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"It's better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Journey..
Assalamualaikum...
I was born in Kuala Lumpur but I spent my early years in Muar before I left for England at the young age of 4. In Muar, my family stayed in a lovely detached house with a wide area of lawn, just opposite the VIP Guest House of Muar. I used to have a nanny. My brother, sister and I, know her as Mak Lus, though I called her Mak. She used to live in the VIP grounds, in a little one bedroom and living room house with an extended kitchen area and toilet made from loose tin roofing, planks of wood and do-it-yourself concrete floors. She used to work as the caretaker of the VIP house and she looked after kids in her spare time.
She is quite well known in Muar. She took care of a number of children and I was her last.
So everyday I used to spend most of my time at her place and at the VIP grounds. I used to picnic and play under a big shady tree, be on the look out for biawaks haha, play with the cats that Mak lus took in and fed, I would sit in the front basket of Mak Lus's motorcycle as we rode to my favourite tuck shop and bought sweets that would make my tongue turn blue, I would play with the neighbour's kids and other kids that Mak Lus took care of before me, I would wrestle with boys, I would have breakfast at the corner shop ordering my usual roti canai and milo tarik and I would spend some of my evenings exploring Tanjung Emas which is just a five minute walk from the house; I would gorge down ice-cream, play the swings and slides, feed the monkeys and I'd occasionally act brave and try the stepping stones.
To be honest, the memories were quite vague and blurry in my head but when I saw old pictures and I heard the stories my elders and the Muar community told me, the images in my head were reinforced and became clearer. Now, when I think back to those times, the smile it puts on my face and the kiddy joy I feel inside is comforting =)
Though, this perspective didn't come to me straight away.
When I returned to Malaysia in 2001, it was really scary and a challenge. So many family members and people I've never met, most I don't remember or recognise and some I remember but only because I visited Malaysia in 1998 for a few months. It was weird having people know my name and recall stories about my childhood that I could barley remember myself.
"Haaaa. Ya Allah. Ini Asye ke?", they would ask in astonishment (Asye is my family nickname, pronounced as ashee, unique kan XD haha).
"Ye.", I would nod my head politely, giving them as friendly of a smile I could.
"Haaa Ya Rabbi, dah besar daaah!", they would exclaim as some would give me hugs, others patted me as if I were pet, and some would just give me a look, standing there smiling, as if they can't believe I'm in front of their eyes.
"Ingat Pakcik/Makcik/Kakak/Abang tak? Dulu Pakcik/Makcik/Kakak/Abang ......" and they would give a little summary of how they knew me, the times they had with me and my 'perangai' that entertained them way back when.
I would remember some of them after they told me who they were. The memories I had of them were just some of the activities I did with them, but their faces were just a blur in my head and I had to match these new faces to whatever bubbles of thoughts of my childhood I could recall. It was odd indeed and I was shy and felt insecure whenever these incidences would occur. These people looked so pleased to see me, yet I can't feel the same because I can't recognise them.
I felt so 'on the spot' that I didn't know what to do most of the time. They would look at me, like a picture on a wall and as they looked on, a film of the distant past rolled in their heads and they would replay that moment in their minds. They think that I have that roll of film in my head too, but I don't. Sometimes, I can sense that they expected a little something out of me. Maybe to act the way I used to, to say the things I used to or to eat like I used to sampai betul-betul bulat till my parents thought that there was something wrong with me (and yes, that did happen 0.0). And after a while, they assess this new tween/teen me (whichever time they met me in), shy and preserved so they moved on to catch up with my parents talking about politics, family, kids, marriage, friend updates, work and talks of their past time together.
I would shrug of these moments and give myself excuses. I would think, "Hey, I really don't know these people. I mean, I'm grown up now and of course I'm different. You can't expect me to be the same little kid I was. I'm sure they know that.' And so I continued being bothered just about the present (which is the past now obviously).
I indulged myself in school at that time. In form 1 and Form 2, I was the class clown, making sure that a day didn't go by without having a good hearty laugh with my friends. I did acts, played with the long ruler, imitated people, talked in a variety of slang's, teacupped a teacher (haha, kena tawu cerita baru faham), played the grandfather clock game, sang songs, played softball with a ruler and a scrolled up bunch of paper and made jokes that didn't make much sense most of the time but everyone seemed to enjoy them ;D haha. Form 3 onwards, I was getting myself involved in tonnes of school activities; softball, mssd, mssj, prefect stuff, kiwanis club, lots of camps, Puteri Islam, chess club, running 1500m and 800m relay, took part in a country runs as well, lontar peluru, helped in school projects like the 80th school anniversary concert, Prisoner of Zenda play, Farewell concerts, debate and much more.
I was so focused on my school life, that I forget to appreciate the people that helped me to become that teen me.
And one of them was Mak Lus.
Now that I think about, I don't think I would be close to my school friends if I didn't learn the basics of friendship during playtime with the neighbour's kids in Muar. I don't think I dared to try something new or push myself, if I didn't overcome my fear of the stepping stones at Tanjung Emas. I don't think I would love animals (even though some do scare me a little), if I didn't interact with the kitties at the VIP grounds. I don't think I would be so passionate about the environment if I didn't spend most of my childhood playing outdoors. I don't think I would an independent individual if Mak Lus didn't let me pick my own sweets or ordered what I want at such a young age.
I don't think I would be a lot of things, if it wasn't for Mak Lus.
And that's just my nanny. I wouldn't be a lot more things if it wasn't for my parents, brother and sister, my uncles and aunts, cousins and distant relatives, my teachers and friends and even acquaintances.
Every experience that we have with people, teaches us something. May it be just a few moments with any particular person or years of memories with another. May it be joyous occasions, tragic events, fits of laughter or just a small conversation. If we didn't go through what we went through, we wouldn't be where we are today, we wouldn't be who we are today.
A reminder to myself before others:
Life's journey is long. Though it may seem short sometimes, the amount of experiences we go through is breathtaking. We meet a lot of people during our life time. Some just pass us by while others helped to pathe the way forward. Some gave us a hand over a little stream while others helped us conquer mountains. As time passes by, some people stay, some people go. Situations change and people change. We look back on the road we travelled but we can't see a clear path. We've made corners, met junctions and crossed countries to new territories.
Yes, this is life's journey.
But don't forget the people who helped you get through it. Time and distance can wear at relationships. And when you suddenly feel the urge to make contact with them again, things are different and can be awkward.
But if you put a little effort and show you care, the awkwardness fades away. The time and effort would be worth it. The smiles you see are priceless and the joy fills up your soul just like refuelling your car with petrol. Making these people proud, seeing them happy and helping them with what you can, motivates and revives you.
Take a little time to keep in touch. Now that we are older, we can ask the things we didn't know how to ask before. We can talk about things that we never talked before because we were young and didn't understand things. We can help them in ways we couldn't before. We can save a little money for them, we can buy groceries for them, we can make a cup of tea for them, we chat casually with them, we can comfort them or give em a call.
And even if we don't do much, sometimes it's the little things that matter.
Care for those who cared for you. Appreciate them =)
Assalamualaikum...
I was born in Kuala Lumpur but I spent my early years in Muar before I left for England at the young age of 4. In Muar, my family stayed in a lovely detached house with a wide area of lawn, just opposite the VIP Guest House of Muar. I used to have a nanny. My brother, sister and I, know her as Mak Lus, though I called her Mak. She used to live in the VIP grounds, in a little one bedroom and living room house with an extended kitchen area and toilet made from loose tin roofing, planks of wood and do-it-yourself concrete floors. She used to work as the caretaker of the VIP house and she looked after kids in her spare time.
She is quite well known in Muar. She took care of a number of children and I was her last.
So everyday I used to spend most of my time at her place and at the VIP grounds. I used to picnic and play under a big shady tree, be on the look out for biawaks haha, play with the cats that Mak lus took in and fed, I would sit in the front basket of Mak Lus's motorcycle as we rode to my favourite tuck shop and bought sweets that would make my tongue turn blue, I would play with the neighbour's kids and other kids that Mak Lus took care of before me, I would wrestle with boys, I would have breakfast at the corner shop ordering my usual roti canai and milo tarik and I would spend some of my evenings exploring Tanjung Emas which is just a five minute walk from the house; I would gorge down ice-cream, play the swings and slides, feed the monkeys and I'd occasionally act brave and try the stepping stones.
To be honest, the memories were quite vague and blurry in my head but when I saw old pictures and I heard the stories my elders and the Muar community told me, the images in my head were reinforced and became clearer. Now, when I think back to those times, the smile it puts on my face and the kiddy joy I feel inside is comforting =)
Though, this perspective didn't come to me straight away.
When I returned to Malaysia in 2001, it was really scary and a challenge. So many family members and people I've never met, most I don't remember or recognise and some I remember but only because I visited Malaysia in 1998 for a few months. It was weird having people know my name and recall stories about my childhood that I could barley remember myself.
"Haaaa. Ya Allah. Ini Asye ke?", they would ask in astonishment (Asye is my family nickname, pronounced as ashee, unique kan XD haha).
"Ye.", I would nod my head politely, giving them as friendly of a smile I could.
"Haaa Ya Rabbi, dah besar daaah!", they would exclaim as some would give me hugs, others patted me as if I were pet, and some would just give me a look, standing there smiling, as if they can't believe I'm in front of their eyes.
"Ingat Pakcik/Makcik/Kakak/Abang tak? Dulu Pakcik/Makcik/Kakak/Abang ......" and they would give a little summary of how they knew me, the times they had with me and my 'perangai' that entertained them way back when.
I would remember some of them after they told me who they were. The memories I had of them were just some of the activities I did with them, but their faces were just a blur in my head and I had to match these new faces to whatever bubbles of thoughts of my childhood I could recall. It was odd indeed and I was shy and felt insecure whenever these incidences would occur. These people looked so pleased to see me, yet I can't feel the same because I can't recognise them.
I felt so 'on the spot' that I didn't know what to do most of the time. They would look at me, like a picture on a wall and as they looked on, a film of the distant past rolled in their heads and they would replay that moment in their minds. They think that I have that roll of film in my head too, but I don't. Sometimes, I can sense that they expected a little something out of me. Maybe to act the way I used to, to say the things I used to or to eat like I used to sampai betul-betul bulat till my parents thought that there was something wrong with me (and yes, that did happen 0.0). And after a while, they assess this new tween/teen me (whichever time they met me in), shy and preserved so they moved on to catch up with my parents talking about politics, family, kids, marriage, friend updates, work and talks of their past time together.
I would shrug of these moments and give myself excuses. I would think, "Hey, I really don't know these people. I mean, I'm grown up now and of course I'm different. You can't expect me to be the same little kid I was. I'm sure they know that.' And so I continued being bothered just about the present (which is the past now obviously).
I indulged myself in school at that time. In form 1 and Form 2, I was the class clown, making sure that a day didn't go by without having a good hearty laugh with my friends. I did acts, played with the long ruler, imitated people, talked in a variety of slang's, teacupped a teacher (haha, kena tawu cerita baru faham), played the grandfather clock game, sang songs, played softball with a ruler and a scrolled up bunch of paper and made jokes that didn't make much sense most of the time but everyone seemed to enjoy them ;D haha. Form 3 onwards, I was getting myself involved in tonnes of school activities; softball, mssd, mssj, prefect stuff, kiwanis club, lots of camps, Puteri Islam, chess club, running 1500m and 800m relay, took part in a country runs as well, lontar peluru, helped in school projects like the 80th school anniversary concert, Prisoner of Zenda play, Farewell concerts, debate and much more.
I was so focused on my school life, that I forget to appreciate the people that helped me to become that teen me.
And one of them was Mak Lus.
Now that I think about, I don't think I would be close to my school friends if I didn't learn the basics of friendship during playtime with the neighbour's kids in Muar. I don't think I dared to try something new or push myself, if I didn't overcome my fear of the stepping stones at Tanjung Emas. I don't think I would love animals (even though some do scare me a little), if I didn't interact with the kitties at the VIP grounds. I don't think I would be so passionate about the environment if I didn't spend most of my childhood playing outdoors. I don't think I would an independent individual if Mak Lus didn't let me pick my own sweets or ordered what I want at such a young age.
I don't think I would be a lot of things, if it wasn't for Mak Lus.
And that's just my nanny. I wouldn't be a lot more things if it wasn't for my parents, brother and sister, my uncles and aunts, cousins and distant relatives, my teachers and friends and even acquaintances.
Every experience that we have with people, teaches us something. May it be just a few moments with any particular person or years of memories with another. May it be joyous occasions, tragic events, fits of laughter or just a small conversation. If we didn't go through what we went through, we wouldn't be where we are today, we wouldn't be who we are today.
A reminder to myself before others:
Life's journey is long. Though it may seem short sometimes, the amount of experiences we go through is breathtaking. We meet a lot of people during our life time. Some just pass us by while others helped to pathe the way forward. Some gave us a hand over a little stream while others helped us conquer mountains. As time passes by, some people stay, some people go. Situations change and people change. We look back on the road we travelled but we can't see a clear path. We've made corners, met junctions and crossed countries to new territories.
Yes, this is life's journey.
But don't forget the people who helped you get through it. Time and distance can wear at relationships. And when you suddenly feel the urge to make contact with them again, things are different and can be awkward.
But if you put a little effort and show you care, the awkwardness fades away. The time and effort would be worth it. The smiles you see are priceless and the joy fills up your soul just like refuelling your car with petrol. Making these people proud, seeing them happy and helping them with what you can, motivates and revives you.
Take a little time to keep in touch. Now that we are older, we can ask the things we didn't know how to ask before. We can talk about things that we never talked before because we were young and didn't understand things. We can help them in ways we couldn't before. We can save a little money for them, we can buy groceries for them, we can make a cup of tea for them, we chat casually with them, we can comfort them or give em a call.
And even if we don't do much, sometimes it's the little things that matter.
Care for those who cared for you. Appreciate them =)
Assalamualaikum...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thirsty for more..
Assalamualaikum...
SocialVibe has reached their goal of providing 8,000 school meals for children in need! Alhamdulillah..
14 of those meals came from my readers, yes, that means you! Thank you for taking a lil' time out to click on my Socialvibe badge and completing the activities =) Thanks to the Socialvibe community as well, for sharing activities and passing the word around to others to help those less fortunate. And of course, thank you to The World Food Programme sponsors!
So now I've changed my Socialvibe cause to support Water Mission. I chose this cause because water is a basic necessity, along with food and shelter.
Here are some stats to convince you to click on my Socialvibe badge! XD
Drinking Water and Sanitation
More than one in six people worldwide - 894 million - don't have access to safe fresh water.
More than two out of six lack adequate sanitation
Globally, diarrhoea is one the leading cause of illness and death and 88 percent of diarrhoea deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and safe drinking water.
Today, 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, live without even basic sanitation. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. That's 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.
On a typical day in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of the hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from faecal-related diseases,
3,900 children die every day from water borne disease.
SocialVibe has reached their goal of providing 8,000 school meals for children in need! Alhamdulillah..
14 of those meals came from my readers, yes, that means you! Thank you for taking a lil' time out to click on my Socialvibe badge and completing the activities =) Thanks to the Socialvibe community as well, for sharing activities and passing the word around to others to help those less fortunate. And of course, thank you to The World Food Programme sponsors!
So now I've changed my Socialvibe cause to support Water Mission. I chose this cause because water is a basic necessity, along with food and shelter.
Here are some stats to convince you to click on my Socialvibe badge! XD
Drinking Water and Sanitation
More than one in six people worldwide - 894 million - don't have access to safe fresh water.
More than two out of six lack adequate sanitation
Globally, diarrhoea is one the leading cause of illness and death and 88 percent of diarrhoea deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and safe drinking water.
Today, 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, live without even basic sanitation. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. That's 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.
On a typical day in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of the hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from faecal-related diseases,
3,900 children die every day from water borne disease.
Does the water in your bottle look like that?
You know what to do.
Click.
Assalamualaikum..
Reference: http://www.unwater.org/statistics.html, http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id=25.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Back in business!
Assalamualaikum...
Back, by popular demand (chewah, macam la banyak sangat order, haha), my beef/chicken lasagne is up for orders again!
Size: 30cm x 24cm x 5cm (family size)
Servings per tray: 4-5 servings
Delivery: Free, limited to JB area and mana-mana yang i tak kan sesat, hehe.
Price: RM40
Nak order 1, 2 ke 10 pon ok, insyaAllah i'll try to meet the demand. Please order 3 days in advance, it'll make it easier for me to fit in my schedule. Tapi kalau emergency order, i still need at least a 1 day notice cause my scrumptiously delicious lasagne with selected cheese and herbs needs a couple of hours in the fridge for it to set before it is slowly baked in the oven to have a golden crisp coloured top and oozy layers of creamy goodness with savoury beef/chicken smothered in tasty tomato sauce >_< hehe.
Contact me on my mobile for any orders or special requests.
You know you want to. hahaha.
Assalamualaikum...
Back, by popular demand (chewah, macam la banyak sangat order, haha), my beef/chicken lasagne is up for orders again!
Size: 30cm x 24cm x 5cm (family size)
Servings per tray: 4-5 servings
Delivery: Free, limited to JB area and mana-mana yang i tak kan sesat, hehe.
Price: RM40
Nak order 1, 2 ke 10 pon ok, insyaAllah i'll try to meet the demand. Please order 3 days in advance, it'll make it easier for me to fit in my schedule. Tapi kalau emergency order, i still need at least a 1 day notice cause my scrumptiously delicious lasagne with selected cheese and herbs needs a couple of hours in the fridge for it to set before it is slowly baked in the oven to have a golden crisp coloured top and oozy layers of creamy goodness with savoury beef/chicken smothered in tasty tomato sauce >_< hehe.
Contact me on my mobile for any orders or special requests.
You know you want to. hahaha.
Assalamualaikum...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The 90's rock!
Assalamualaikum...
I was flipping through the astro channels yesterday and guess what i ended up watching?
CASPER!! The friendly ghost! haha. Ah, the memories it brings back, hehe. My family and i used to record movies when we were in England. We would rent videos once in a while but there were so many great movies in the 90's that when some of them aired on TV, we would record them on VHS video. Now, we have two big boxes full of em stashed away in our store at home! hahaha.
Here are some of my favourite movies from the awesome decade of the 1990's:
Assalamualaikum...
I was flipping through the astro channels yesterday and guess what i ended up watching?
CASPER!! The friendly ghost! haha. Ah, the memories it brings back, hehe. My family and i used to record movies when we were in England. We would rent videos once in a while but there were so many great movies in the 90's that when some of them aired on TV, we would record them on VHS video. Now, we have two big boxes full of em stashed away in our store at home! hahaha.
Here are some of my favourite movies from the awesome decade of the 1990's:
- Jurassic Park
- Home Alone
- Sister Act
- Casper
- The Titanic
- Forest Gump
- Mrs. Doubtfire
- The Mask
- Face Off
- Free Willy
- Honey I Shrunk The Kids!
- Liar Liar
- Robocop
- Rocket Man
- Speed
Assalamualaikum...
Friday, July 2, 2010
Where's the fire?
Assalamualaikum...
I remember, back in high school, my friends and i would talk about how we would be like when we got older. It didn't happen in one long conversation, but overtime, a little statement here and there. Here are examples of a few:
- we saw ex-seniors coming back to school, who dressed more 'grown up', i guess? But even though they were grown up, it seemed like they wore clothes that would fit 6 year olds. Clothes that were tight was one thing but over exposure was a whole other issue 0.0 and i recall most of my friends commenting and making remarks like these:
"Like OMG, what is she wearing? I would never wear a skirt that short when i get older!"
" *gasps* Is that ......(senior's name)..........? What the? I can see her cleavage!"
- when we would be low on pocket money, some of us would claim:
"I'll save when i get older so I'll be ready for any emergencies or when I'm out of cash"
"Having an ATM card is so cool. But I'll only spend on things that i really need, not like those people who spend like there's no tomorrow. I'd be more wary of where my money goes to."
- Kiwanis members and Interact members and some of my other friends would mention:
"When i have my own money, I'll donate some/more to charity."
"I'll volunteer more of my time when I'm older."
"I wana help the less fortunate any way i can!"
- when we heard stories of our ex-seniors getting too involved or complicated with their boyfriends, we would question:
"What happened to them man? Don't they have any self-respect anymore?"
"Where's their dignity? Just leave the dude if it gets this complicated."
"Why do they wanna get involved so early? what's the rush? and what's up with hooking up with bad boys? If u know he's a bad bay, why even get involved in that kinda mess?!"
- when we would see adults fighting or not on good terms due to politics/positioning, we would ask:
"What are they bickering about man? Can't they just talk things out calmly instead of back-biting and throwing accusations? They're adults, they should know this by now."
"Why do they have to involve politics in everything and make things so complicated?"
- when we saw things on the news or got to know how things worked, we would comment:
"If i were in their position, i would ........."
"That's ok, but it would be better if ........."
"How can people just do nothing about that? We should ........"
"I WANNA CHANGE THE WORLD!!" (hahaha, i think i said that)
Sounds familiar convent girls? hahaha.
Anyway, back then, our lives were relatively much simpler; just school work and activities, tuition, home, tv, cs. It was easy to critique our elders because as teenagers we began to wonder and learn about adulthood, the stigma's, taboos and 'acceptable behavior' that went a long with it. We as the outsider, just being introduced to the world, easily passed comments.
Little did we know, it's easier said than done.
It's so easy to get sidetracked in the 'grown up' world. We have work hours to log, we have errands to run, we get stuck in traffic, we have money issues and we have laundry to do. In furthering our education, we have scholarships to worry about, assignments to crank out, applications to be sorted and dealt with. We have more shoes. We mingle with other grown up's, make new acquaintances, new friends and new relationships are built. We try to live up to other people's expectations and we often over-think things.We think about marriage XD. We experience different surroundings and we try to fit in and conform and we lose track of time when we're engrossed in our work.We spend more on caffeine and the list goes on...
Now that we are older (Nooooooo, tidak! i badan kecik lagi, still boleh pass as budak sekolah, muahaha), have we done the things we said we were going to do? Or atleast put in some effort to do so? What happened to the "I'm gonna.." and "I wanna.."? Have we compromised our principles because of peer pressure? Have we put our ideas into action? Or have we become the person we said we weren't going to be?
What happened to the hope and passion and fire within us? That feeling of wanting be somebody or help somebody. The determination to be better and to make a difference.
A reminder to myself before others, of course:
We are in our youth. THIS is the time to volunteer or help the less fortunate. THIS is the time to save money bit by bit for our future. THIS is the time to try our ideas (if it works out, Alhamdulillah. if it didn't go so well, try again. if it failed, at least you gave it a shot eyh). THIS is the time to invest in ourselves. THIS is the time to give back to our parents and make them proud. THIS is the time to make that change. THIS is the time to build our career (or in the process of getting there). THIS is the time capitalize on our strengths and work on our weaknesses. THIS is the time to learn from our mistakes and be better. THIS is the time to soak up as much knowledge as possible. THIS is the time to give it our all.
Don't be fooled by this world or get lost in it. Materialism, politics, money, fame, status. Hold on tight to our principles. Keep our eye on the prize and work towards them.
Keep that fire alive =)
Assalamualaikum...
I remember, back in high school, my friends and i would talk about how we would be like when we got older. It didn't happen in one long conversation, but overtime, a little statement here and there. Here are examples of a few:
- we saw ex-seniors coming back to school, who dressed more 'grown up', i guess? But even though they were grown up, it seemed like they wore clothes that would fit 6 year olds. Clothes that were tight was one thing but over exposure was a whole other issue 0.0 and i recall most of my friends commenting and making remarks like these:
"Like OMG, what is she wearing? I would never wear a skirt that short when i get older!"
" *gasps* Is that ......(senior's name)..........? What the? I can see her cleavage!"
- when we would be low on pocket money, some of us would claim:
"I'll save when i get older so I'll be ready for any emergencies or when I'm out of cash"
"Having an ATM card is so cool. But I'll only spend on things that i really need, not like those people who spend like there's no tomorrow. I'd be more wary of where my money goes to."
- Kiwanis members and Interact members and some of my other friends would mention:
"When i have my own money, I'll donate some/more to charity."
"I'll volunteer more of my time when I'm older."
"I wana help the less fortunate any way i can!"
- when we heard stories of our ex-seniors getting too involved or complicated with their boyfriends, we would question:
"What happened to them man? Don't they have any self-respect anymore?"
"Where's their dignity? Just leave the dude if it gets this complicated."
"Why do they wanna get involved so early? what's the rush? and what's up with hooking up with bad boys? If u know he's a bad bay, why even get involved in that kinda mess?!"
- when we would see adults fighting or not on good terms due to politics/positioning, we would ask:
"What are they bickering about man? Can't they just talk things out calmly instead of back-biting and throwing accusations? They're adults, they should know this by now."
"Why do they have to involve politics in everything and make things so complicated?"
- when we saw things on the news or got to know how things worked, we would comment:
"If i were in their position, i would ........."
"That's ok, but it would be better if ........."
"How can people just do nothing about that? We should ........"
"I WANNA CHANGE THE WORLD!!" (hahaha, i think i said that)
Sounds familiar convent girls? hahaha.
Anyway, back then, our lives were relatively much simpler; just school work and activities, tuition, home, tv, cs. It was easy to critique our elders because as teenagers we began to wonder and learn about adulthood, the stigma's, taboos and 'acceptable behavior' that went a long with it. We as the outsider, just being introduced to the world, easily passed comments.
Little did we know, it's easier said than done.
It's so easy to get sidetracked in the 'grown up' world. We have work hours to log, we have errands to run, we get stuck in traffic, we have money issues and we have laundry to do. In furthering our education, we have scholarships to worry about, assignments to crank out, applications to be sorted and dealt with. We have more shoes. We mingle with other grown up's, make new acquaintances, new friends and new relationships are built. We try to live up to other people's expectations and we often over-think things.We think about marriage XD. We experience different surroundings and we try to fit in and conform and we lose track of time when we're engrossed in our work.We spend more on caffeine and the list goes on...
Now that we are older (Nooooooo, tidak! i badan kecik lagi, still boleh pass as budak sekolah, muahaha), have we done the things we said we were going to do? Or atleast put in some effort to do so? What happened to the "I'm gonna.." and "I wanna.."? Have we compromised our principles because of peer pressure? Have we put our ideas into action? Or have we become the person we said we weren't going to be?
What happened to the hope and passion and fire within us? That feeling of wanting be somebody or help somebody. The determination to be better and to make a difference.
A reminder to myself before others, of course:
We are in our youth. THIS is the time to volunteer or help the less fortunate. THIS is the time to save money bit by bit for our future. THIS is the time to try our ideas (if it works out, Alhamdulillah. if it didn't go so well, try again. if it failed, at least you gave it a shot eyh). THIS is the time to invest in ourselves. THIS is the time to give back to our parents and make them proud. THIS is the time to make that change. THIS is the time to build our career (or in the process of getting there). THIS is the time capitalize on our strengths and work on our weaknesses. THIS is the time to learn from our mistakes and be better. THIS is the time to soak up as much knowledge as possible. THIS is the time to give it our all.
Don't be fooled by this world or get lost in it. Materialism, politics, money, fame, status. Hold on tight to our principles. Keep our eye on the prize and work towards them.
Keep that fire alive =)
Assalamualaikum...
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The Basmalah...
Assalamualaikum..
InsyaAllah, and as I have mentioned before, I hope to make this blog one that carries a positive message. I've decided to start writing some posts about Islam. At first, i was (and still am) a bit apprehensive and unsure whether to include Islamic issues here. But now I've decided to give it a go and hope that it will act as a reminder to myself first, my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters and for my non-Muslim friends, i hope that it will help you to understand a lil' bit about Islam even though we may have a different faiths and beliefs =) *does peace sign with fingers* haha. I hope you do give it a read so that we can understand each other more and only through understanding will respect, cooperation, harmony and peaceful co-existence follow suit. Any questions or comments are welcomed but please do keep it polite. Well, here it goes...
The Basmalah
This is the Basmalah, read as 'Bismillah-hirRahman-nirRahim'. Muslims usually recite the Basmalah before reciting the al-Quran, before performing the ablution (air sembahyang), heading of a prayer or surah, before eating or before doing anything significant. For most of my convent friends, even though you're non-muslim, I'm sure your well accustomed to this term and some of you ada yang dah hafal the bismillah and the al-fatihah too. Habis dah berapa tahun dengar budak-budak Islam recite this during monday assemblies kan, termasuk pulak dalam kepala, haha.
But why do Muslims say Bismillah and what does it mean?
The Basmalah is commonly translated as:
Let's brake this down a bit. Bismillah refers to 'In the name of Allah'. The phrase 'In the name of' is actually an idiom because it doesn't make much sense on a literal word-by-word basis. The phrase 'In the name of' is an idiom having the connotation of with the blessings of, under the guidance of, as an instrument of, with the support of, or for the glory of. In each of these cases, the idiom 'In the name of' means submitting to, honoring or glorifying that which is referred to.
In this case, we are referring to Allah, which is the Arabic name of the One. The Semitic roots of the word Allah extend back several thousand years to the Canaanite Elat, Hebrew El and Elohim, and Aramaic Alaha. These roots point toward unity, oneness, the eternal power which includes all of existence and of non-existence. In modern English this would generally be translated as God (which is old English, likely based on the Sanskrit word hu, meaning that which is worshipped, honored or adored).
Bismillah then can also be translated as:
- By means of the very essence of God
Start with Bismillah.
Assalamualaikum...
Reference: http://wahiduddin.net/words/bismillah.htm, 'Fadhilat ayat dan surah al-Quran' by Ustaz HJ. MD. Yusof HJ. Mohd. Sidek
InsyaAllah, and as I have mentioned before, I hope to make this blog one that carries a positive message. I've decided to start writing some posts about Islam. At first, i was (and still am) a bit apprehensive and unsure whether to include Islamic issues here. But now I've decided to give it a go and hope that it will act as a reminder to myself first, my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters and for my non-Muslim friends, i hope that it will help you to understand a lil' bit about Islam even though we may have a different faiths and beliefs =) *does peace sign with fingers* haha. I hope you do give it a read so that we can understand each other more and only through understanding will respect, cooperation, harmony and peaceful co-existence follow suit. Any questions or comments are welcomed but please do keep it polite. Well, here it goes...
The Basmalah
This is the Basmalah, read as 'Bismillah-hirRahman-nirRahim'. Muslims usually recite the Basmalah before reciting the al-Quran, before performing the ablution (air sembahyang), heading of a prayer or surah, before eating or before doing anything significant. For most of my convent friends, even though you're non-muslim, I'm sure your well accustomed to this term and some of you ada yang dah hafal the bismillah and the al-fatihah too. Habis dah berapa tahun dengar budak-budak Islam recite this during monday assemblies kan, termasuk pulak dalam kepala, haha.
But why do Muslims say Bismillah and what does it mean?
The Basmalah is commonly translated as:
"In the name of God (Allah), most Gracious, most Passionate."
"Dengan nama Allah, yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang."
Let's brake this down a bit. Bismillah refers to 'In the name of Allah'. The phrase 'In the name of' is actually an idiom because it doesn't make much sense on a literal word-by-word basis. The phrase 'In the name of' is an idiom having the connotation of with the blessings of, under the guidance of, as an instrument of, with the support of, or for the glory of. In each of these cases, the idiom 'In the name of' means submitting to, honoring or glorifying that which is referred to.
In this case, we are referring to Allah, which is the Arabic name of the One. The Semitic roots of the word Allah extend back several thousand years to the Canaanite Elat, Hebrew El and Elohim, and Aramaic Alaha. These roots point toward unity, oneness, the eternal power which includes all of existence and of non-existence. In modern English this would generally be translated as God (which is old English, likely based on the Sanskrit word hu, meaning that which is worshipped, honored or adored).
Bismillah then can also be translated as:
- By means of the very essence of God
- For the glory of our Creator
- With the light of the One
- With the guidance of The Divine
- As an instrument of the One
- In harmony with Divine Presence
The two terms Rahman and Rahim refer to attributes of the One. While they are often translated simply as Merciful/Gracious and Compassionate, the roots of the words point to a deeper meaning. Rahman points toward the Beneficent One whose endless outpouring of love and mercy are continually showered upon all of creation, while Rahim points toward the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested in that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.
So, the phrase ir rahman ir rahim is a recognition and honoring of the very source of all existence, the source of all blessings, the source of all compassion, the source of all mercy who gives endlessly to us and who also responds according to our moral integrity, our harmony with all of creation and our love of Allah.
The central idea of the basmalah is that whatever we do, every step that we take, every breath that we breathe, is done for, because of, and through the essence of, the One who has created us. It is not us that does the work, it is not us that makes opportunities appear, it is not us that produces fruits from every action. We alone are powerless. The Creator has given us life and has given us the ability to move and think and feel, yet we are totally dependent upon the Creator for the very essence of life itself.
The two terms Rahman and Rahim refer to attributes of the One. While they are often translated simply as Merciful/Gracious and Compassionate, the roots of the words point to a deeper meaning. Rahman points toward the Beneficent One whose endless outpouring of love and mercy are continually showered upon all of creation, while Rahim points toward the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested in that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.
So, the phrase ir rahman ir rahim is a recognition and honoring of the very source of all existence, the source of all blessings, the source of all compassion, the source of all mercy who gives endlessly to us and who also responds according to our moral integrity, our harmony with all of creation and our love of Allah.
The central idea of the basmalah is that whatever we do, every step that we take, every breath that we breathe, is done for, because of, and through the essence of, the One who has created us. It is not us that does the work, it is not us that makes opportunities appear, it is not us that produces fruits from every action. We alone are powerless. The Creator has given us life and has given us the ability to move and think and feel, yet we are totally dependent upon the Creator for the very essence of life itself.
Antara sabda Rasulullah s.a.w:
"Setiap urusan atau pekerjaan yang tidak dimulakan dengan bismillah, maka ia terputus dari berkat Allah."
Start with Bismillah.
Assalamualaikum...
Reference: http://wahiduddin.net/words/bismillah.htm, 'Fadhilat ayat dan surah al-Quran' by Ustaz HJ. MD. Yusof HJ. Mohd. Sidek
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