was  the youngest of 9 siblings, my car plate is 9900, was the 49th president of ISM in 2009, completed my PhD in 2009, and perform my Haj in 2009. I worked on the 9th floor in JKR, 9th floor at Menara Semantan, and 9th floor at Faber Tower.

My sister passed away in September 1979 and part of me also died that day. Familywise - I was engaged in the month of September and was supposed to be married a year later in September (but was brought forward by my then fiance who wanted to be married as soon as possible and thus we were married in december).  My husband is from Negeri Sembilan, the 9 from a family of 12, his first car plate was 49, now his carplate is 9905, his hostel room no. was 49, our rented house when we were in UK was 45 (4+5=9) and his office in Techart was on the 9th floor of the MARA building. My kids were born in 1986, 1989 and the youngest in 1991.

Workwise, I started work in JKR in 1981(8+1=9), left JKR in 1994 to join the private sector and in 1999 became a Director of a project management consultancy firm.   I was working long hours at work - my wake-up call came in late 1999 when I called my daughter to inform her yet again that I would be coming home late at 9.00. Without missing a beat she innocently asked whether it would be 9.00 at night or 9.00 the next morning!!.

It seems that the number 9 is an incredible number that when any number multiplied by 9 results in digits that always add to nine. Example, 9x2=18 and 1+8=9, 9x3=27 and 2+7=9, 9x4=36 and 3+6=9 .... and so on. I googled the number 9 and it said that according to the Chinese 9 is the luckiest of all the single-digit numbers, it is a homonym (?) for "everlasting" and brings a long life filled with happiness, friendship and love. According to Indian numerology 9 means a humanist, will love unconditionally and work ceaselessly. I guess these could be true as I enjoyed my life and love to "dressed to the nines" and whatever I do I would be passionate about it and "ready to go the whole nine yards"!