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"!