The morning after the blog before...

Ah, that's better!

After my little rantette about the Harry Potter phenomenon I feel myself utterly drained and unable to say anything really meaningful today. So, this post will be made up as I go along, instead of being painstakingly crafted for hours on my sweat-stained word processor.

Yeh right, I hear you all doubt and sneer. Well, you can sneer and doubt all you want, because I am today drained and empty of ideas for my blog. So, anybody have any ideas for me to write about? Anybody?

Ah well, looks like I need to have another cup of 3-in-1 coffee and see if that helps me to trawl up anything.......

Of course, I'm just kidding you, gentle readers. I have one very important topic to blog about today, but I'm just trying to put it off with the linguistic equivalent of what psychologists call 'displacement activity'. I am of course referring to my dear wife's impending cancer operation.

In a previous post I told you that she had been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer - not immediately life-threatening, but with the obvious unpleasant consequences of breast removal, chemotherapy and probably radiotherapy thrown in. She is not going to be a well girl for a while...

She is going into hospital this coming Tuesday and will be operated on on Wednesday. Today, there is a minor gathering of the Razak Clan (my wife's family) who are flying over to Kuching from Sabah (the other Malaysian Borneo state which is my wife's home state) and my son is taking time off from his studies to come over from KL. Even Prof. Madder, workaholic that I am, will be taking compassionate leave for two weeks, to offer what little support I can.

I know most of you reading this do not know me personally, and probably don't give a damn, but I would like to use this blog to express my thanks to all those colleagues, friends and students who have shown their support to me and to my wife during this harrowing time.

So, in no particular order:

To my dear Debate Club members, thanks so much for the lovely flowers and chocolates and get well soon card. Good luck in Monday's Yayasan Sarawak Debate Tournament. I know you can do it!

To my bosses and senior colleagues in my university, who have put up with my foreign nonsense and have allowed me the privilege of serving this wonderful country for the last five years or so, terima kasih banyak (thanks very much) for allowing me some time off to be with my wife. I will never forget this, and will forever be in your debt...

To my colleagues who will be sitting in for some of my classes for the next few weeks, you are bright stars that will shine on forever. I will shine for you any day...

To my students, who struggle to understand my brilliant classes (!), don't get too comfortable - I'll be back soon!!!! Keep practising your English and read your Harry Potter!!!!!

To my wife's colleagues and students at school who have sent so many lovely messages and presents, you are blessed, wonderful people. Thank you so much!

To anyone else I have forgotten - sorry! You are also stars, but I cannot count all of you...

And of course, to my parents in Europe who have been praying for us, and sending messages of encouragement, you are always in my heart, and I am deeply sorry for all the pain that my self-imposed exile has caused you...

And to my dear wife, and all of her family, I will stand by and support you through this difficult few weeks. Annie is my queen, my life and my light.

Take care, gentle readers. I will keep you updated with more rantings from Borneo as soon as I can. I just want to finish with a little verse from the Holy Quran, extolling us to have faith, and not to give in to fear and evil:

"Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn.
From the mischief of created things;
From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads;
From the mischief of those who practise Secret Arts;
And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy"

Surah Al-Falaq (the Dawn)