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| Friday, 4-Sep-2009 04:19 |
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Raya Shopping Atmosphere
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I went to Shah Alam yesterday to see and feel Ramadan and Raya shopping atmosphere. Wherever I turned, I was greeted by colorful baju kurung, tudung and baju Melayu. Chiffon seems to be the in-thing but I do not really fancy it cos it is transparent and need to be lined. For me, lined clothings are not suitable in this hot and humid weather unless you want to attend functions in airconditioned environment. I spent 3 hours there but surprisingly did not really see anything that I wanted to buy,not even on impulse. Last year, the tailor spoilt my baju kurung. Despite taking measurement, the 3 baju turned up a size too big. No altering could rectify them. What a waste and tailoring is not cheap either.
We had our iftar at Pizza Hut in Subang Parade. We never failed to do this each year since Syam loves pizza. I noticed that Parade's Raya decoration is rather low key this year. Everyone is feeling as sombre as the current weather, I guess, due to economic situation as well as the HINI pandermic. I love the kampung house in SACC Mall. Looks so quaint and capable of bringing on nostalgic moments.
| Quote: | Layman-Punyalah seksa nak upload gbr hari ni. Nasib baik Ramadhan...sabar tu berlebihan la sikit. Gedung Ariani? Belum penah tempuh.Sebab dok belah sini, jarang lah ke sana.
Zairin-Betul tu. Almari dah tak muat2.
Yang-Seremban tak buat sebab Nilai 3 dekat kot.
SitiHawa-Window shopping je. Agaknya fashion baru,tapi saya kurang berkenan pulak. Mcm kelakar je.
Brian-Managed to find a new, good tailor with the price as reasonable as in Seremban |
  
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| Wednesday, 2-Sep-2009 14:12 |
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I Found The Glimmer Of Sunshine
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The sunshine did not come yesterday but a glimmer of it did, today. I managed to visit my uncle in KPJ hospital. He was such a pity sight. Miraculously out of coma, is stable although he's unable to speak. He tried to communicate something to me but I was unable to comprehend. Being mentally strong, I pray that he will recover soon. Looking at those in ICU just now, really made me sad. It dawned on me how expensive the stay is going to cost if the patients have no insurance coverage. It will take a huge chunck from their savings. People,sometimes, have no choice but to go to private hospitals as the waiting list for treatment in government hospitals is too long. Nonetheless, government servants/pensioners are lucky to have medical coverage for life. Whatever it is, let's pray that we will be blessed with good health and meanwhile, try to lead as healthy a life as possible.
On the way back, I dropped by Muzium Negri, located near the hospital, to snap some pictures.
I'm proud of my home state and the strong foundation in life which I received/learned there but it is in Selangor that I spend the majority of my time and where I raise my family.
| Quote: | SitiHawa-Dari car park. Shopping Raya? Saya belum menempuh shopping malls pun. Tak kisah sgt nak shopping Raya dah..anak2 dah besar n shopping sendiri. Ingat hari ni nak ke Shah Alam meninjau suasana....kalau rajin..
Zairin-Yes...Minangkabau roof is rather unique.
Layman-I know why...the atmosphere there is rather...different . Everything seems so still.
PI-Tetap warga Nogori den walaupun sayang pada negeri tempat mencari rezeki.
Yang-Now that you mentioned it, I just realised that none of your sisters n brother speaks Nogori dialect too. Neither is Wani n Syam. Yes, Seremban still has the old,kampung like charm. |
  
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| Tuesday, 1-Sep-2009 01:46 |
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Torn In Between
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I have planned to visit my uncle in a hospital in Seremban this morning but the weather is so dreary. It's almost 10.00am but it looks like 7.00pm with promises of heavy rainfall. Driving in this kind of weather is not my strong point. I'm torn in between my duty as a niece and my own safety. My uncle is my late dad's youngest and sole surviving sibling. He had colon operation twice within these few months and now, his lungs seem to have weakened. He's supported by all kinds of wires and machines and in a comatose state. My cousins have been told by the doctors to be prepared for the worse.
I shall wait a while for some glimmer of sunshine as can happen in these days of unpredictability. God willing, I hope to be able to accomplish both, my duty and safety.
| Quote: | Ouled-Guess you are right.
Layman-Hari ni memang tak de sunshine,but I know it'll come.
Baning-Mudah2an -Ameen
Zairin-Thanks Went to see him today. Nampak berat keadaanya. Cuma kuasa Allah and kekuatan mental dia yg buat dia masih bertahan. On Monday,doctor had given up hope,literally speaking
SitiHawa-Ya lah. Dah berumur,mcm2 penyakit datang. Balik ke Rantau Raya nanti jumpa sanak saudara tapi tak tido sana. Rumah saya kat kg tu dah lama tinggal,sejak parents tak ada. Cuma jenguk sebulan sekali. Adik beardik lain pun raya rumah masing2. Tanpa parents,raya mmg tak pernah sama bagi saya Yang-Ameen. Mudah2an dia kembali sihat. |
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| Sunday, 30-Aug-2009 14:37 |
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Memories of Merdeka Celebration
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Zairin and me.
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Shidah and Ana
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Used to go and see the Merdeka Day Parade in Dataran Merdeka and Putrajaya with Shidah. Somehow, we just had to be there or else the day would not be complete. A few years back when Zairin came back for holidays with her daughter, we went to see the Parade at Dataran Shah Alam. I donned small flags on my tudung on the eve of Merdeka Day. The feelings were so strong then and my feelings are still strong today despite the various disturbing scenerio in the country. It's the country's 52nd birthday and let us reflect on the struggles which our earlier leaders went through 52 years ago to free the country. Let the spirit lives on. Each and everyone of us is dutybound to ensure the success of our nation. As Bank Islam aptly said in their Merdeka Day message, " We may all be different but on the inside, we are truly Malaysian"
To all my fellow Malaysians, Happy Merdeka Day!
| Quote: | Zairin-Tahun ni celebration is on a moderate scale in Parliament compounds due to Ramadan and H1N1.Only 1,500 public will be allowed in. Anyway, I dah tak de geng nak pegi. Shidah dah gi teman anak2 dia kat New Zealand. Lepas raya baru balik.
PI-Mudah2an generasi hari ini akan dapat menghayati Merdeka Day beyond the public holiday fact
Layman- Mesti seronok kalau dpt berbaris. Dapat berada di tempat perbarisan pun dah rasa bangga.
Yang-Some people dari dulu hingga kini mmg kurang/tak ada sensitiviti.Tu yg sering membawa pertelingkahan yg tak sepatutnya terjadi. They just refuse to acknowledge history and learned from it.
SitiHawa-Sambil baring tenguk parade pun tak pe,janji bersemangat. Kalau tertido pun,mimpikan Merdeka
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| Saturday, 29-Aug-2009 12:31 |
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A Lesson or Two In Patience
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Syam's. No jamming session since Ramadan started
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I learned a lesson or two in patience this week watching my ustazah. She listens to each of us reciting verses from Al-Qur'an and corrects us in a very diplomatic and effective way without the need to raise her voice in annoyance as we at times, accidentally,repeat a mistake. I've often heard of religious teachers who are so stern that they drive students away. Dr Asri in his Bahtera Perubahan programme in Astro Oasis stresses that religious teachers have to find new ways and means to attract people,especially youth to participate in religious activities and not be judgemental of them. Our group will complete reciting the Qur'an tomorrow,insyaAllah. My ustazah is an amazing lady. She devotes most of her spare time to teach for free. On non-Ramadan days, we have an hour of one to one session daily, at her house. I'm so grateful to have been introduced to her.
I have not been to shopping malls this past week. Perhaps,it's for the better to avoid unnecessary spending. I'm sure everywhere is way too crowded now. For those with young children, it is,of course, necessary. For children...what is Raya without new clothes and shoes....the moments will not come back thus let them enjoy the phase of life as much as they can. I treasured those moments I went through, shopping for the kids and my parents.
| Quote: | Yang-Alhamdulillah,kita di sini mmg bersyukur kerana banyak cara utk tetap menimba ilmu walau di usia apa pun. Menggunakan 'ayat penggerun' mmg akan menjauhkan lagi generasi hari ini dari belajar.
Layman-Sempena Ramadan ni,mari lah kita belajar dari org2 yg sabar ni supaya jgn kita tergolong dlm kategori tak sabar.
Zairin-Nasib ustaz I dulu tak seteruk tu so dapatlah Qatam masa darjah 5. He was very good. Foundation nya kukuh,sampai sekarang pun masih dapat mempraktikkan apa yg diajar and proses belajar semula jadi lebih mudah. U masih berpeluang utk belajar. |
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| Tuesday, 25-Aug-2009 01:34 |
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Between Bubur Lambuk and Bubur Kachang
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It's fourth day of Ramadan and alhamdulillah, all went well so far. I visited the Ramadan Bazaar near my house but have not managed to snap moments at the place. The weather was incredibly hot,except for the first day which was marked by heavy downpour. Some of my favorite delicacies for breaking of fast,apart from kurma, are bubur kacang, dadih, tepung pelita and all sorts of pudding/jellies. Back in those days when my dad was around, bubur was a must, every evening. I'm not into bubur lambuk thus I'm amazed at the crowds waiting for bubur lambuk in Kampung Baru mosque. May be, I should give it a try. There are many traders selling dadih but I was drawn to a small boy sitting alone in a corner with a rather sad face, trying to sell his dadih of many flavors. He must be new to the trade, perhaps to help his family earn some income. The fact that he's willing to brave the hot sun to earn some money was enough reason for me to buy from him.
I usually bumped into friends and relatives I hardly met despite staying in the same area, at the bazaar. This year, I guess I will not meet many as I choose to go early. I would rather brave the hot sun than the crowded area in the later part of the evening.
 
| Quote: | SitiHawa-I nak kena cuba cari rasa marvellous bubur lambuk tu.
Zairin-Delicacies yg I tunjuk tu,yg senang utk dibuat.. even for you all in Seattle...bubur kacang,dadih.Ok, I'll try not to take photos of other food stuff...Kesian pulak you all nanti.
Layman-Ya tak ya,kan? Free..patut sanggup beratur lama2. Bazaar Ramadan mmg mudah utk ibu2 muda dan juga tua....he..he...
Yang-Dah lama tak dengar perkataan kanji tu. You brought back the nostalgia. It's always good to do good deeds and atuk was well known for that. It's great that you are following his footsteps. |
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| Thursday, 20-Aug-2009 00:19 |
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Salam Ramadan
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Today will be the day to see the moon to ascertain whether Ramadan will commence...tomorrow or Saturday. This is my first Ramadan after resigning. If I had all the excuses of fatique and exhaustion from work for not doing more "ibadah" during Ramadan all those years, I certainly pray to Allah that I'll be able to do so this time,insyaAllah.. I've been included by my ustazah to participate in her taddarus group and I take this as God sent opportunity of a life time. Since I had only started my tajwid classes in March, I'm thankful for the faith she has in me.
Salam Ramadan to all Muslims and let's pray that all our deeds are blessed by the Almighty and may we take this opportunity to do more good deeds and prayers for all the blessings that we have been bestowed upon by Him. I,suddenly, remember the immense peace I felt when I was in Mecca. The feeling of performing prayers in Masjid Nabawi and Masjiddil Harram was beyond description. I'm really harbouring hope to be there again, God willing.
 
| Quote: | Layman-Mmg betul...tu lah sebabnya I tak sempat tunggu umur pencen pun. Bersyukur sgt dapat belajar selain buat aktiviti yg diminati.
SitiHawa-Don't worry,be happy. ...Hidup ni singkat.Selamat berpuasa
RnZ- Selamat berpuasa to you too
Zairin-Thank you. Kami juga berpuasa hari ini,Sabtu. May be in future, u can spend Ramadan here. Bazaar Ramadan starts this evening where u can find all kinds of delicacies. Most impt thing, jangan membazir and terlalu ikut nafsu
YaR-t-Selamat menyambut Ramadan to you too. Thanks for visiting.
Yang-Innallillahiwainnaillaihirajiun-elok sungguh langkahnya.. Ramadan.Mudah2an rohnya di rahmati Allah. Mujur Yang ada balik baru2 ni.
Ouled-Terima kasih dan selamat berpuasa.
Baning-Selamat berpuasa to you too. Dah masuk 4 hari |
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| Wednesday, 19-Aug-2009 00:36 |
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The Merdeka Spirit
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It's mid-August. As usual, my flags are already up! Despite calls from PM, I don't see many houses or premises in my area putting up the flags. Some will argue that it's not the only means to show patriotism. I fully agree that there are many ways but since it's August and we will be celebrating our 52nd Merdeka Day, is it so difficult to show a little more? I always enjoy Lat's cartoons depicting Malaysians daily lives and the Merdeka spirit.No matter how different we are in ideologies, we are Malaysians first and foremost. As Michael Ng of Seremban said in the New Straits Times, government of the day may change through the ballots, but it's our duties to ensure that the country sails through in peace and harmony amidst our differences and diversity.
  
| Quote: | Yang-It's true that many still can't speak in Bahasa,unlike in Indonesia where all speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia.Hopefully,we will reach the level of maturity required as a nation sejajar dgn usia kemerdekaan kita
Brian-I'm always proud to be Malaysian. |
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| Sunday, 16-Aug-2009 21:40 |
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Last Weekend Before Ramadan
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This is the last weekend before Ramadan. I took the opportunity to visit my parents' graves in my hometown. It was mid day when we reached there and the atmosphere was so serene. It has been 21 years since my parents passed away.Time sure flew past. I have never dreamt of them and I pray that their souls are blessed by the Almighty. While at my fourth sister's house nearby, it rained cats and dogs for about half an hour. Then,all of a sudden, it stopped and the sun shone so brightly again. The weather can be so,unbelievably unpredictable,these days.
Earlier on, we had lunch in Rahang Square. The place had varieties of authentic Negri Sembilan food. No wonder it was so crowded. I wish they would improve the ambience and setting to make it more cosy and relaxing to be in. Something like Neili's.
  
| Quote: | PI-Waktu tu dah terlalu lapar n terlalu happy jumpa lauk2 original Nogori tu, sampai lupa nak ambik gambar. Ingat zaman kanak2 ngaji dulu guna bulu landak yg tajam tu utk jadikan penanda dalam Qur'an.
Zairin-Tak penah lak dengar jilat tapak tgn. Kita org kata gigit jari. Tak tau lah kenapa org tua2 dulu cakap mcm tu. Kat sini,pulasan sampai overly ripe kat atas pokok mcm rumah my sis tu.Tak de siapa yg minat sangat.Lain kali u balik pd musim buah,ok?
Baning-Pulasan...sampai kering kat pokok. Kg tak jauh,tapi tak berkesempatan jugak nak balik masa musim buah tgh menjadi baru2 ni
SitiHawa-Kampung se kek Rantau, Nogori Sembilan. Memang best, tapi dah tak do org tuo,sunyi sopi. |
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| Thursday, 13-Aug-2009 06:37 |
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Be Thankful For Our Little Blessings
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A day before Syam's convocation, I followed Norlida to Al-Khadem, a house of hope for orphans, children from broken homes and very poor family in Bukit Kemuning. The place was more like a boarding school with nice environment and comfortable dorms,thanks to the generosity of donors. A couple take care of the place along with other staff who also stay within the house compound. The children called them mama and papa. Pn Salmah is Dutch by birth, married to a Malay guy and is conversant in Bahasa Malaysia. The moment I saw some of the children,particularly the younger ones, I could see some sadness in their eyes. Overheard one of them telling his friend that one of us was his mum, which was rather sad to hear. It reflected his longing to have a mother's visit which will never happen. After the afternoon tea and prayers, some of them took turn to ride the bicycles. Others played football while a few showed us around the area. One of the girls whom Norlida brought to her hometown in Perlis for Raya last year,asked whether she could do the same this year. She had no parents to go home to. It was,indeed, a sad scenerio. Children from priviledged background should,once a while, visit such homes to realise how lucky they actually are and why they should be thankful for their blessings.
I read about Dr Jemilah of Mercy Malaysia in the papers today. I really admire her commitment to charity work. I wish I have the resources,strength and will power to do the same. My letter to Editor appeared in Star today. I write to the papers on and off if there are issues that I feel like giving my views on.
| Quote: | Ouled-Mmg mereka org yg hebat dan patut dicontohi.
Zairin-InsyaAllah,bila u balik,kita boleh visit mereka dan rumah2 lain jugak. As for volunteering, insyaAllah,ada dlm perancangan. Norlida n me thought of taking them out on weekends,once a while
Yang-Alhamdulillah. Mudah2an usaha Yang diberkati and let's do whatever we can,setakat termampu, to help the underpriviledge. |
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