just minishorts.

It's 7.30 pm right now, I can here the Maghrib prayers from where I am sitting right now, at the office.

It's almost 'merdeka', just in a few minutes I hope.

*HOPING THAT THE BOSS DOESN'T CALL ME IN FOR A NEXT MEETING.*

I think its funny how in some industries, Merdeka means more work for the workers.

It's just two more weeks two more weeks plus another year to our 50th anniversary.

(I got sidetracked up there! Argh… well it's 'cos starting this National Day, we'll all be working towards Malaysia's 50th Anniversary and the word Golden Jubilee keeps ringing in my head due to work…). Mohon maaf semua.

You know how it is for most people, hitting 50 years means you've arrived at several milestones. Like having been in existence for 50-earth years, and being through thick and thin so many times that you feel like you're qualified to call yourself an experienced old guy.

Sometimes you want to celebrate, but you're also brought back to earth with the undesirable realities. Being 50 also means you're less agile, and not so healthy anymore, that you need to take extra care with the food you take. It also means that having been on earth for such a long time has lend you the fortune of getting many friends, and an equally dismal number of enemies.

For some people, you can count the friends on one hand, but you don't know who your enemies are.

It's a difficult time, being 50. So many things to celebrate, yet so many things to be wary of.

If you have children, it really depends on their ages. Most people who're around 50 have kids in their adolescent years. So it's a terribly difficult time. I remember when my parents were around 50, I was arguing with them all the time about the inappropriate curfews that I had to deal with. We used to shout over the silliest things, like why I should be allowed to go out with my friends until late, and why staying over at Ms Popular's house was an important way to gain entry into the 'Youth Circle's High Society'. Not-withstanding that, sometimes I felt that my 50-year old parents had pretty anal requirements. They wanted As and Distinctions in my examination results slips all the time.

Well… everyone has his/her own misgivings. Being 50 years old doesn't mean you're seasoned to perfection you know? It doesn't mean that being 50 means you're serba boleh in everything.

Most people have many many many more years to look forward to after the age of 50. Many more things to pick up, many more opportunities to fall down and learn from mistakes, many more celebrations to look forward to, if the successes are achieved as planned.

OK. It's late. It's time to go home.