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A PAIR AND A SPARE
MEEK N MILD
FLICKRBLOG
MI-LK
LITTLE STORIES
AMENAKIN WRITES
GET TOTALLY RAD
I GOT IT COVERED
DIANNA AGRON, BUT YOU CAN CALL HER CHARLIE
GOOGLE.COM
ROIWORLD.COM
INTERNET MOVIE DATA BASE
The Painter and The Canvas, The Parent and the Child Friday, December 13, 2013 ( 10:54 pm )
Recently I had attended a Special Educators as Learners and Leaders(SELL) Conference at Sunway Medical Centre and an International Education and Islamic Parenting Conference at Putrajaya International Convention Centre(PICC). Both had given me so much input on how to manage a child, be it normal or disabled. The SELL conference, organised by the Vijayaratnam Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Education and Child Development of the South Australian Ministry of Education has been a much much of a wake up call to what is lacking(very much) in Malaysia. There were a lot of things that they(the presenters from SA) had touched on and that included all the different techniques that they used for for teaching the children with disabilities, the application of the latest technologies made for adaption of learning for these children and many more. It would probably take me days to write a full review of the conference. Nevertheless, there is one thing in particular that I really like to point out. And it is rather close to us. JUDGEMENT. Yes, our judgement skills. You see, you can't ever treat a child with disability like how you would treat a child without a disability. There would have probably been one time where you walked into a store seeing this "spoiled brat" wailing and screaming on the floor, yelling about what he wants, spelling "tantrum" all over the place, which by the way just adds on embarrassment to the clueless mother right next to him. And there you are thinking, "can't she keep her child under control?" or "the mother must have spoiled him really bad. If I were her I would've done better". What if, just.. WHAT IF, this child has.. a hyperactivity problem? Impulsive problem? ADHD? Autism? Or any other disorders affecting the behaviour of a child? Because maybe they have a sensory problem? Where they become overly sensitive to the environment? Or under sensitive? Hence, causing them to behave in such a way? Yes? I get it I get it. Some people really go for the typical hypothesis of anything and/or everything they see. I wouldn't deny that. I've been there and done that. I'm pretty sure we all are blessed with frontal lobes. But maybe, just.. MAYBE, if we could all practice a more out-of-the-box thinking, wiser decision-making and actually try to observe and understand the situation before we put a LABEL on it, we could probably help a person who is in need. How do I help you ask? By simply not judging them in a way you wouldn't want to be judged. Because each and everyone of us have our own imperfections. And if we don't want people to judge, then we shouldn't judge people. The least you could do is TRY to put on their shoes, even if its a tad bit bigger or smaller than your usual size. "O you who believe, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers." (Quran 49:11) Then came along another day where I had attended the Islamic Parenting conference, organised by Brainy Bunch International Montessori. Montessori education is "an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development". This day is another day that gave me a wake-up call on how important it is to be close with your child, and how your parents raised you is not necessarily the way you should raise your child. True, I don't have a child yet. And it was rather awkward being one of the only few who weren't parents carrying their toddler on their lap in the conference hall. But if it means helping me to be a better parent to my children in the future insyaAllah, then so be it! The most important thing is indeed introducing Islam to your children and raising them with the Quran. In whatever we do, however we treat them, whatever we say to them, remember this, they are always learning from it. So the wisest is to treat everyday as if it were a lesson at school. A parent should not only teach, but should guide them and help them grow in the best way possible. Kids are innocent. What we do, what we say, how we treat them are what makes up a part of who they are. Each child is like a clean sheet of white cloth. It is up the parent to draw patterns on it, colour it and cut it in any way they want. Punishment is not always the best option. In fact, in this era especially, where children are becoming more and more intelligent than their parents, always seeming to know what to say and what to ask, I don't think punishment is much of an option. Rather show him/her the right way to do things and let mistakes be the best lesson he/she has. But don't only teach and guide them, rather supervise them too as it is also important. Have faith in them, and let them blossom like a beautiful sunflower(as it is my favourite flower. You can replace this with whatever flower you like. I'm ok with it). Punishment encourages doing a deed behind your back. Maybe once when your child was younger you had punished him when he had done something wrong. And probably that method never worn off. And the next thing you know, he never even dared to do good in front of you. So is that what you really want for your child? To think if I had a child, it might probably be very difficult for me to let him/her be independent, including the simplest thing like walking to the mart nearby or cycling with the other kids in the neighbourhood. Its a dangerous world. But is it ever going to get safer? And if by doing that would he/she ever grow to become confident have good social character? Would he/she ever grow without feeling doubted and not trusted? Don't forget about how you treat yourself too! Each parent should have discipline you'd want your child to have. If you don't have it, then how would you expect your child to have it? Like any organisation, a good organisation would need a strong foundation. A strong foundation would need disciplined leaders. With that, everything will go smoothly all the way, insyaAllah. With that, do not instill hypocrisy in your child. Because he might just lose faith in you. It sounds rather simple doesn't it? But how easy is it to be implemented? Despite whatever your style of parenting is, you'd always want to raise your children right. So during the early years of his/her life, you had the most control. You'd choose what food he eats, you'd choose what toy he plays with, you'd choose what clothing he wears. While having that ability to do so, use it wisely. As eventually, this power of choosing will fade, and will eventually reach your child, and will eventually be all theirs. There will be a time where you will have no say in whatever they had decided, just like how there was the time where they had no say, but you had decided for them. If you had treated him good in the early years, they will insyaAllah end up alright. It does indeed fall back to how you treat them. Perhaps in the old days, during our parents' younger years, they had been brought up by fierce and strict parents. "Do your homework after school. Don't play outside. Don't ask too many questions. Don't waste my time I'm cooking here. Be a good student. Get straight A's. Go to university. Become a doctor.." and the list goes on. But if my parents had still treated me the same way, I would probably be very rebellious at this point. Alhamdulillah for being blessed with parents that support me in whatever I do. Though they probably had no idea what Occupational Therapy was, the most important thing is that now they are really happy that I'm doing it. And I may do a thing or two(or three or four) that they might not fancy, thinking it might harm my safety or I might fall sick from it or I might get distracted (like when I had first joined the school band, which by the way was one of the best experiences of my life!), decision is to be made and you are to make your own decisions eventually. Because that is what growing up is all about. I had recently texted my good friend saying that "being an adult is hard" and "when I was younger I couldn't wait to grow up, but now I think to myself what was I thinking?!". But you know what, sacrifices, decisions, responsibilities come anyway even if you don't want them too. Its life. Its growing up. Its maturing. Its a husband/wife/father/mother in the making. And yeah, I would want that. Ofcourse I would! I understand better now that I'm 21. Hope to continue to become better in all these adulthood essentials :) Both conferences have been such an eye opener and I really hope I get the chance to attend again. And hopefully you could too! Til then! May we all be a good parent to our children like how a good painter would paint beautifully on their canvas. 0 comments Not Justice League, but My Family Tuesday, December 10, 2013 ( 11:40 pm )
Assalamu'alaikum. It has been a while. And I wouldn't be here if it weren't important. Say, you remember that time when you asked your dad for your first phone? When everyone else started to have theirs, it felt compulsory to have one because it would be "easier to communicate" with each other. Then do you remember when you asked your mum for that latest smartphone? Everyone started to use WhatsApp, Viber, BBM, and such, and communication became "much easier" and hence it felt compulsory to have one? And you just could not miss out on all those games to play and apps to use? And do you remember the time you asked (or at least hoped) for a car or a motorbike, because you felt that you needed it to ease your daily tasks? Oh you know what I mean, getting to class would be much easier than walking, grocery shopping would be much easier than to have to catch the bus, etc. Have you ever really thought of how much money it had cost for all of that to be made possible by your parents? Have you ever really thought about all the costs your parents had paid for you during your school years? Have you ever really thought about how much money had been spent when you first came into this world? All the milk bottles, the diapers, the clothing, and then you grow up so fast so more clothing, and then your first bed, and then your other 10,000 firsts. Now take off your shoes and put on another's. What do you think a non-verbal, mentally challenged or person with developmental disabilities would ask(or say to) their parents? "Dad, I need this gadget so that I can tell you what I like." "Dad, I need a wheelchair so I can move about in the house." "Dad, I need a different wheelchair for playing outside." "Mum, I don't like this food. I don't want this. I hate it." "Mum, I want to go out now. Why won't you let me?" "Mum, I don't understand you.' "Mum, Dad, why won't you understand me?" Many years ago I couldn't understand why this type of person couldn't understand me. But now I get it. This person has been asking me why I don't understand him... but he couldn't say it. But only show. My eldest brother is an adult with Autism (ASD). He is non-verbal, and highly dependent in his daily activities. He can has very few basic activity of daily living skills, however there still is a need of supervision and an attendant to help him out with his care. He is home-bound. And unfortunately there isn't much for him to do. Well, this country hasn't much to offer him. And I hope I can change that. He loves playing with straws or anything small enough for him to "twirl" with his fingers. He enjoys music (the Beatles, to be specific. ehem)and loves to make "singing" sounds. He is rather cute, I would say. Like the sunshine of our family. Though caring for him isn't the simplest task. He had recently undergone surgery on his right eye, as he had a total retina detachment. His left eye is developing a cataract, and again, an operation must be done in another few months time. When mum had said his vision might not be the same again, and when dad had said "Bapak rasa macam nak nangis", I had felt like I had just been hit by a bus.. again, and again, and again. My heart was broken. And only broken to know I could not be there with him, with my mother, who was caring for him at the hospital. Truth to be told, I had no idea what to do, or what to say. I refuse to talk about it to anyone thinking NO ONE would understand. So why waste my time chit chatting about it? When no one would probably know what to say to me? I strayed away from people, and at times I even refused to talk. I had felt so helpless, and the saddest I could be. I could not stop myself from becoming teary and the heart ached so bad. At a time where so much work had to be done, yet there I was trying to pick myself up, pushing myself to be strong, at least for my parents and family members. I had felt like I was punching myself to get through it. And you might wonder, "why are you taking it so hard on yourself?". Because my thoughts had gone to the extent of all the "what ifs". If my mum wasn't around, what would I do? Who would take care of him? Where would he live? What can I give? Where will I find the money to care for him? How do I become such a superwoman like my mother? Now why am I sharing this with you, if I had thought no one would understand me? After careful consideration, I had decided to write this post anyway. I may have felt that no one had understood me, but with this post, I can tell someone that "I understand you". It has never been the easiest for me to really "share" my feelings. But alhamdulillah, after slowly opening up, I had good support and wishes from the people I know. Many have said, "focus pada pelajaran. Jangan terlalu difikirkan." Well, easier said than done. From that day, I had never felt so much determination to be as independent as possible. I want to be able to take care of myself. And hope that I can be as strong of a woman as my mother. But Alhamdulillah, my brother's eyesight is getting better. Mum says he seems much happier now. And if he's happy, if mum is happy, if dad is happy, and all of my other family members are happy, then I am happy insyaAllah. This family of mine is no average family. Challenges come our way in the most unusual way. But Allah had bless my family with this special man. SubhanAllah, this man is with no sins. He is the man who was destined to be in our family. And this man is a gift. He is my brother. And I love him. And I am happy to be where I am today. I hope to continue to do good to him as much as I can. And hope I can be much of a stronger lady than before. Please keep him in your du'as. And keep me in there somewhere too.  This photo had really gotten to me. Taken by my sister after his surgery, it had made me teary, but with a little smile on my face. He may not understand what we say, but I'm pretty sure he can feel a mother's love. I love my family. They are indeed the strongest people I know who fight hardship in the most brilliant ways. No matter how far away they are, they will always be dear to my heart. Til then, May Allah shower you with his blessings. Amin! Dreaming with reality Sunday, November 10, 2013 ( 12:20 am )
That dream life: But here comes the real life: And I put it in my will to write this, to compensate a part that's hard to express with basic terms and straight forward sentences. Indeed that is me. May Allah bless us all and give us strength and patience to get through the trials and tribulations we face. Amin. Just Quote Me: Cory Monteith Tuesday, July 16, 2013 ( 1:30 pm )
 “Be nice to everyone, always smile, and appreciate things because it could all be gone tomorrow.” (Original quote by Ed Sheeran). RIP Cory. Goodbye Finn. It's a very very mad world Wednesday, January 16, 2013 ( 6:46 pm )
I don't know where to start. I just feel absolutely upset, and sad. As if breaking down in tears would be the best thing to do. But it's not. It's just... Man. I would just really like to let out a heavy sigh right now. What has become of this world? What has become of this country? Discrimination everywhere, hate talk, racism, arrogance, ignorance, and so on. It's a mess! Like someone just splashed paint on the wall instead of using an actual brush and painting it nicely. As if there were different coloured paint splashed on to the walls. Perhaps to some there might be an artistic value, but to some its just not nice to see at all. I hate it. I hate all the ugly comments going around the social networking sites. I hate all the racism and the pessimism in Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. And the hypocrites just make things worse. For themselves. And for whatever image they represent. And all you keyboard warriors, why don't you use all that energy to actually fight in an actual war, or even better, fight for the right of the Palestinians instead? Would not that be more beneficial? I would really like to see that happen. But you know what, I'm done hating. Hate's not good for me. It's unhealthy. It does me no good. So why bother. Because people won't change in an instant. People won't care if they don't want to care. I hope for only one thing. I hope all of these awful incidents that has gone viral on the net lately has become an eye opener to all. Open your eyes. Know what we should change. Know what qualities that we should avoid and should have. Know how we should go about voicing out our thoughts in the appropriate ways and how we should gain respect. It's a scary world out there. But there is so much beauty. Maintain that beauty shall we? May Allah bless us all. I'm gonna go now. And leave you with this song. Bye. Twins of Faith Family Festival 2012: For The Love of God Tuesday, January 01, 2013 ( 12:19 am )
Salaam! Twins of Faith(TOF) Family Festival 2012 has officially ended. Wait til you hear what I have installed fer youh. *Wink wink*  So this event took place at Putrajaya International Convention Centre, from the 29th Dec til the 30th Dec, 2012. I went with some friends of mine, or shall I say... sisters in Islam. ;) The program started from 10am until 10pm. There were lots of talks from various speakers, and other programs were held too such as workshops, entertainment zone called the artist zone, a zone for skateboarders, the bazaar, etc. It was definitely worth the price you pay when going to an event like that, because you know you're just going there to gain more knowledge from the best of the best, and the best of the best are from all over the world too! I also loved how they put in slots for entertainment in between a few talks. Most of them are British and American, so just listening to their thick accent alone already entertains me in a way. Especially Omar Regan's impressions of the muslim versions of Chris Tucker and Elmo and Micheal Jackson. He actually shared his imagination on Elmo leading the prayers on Sesame Street Muslim version. Haha! Gosh is he hilarious. But he doesn't go about joking on stupid stuff that doesn't make sense. I mean, dude, making a fool of yourself ain't funny at all. People will be laughing AT YOU, not at your jokes. Now Omar Regan on the other hand makes jokes in a way that is praising Allah and His creations. MasyaAllah. Where else can I find a brother like him. And he's from the hood, yaww! Mmhmm. *snap fingers 3 times right-left-right* So amigos, what did I gain? I'd be more than happy to share it with you guys. I'll try to share as much as I can but I'm sorry if I could not manage to share all of them here as I might forget a few points. One of the main topics that I had learnt from this event would be love and marriage. LOVE Now love does not always necessarily mean the love between a man and a woman. In fact, love mentioned here is basically the love for Allah and His creations. At TOF, I have heard on "what is love?", "exemplary love", "give a little love" and "the love test". Now these are the topics that have been talked about during the main event. So what is love? One can never know until they experience love. And the love for Allah is the best love of all. Scratch that. The greatest love of all, like that Whitney Houston song. Only better. But nothing can beat the love Allah has for His creations. Look at all the things that He's provided us in life so far. He's given us so much abilities, He's given us so many chances when we do mistakes, He gives us rahmat, He gives us wealth and health. That's more than what all the money in the world can offer! See, you can't buy love. The Beatles knew that when they wrote Can't Buy Me Love back in the 60s."For I don't care too much for money, for money can't buy me love." You should know that too. So we should do the things that Allah loves, to show our love. As real love should be demonstrated and not just talked about as you know, talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words. Ya Allah I pretty much say that in almost all of my blog posts. So you should know that by now if you're a regular here at The Real Life. Even one of the basics in finding sweetness in Imaan is love, as in the hadith related by Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, gives credit to what Ibn al-Qayyim mentions here. He reports: "The Messenger of Allah said, "Three (qualities); whoever possesses them, will find the sweetness of iman: that Allah and His Messenger are beloved to him more than anyone else, that he loves someone only for the sake of Allah and that he hates to return to kufr just as he hates to be slung into the fire." So know that "whenever we know we displease Allah, don't feel as if it's the end of the world. Know that Allah wants to forgive you"(Sh. Daood Butt, 2012). We must always seek for His forgiveness. And must always find a way to improve that relationship with Allah. We shouldn't be only turning to Allah for the things in dunya, or when we're facing difficulty. That love is superficial, it's fake. It's not real. When we turn to Him, it should be unconditional. Similar to how we should love a person for whoever he or she is like. Accept them as they are, no matter what, you will love them. Even better, we should love them for deen, as loving them for that will never fade, insyaAllah. And the quality of that love? How do we see the quality? Well we can see it especially at the very first conflict. It's how you deal your problems with your partner, or any other of your loved ones, determines how true your love is. Similar to the love you have for Allah. Even during the times of being tested, you are patient, you believe in Allah all the time, you know that He knows what's best for you, you know that every hardship will come ease, even during the times of happiness, you never forget Him, now that is when you see the quality of love towards The Creator. According to Sh. Omar Suleiman, "hardship is what determines love". Indeed, it does. Speaking of tests, know that you're loved when you're being tested by Allah, as Allah tests those He loves the most. The Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah loves a servant, He tests him,” [Tirmidhi]. In a hadith qudsi (a hadith relating the words of Allah swt), Allah swt tells Jibreel to delay the response to the du`a’ of a servant because Allah swt loves hearing his voice [Tabarani]. Sometimes the answer to a test is that need for Allah swt, those long hours spent in the night, and the tears of sincerity. And know that He loves us all so much, that everything is a test. This whole life is apparently a test. It's how we deal with things, it's how we be patient, it's how we keep calm and bla bla on. Brother Abdurraheem Green shared a story on how his house had caught fire. The risk of someone dying was there, but alhamdulillah everyone was safe. Imagine yourself in that position. Would you not be worried, anxious, scared, wondering how could this have happened and what not? But you know what, Brother Abdurraheem smiled. He smiled because he knew that Allah has promised "verily with every hardship comes ease" (94:5). So he was like, "this has been very hard and difficult for me and my family. Surely something good is waiting to come at me". MasyaAllah. How many of us would be smiling instead of crying "my house! my things! my certificates! my trophies!" or whatever you would cry out for if your house caught fire. Not that I have that many certs or trophies to begin with but..I dunno. Whatever. Hence, love. Show that love. Show love, and love will come back to you. Show mercy, and mercy will come back to you. And as a matter of fact, showing mercy can save lives. Showing mercy is showing what is needed to be human. Show mercy, and you will help yourself. So how do you share mercy towards others, even to the sinners? Assume the best of the person. Don't focus too much on the negative, and focus on the positive. Look at a person for their good qualities, not for all the bad they have done. And help them, by teaching them. Not by telling them "don't do this" and "don't do that" and "you're wrong you're wrong you're wrong". Help them. Have mercy on them. From the words of Sh. Abdul Rahman Chao himself, "when dealing with someone who's making a mistake, we have to be gentle. If we be too harsh, we will scare them away". This may apply to all parents especially in educating younger children. You gotta be smart on how to teach them to do the right thing. Giving them a spank on the arse and scolding them and being controlling won't make them know on what would be the right thing to do. So have mercy. And love. MARRIAGE I had only attended two talks on marriage during TOF, which is a talk on "My Big Fat Sunnah Wedding" by Sh. Daood Butt and "Happily Married, Blissfully Divorced" by Sh. Omar Suleiman. Basically Sheikh Daood touched on the whole waleemah process, on what is sunnah, what can and cannot be done, what should and should not be done, who should you invite, etc. He had also touched on Malay weddings and the elements of it, whether appropriate or not. So what he had said is that the groom must definitely do a walimah. It's not compulsary for the bride to do one, but there isn't a problem if the bride's family wishes to do one. Better yet if you could just combine both into one big fat sunnah wedding, so you can save money, save time, save wedding invites, hence, save ink and save paper, in return saving mother nature *wink*. Abdul Rahman bin ‘Auf r.a. narrated, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, “Have your walimah (wedding feast), even if it is with a single sheep.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). So you still should hold a walimah after getting married, even if the food you serve is very little. Besides, the purpose of holding a walimah is to announce and celebrate the marriage, not to make people fat by serving the guests with all sorts of food. The newly weds should be treated like a king and queen, not the guests. But it seems to me that most people feel that you need to have a lot of money to get married. If you're talking in terms of providing nafkah, fine. But in terms of having a great wedding? We should just keep things simple, and just try to hold one that serves the purpose. But even I have my own dream wedding theme. So yeah, maybe I'd need a certain amount of money, but if getting married and having a halal relationship with my life partner is much more important to me, then so be it with that dream wedding. If my goal is jannah, then I'll get that dream wedding in jannah, insyaAllah. If I can't afford it means I can't afford it. But I want true love. I want love that Allah loves. I want that life partner, that companion who'll love me back and make me smile and accompany me to the journey to jannah. That's my desire. Should I compensate them because of money? I dunno, man. Society nowadays. And parents. I know its not easy to try to explain all of this to someone who claims to have "lived more than you hence knows better". But if they're open about it, then alhamdulillah. They don't have to like it, but they should atleast open up their minds to these sort of things. It's not like its anything ridiculous anyways. Wah, speaking like a marriage counselor? HAHA! No, not really. Man, I wish. Pfft. But I do know that there are many people who think a like as I do. This includes Sheikh Daood himself. In his own words, "we shouldn't stop people from getting married, we encourage them to get married". Because through marriage, people learn responsibility. Because marriage is a sunnah anyway. And it's good thing. The women now have someone to take care of them and protect them. No more "forever alone" crapola like how some of you like to say. So think about all the expensive wang hantaran and stuff, and if its troublesome, find a way to overcome the troublesome. No, not by robbing a bank, but perhaps by having a good discussion on it? Discussions can lead to good things, you know. Trust me, I've tried it. Just don't get emotional and defensive. Keep calm :) I would quote the detailed Riwaayah(Narration) also recorded by Imaam Tirmidhi rahimahu(A)llaah.“When a man whose Deen and Khuluq pleases proposes marriage, then marry him. Unless you do it, there would be Fitna on Earth, and Great Fasaad”. They asked, “O Messenger of Allah sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wasallam even though he has nothing?” He reported,”When a man whose Deen and Khuluq pleases you proposes marriage, then marry him.” He repeated these words three times. So comes a man with a religion that pleases you, and a character that pleases you, marry him. But what about a man who has deen but no character and a man who has no deen but has character? Choose the one has deen. Because Deen is the only thing that will hold you together during hard times and deen is what holds the marriage together when nothing else can. And when you've chosen, istikharah. Ask for guidance from Allah, may he make things easy for you if it is good for you, and may he make things difficult for you if it is bad for you. A person will never regret asking guidance from Allah, be it what happens afterwards. I'll finally end this super duper trooper long post now with words of Brother Abdurraheem Green. "If you want to know the true meaning of ikhlas, do something because you want to see the face of Allah." What he means is, doing it for the sake of Allah, because you want to enter paradise and spend that 1 hour date with Allah on Fridays; just you and Him. I had also learnt a lot on jannah, but that would make this post even longer. Perhaps another post? InsyaAllah. Hope that I've been helpful. Alhamdulillah to all the new knowledge, and may all of us (including me) practice and apply it in our lives. Til then, assalamu'alaikum. Goodnight. Wan'an. Labels: Islam Just Quote Me Friday, December 07, 2012 ( 8:24 pm )
 Shoot Du'a: is it really enough? Saturday, November 17, 2012 ( 11:27 pm )
Assalamu'alaikum. Hi. It's been a while. I've had a lot of things in mind that I wish to share here, but I feel that what I'm about to share has the most urgency. I'm pretty sure everyone is well aware that Muslims had recently came into a new year. How did you welcome the new year, my fellow Muslims? How was your Maal Hijrah celebration? I know I spent mine with Imam Muda Fakhrul. He gave a talk on something about the young generation and on how to be a better generation. He's a funny guy. Likes to sing. Well yes, he is interesting. But how about our Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza? How about the Rohingyas? I'm pretty sure you're well aware about them, too. One moment, please. I'm trying to think of the most appropriate way to voice out what I want to voice out. So imagine that I've just asked myself two questions. Yes, I'm aware of the cruelty going on around the world right now. The most obvious one right now is the attack on Gaza. Innocent children are dying. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, too. And yes, I am emotionally affected. And I would like to do something about it. But how? Think what the two questions could be. And now ask yourself the two. I will not ask you and only you will do. But I will ask you to do this one thing. 1. Open a new tab or window. 2. Go to Google images, and Google Gaza. 3. Scroll down the page to the furthest you can. 4. Now Google Malaysia, or Kuala Lumpur, or any part of the country (if you're Malaysian that is. If you're not then you could just Google you're own country. Not a problem at all). 5. Scroll down the page to the furthest you can. Gaza Google images results:  Kuala Lumpur Google images results:  Well yes I know how ugly Malaysian politics are at the moment. And I am not by any means proud of it. Especially when some(not all) of our Muslim politicians are throwing hate speeches at each other and all you see is ugly stuff about them revealed in the paper from day to day. When they should be using all that energy used for hate speeches in fighting for Islam! But anyhow, shall not get emotional. I am thankful with what God has given to me and with how He has made my life like. It's not perfect, but that doesn't mean that I don't have to go out looking for perfection. I see alot of tweets and posts on Facebook about "don't forget to pray for Gaza" and "free palestine!" and "boikot McD!" and other tweets and posts equivalent to them. Now I'm not saying that it's wrong. In fact, thank you for spreading awareness. Thank you very much for sharing. But then I wonder, is that all we can do? Would be enough to only "shoot" du'a and share images of the Gaza attack on the social network? And that's why I decided to write this post. Now I'm not here to write on something you already know. I'm here to make it more of an extra input and hopefully, in sya Allah open up your minds a bit more. But I know that writing this post is not the best I can do. Do you know what is the best I can do? Do you know what is the best YOU can do? Let me share with you something from Ibnu Batoota's Facebook status. It reads: "Apakah cukup dgn sekadar brdoa buat saudara Islam kita di bumi Palestin sana? He said something about an Israeli soldier was on a look out on Muslims at a mosque at the time of Subuh. He left once the Subuh prayers had finished. The reason that he did so, is because he believes if the number of people who perform Subuh prayers at the mosque is equivalent to those who attend Friday prayers, then Israel will be doomed. But since that didn't happen, the Israeli soldier leaves in peace, thinking that Muslims can never beat the Jews. Ibnu Batoota further mentioned that the obvious thing to do now is to make yourself a proper Muslim. Follow what the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w has taught us. Fix yourself first so that you can make sure that you can fix up a good du'a. Just like cooking. If you don't know how to cook, you don't have the main ingredients, how do you expect yourself to make a good meal? It might seem alright for you since you can compensate with the bitterness or saltiness. But do you think it would be alright for your mum to taste? It's time to do a self check. Like editing an essay, going skimming and scanning over and over again and fixing all the grammatical and spelling errors. And what more than a better time to improve yourself than in the month of Muharram itself, no? And on the Mcdonald's boycott issue on the other hand, first of all you've gotta understand that there are many things in Malaysia, even those used for everyday activities are of an Israeli product. Sometimes you don't even know that it is because who knows, even products with an Islamic name might belong to them. I'm not accusing, but I'm just saying, do your homework. But I know how hard it is sometimes, because we want to use things that has quality. We don't want to use things that get worn off in a few weeks, or you might have sensitive skin, so you'll need a specific type of body wash. So what do we do ladies and gents? What do we do? Malaysia is a developing country. I don't think we're that left behind on technology, are we? I'm pretty sure I heard that there'll be a 1Malaysia tab... Or something like that. So why not we be less dependent on others, and start learning to be innovative, and responsible, and creative, and independent. I had recently read a blog post on related to this issue, and part of it reads: "Rangkaian restoran makanan segera terbesar dunia McDonalds hari ini mengumumkan penutupan 110 cawangan restoran mereka di Jepun. Penutupan besar-besaran ini terpaksa dilakukan kerana mereka tidak mampu lagi menanggung kerugian yang semakin meningkat sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini. September lalu jumlah jualan menurun sebanyak 2.2% lagi dan penyusutan ini sudah berlarutan sejak gempa bumi besar yang berlaku tahun lalu. I don't know how true this is. But it'll do. I've been thinking about this for quite some time, and someone just happened to post about it, and well, lucky me, now I have a good example to use. Many people, being too excited, mistaken this as Japanese boycotting McDonalds. When truth to be told, they just have better healthier(perhaps) choices. AND not to mention cheaper. That's exactly what we need! That's what Malaysia needs. I know it's not easy to start something new, but in sya Allah, with the appropriate knowledge, enough money and the right intention, I'm pretty sure we could do the same. It's hard resisting fast food isn't it. I mean, if you're on the go, and you're on a tight budget, where would you get your lunch, hmm? We already have an RFC, but sadly it isn't available in all states. Unless there are other fast food restaurants based in Malaysia that I am unaware of, I say we need one right now. So if any of you who is reading this right now, if you happen to have the knowledge and the money, or know how to make the money or get the money, then dude! Take this idea, go sit in a corner with a bag of treats and THINK ABOUT IT. Or if you're good friends with the Prime Minister(or any kind of Dato' or Tan Sri will do) then tell it to the boss and call it kedai makan 1Malaysia for all I care. These is the time when we start being smart. And I mean it. I'm pretty sure we can. At least, my generation can. I know it. I really think we have the potential. We just need to explore it a bit more(or a lot) and not waste it on being kinky on social medias and playing around with smartphone apps alone. :( Before I end this post, I would just like to apologise if I might have sounded offensive or inappropriate. I, by any means, have no intention to and you know that. Don't say you don't! I'll leave you with a few links and videos that I recommend you to read and watch. Til then, amigos. Konflik Israel-Palestin Untuk Dummies by Angel Pakai Gucci Janji Allah - Kemenangan Atas Israel Laknatulullah by Hamasah As-Syabab Labels: Islam An extra hint of patience with a little understanding, sprinkled with love. Sunday, October 21, 2012 ( 11:40 pm )
A feeling. The feeling. The feeling of wanting something that you can't have or can't have yet. Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I don't mind it. But most times I am grateful of it. But then during the early stages, you just can't resist yourself, or your emotions. How optimistic can you be? Is it alright to be a pessimist at times? Or must we see things as opportunities? But not everything is a piece of cake. How do you resist yourself from wanting something consistent? How do you stop yourself from always wanting the attention? How do you do it? Even though you're well aware that reality is, that's just how its supposed to be. All you need is an extra hint of patience with a little understanding, sprinkled with love. You know you have it in you.. somewhere. You know where to find it. But at the same time, you just don't want to feel like you don't have anything. At the same time, you don't want to be put aside, like you're just a side dish, and not the main course. And at the same time, you want to shower the attention source with love, care and sweetness. But that just can't happen. And you have to tell yourself no. And that's hard. That's harsh. Because you know you're not a priority. And you know some need their space. But someday you will be a priority, right? Someday you'll be apart of that space, everyday, every minute, every moment of life until you're dying day. If only you could speed up time to the time you want to come. The time where you can do all the things mentioned. And no one can say anything about it. But you must. You must accept what is happening. Don't be sad, surely Allah is with us. Tell it to Him. Tell Him how you feel. And once that is done, surely you will feel better. With hopes that He will give you enough patience, and strength. And InsyaAllah, He will help you through the journey. He knows what's in your heart. He knows what you're going through. He knows everything. And there is nothing you can hide. But He will give you what you want. And if not now, then later. And if not ever, then something better. So may He protect you from the aweful feelings. May He put aside the negative thoughts. May He guide you to prepare yourself for the future. And may He unite you with what you want, soon. Everything takes time. Brushing your teeth takes a little time, reading a book takes a little bit longer, and even falling in love and being with the one takes up sometime before that can be achieved. At times I can be ridiculous. But if I want something, I'm sure of it, I know when the feeling comes. If it is worth it, I will wait. And I will keep and save all that I wish, inside this heart of mine. Until that "one day" comes. Just like how everyone knows cats are cute.  The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat Monday, October 01, 2012 ( 11:11 pm )
 Assalamu'alaikum. Hi there. Long time no see. Wait, what's this right here? This is The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat. Quite a weird title for a book, don't you think? Weird, yet interesting. I've been longing to get my hands on this ever since I started studying Neuropsychology last semester. The book was mentioned in my textbook, and I just smiled and thought to myself, "I have to have this". It's related to neurological conditions, hence very beneficial to my studies. Hopefully, it would help me to understand and remember better on the conditions mentioned in the book. Unfortunately, I can only manage to find it at MPH bookstores but according to MPHOnline.com, it is currently out of stock. Hmm. :( I know there are free PDF versions of this book online, but I don't want to read the E-book version because... I like feeling the textures of the pages of a book and the sound produced when turning each page. There you go. The book is written by Dr. Oliver Sacks. He is a neurologist, a best-selling author, and a professor of neurology at the NYU School of Medicine. He is best known for his collections of neurological case histories, including the book mentioned, The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (1985), Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (2007) and The Mind’s Eye (2010). Awakenings (1973), his book about a group of patients who had survived the great encephalitis lethargica epidemic of the early twentieth century, inspired the 1990 Academy Award-nominated feature film starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. The New York Times has referred to him as “the poet laureate of medicine.” Dr. Sacks is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1977, Dr. Sacks met Greg F., the patient on whom the character of Gabriel Sawyer is based. Greg, a young man with devastating amnesia caused by a brain tumor, could remember no new events in his life, but his memory for music, particularly that of his beloved bands of the 1960s, remained intact. Music could reach him as nothing else could. After almost fifteen years of working with Greg, Dr. Sacks arranged for Greg to meet drummer Mickey Hart and go to a Grateful Dead concert. Dr. Sacks wrote about Greg and the Grateful Dead in “The Last Hippie,” a chapter in his book An Anthropologist on Mars. The Last Hippie has inspired the indie feature film, The Music Never Stopped. The film features music from the Grateful Dead, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Crosby, Stills and Nash. It was chosen as the gala premiere film for the Sundance Festival. Seems like THE perfect movie for me. I mean, just look at the music featured, and the storyline. As an occupational therapy student and a true fan of music(especially The Beatles), gotta love this one. Hopefully I would get a chance to watch this movie one day, insyaAllah. According to Dr. Sacks, “the film is a moving testament not only to the love between a father and his son, but to the miraculous power of music to heal a damaged brain. Remembering music, listening to it or playing it, is entirely in the present, and, while it lasts, it can bridge even the abyss of extreme amnesia or dementia. Music can be more powerful than any drugs.” MUSIC CAN BE MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY DRUGS. I knew it! And thus, it is why I've dreamed to be a music therapist one day, ever since I was 14. Because I believe that music is more than just entertainment to the eardrums. Music is like food to the soul, a personal motivator, a medium of managing stress, etc etc etc. Music has been proven to help many people and it is a form of therapy. I'm pretty sure everyone loves music! Except for.. a few odd ones. Dr. Sacks writes more about music and music therapy in his book MUSICOPHILIA, including this passage from the preface: While music can affect all of us—calm us, animate us, comfort us, thrill us, or serve to organize and synchronize us at work or play—it may be especially powerful and have great therapeutic potential for patients with a variety of neurological conditions. Such people may respond powerfully and specifically to music (and, sometimes, to little else). Some of these patients have widespread cortical problems, whether from strokes or Alzheimer’s or other causes of dementia; others have specific cortical syndromes— loss of language or movement functions, amnesias, or frontal-lobe syndromes. Some are retarded, some autistic; others have subcortical syndromes such as parkinsonism or other movement disorders. All of these conditions and many others can potentially respond to music and music therapy. Somehow I feel slightly offended, when people say that music is just a waste of time, and can do absolutely NO GOOD at all, especially to one's future. BUT YOU'RE WRONG. There are many successful people out there, and music has helped them to succeed. And that has probably happened whilst you sad, odd people were busy underestimating the power of music. Yes, to some, music drifts them away. But to many, music helps them in many ways. Nevertheless, it is only an opinion. Everyone has theirs, and everyone believes in what they want to believe in. I just hope it's all good stuff. If you know what I mean. Take a moment to appreciate the things you've never thought of appreciating. Because the little things are what makes the big things, BIG. Yes, you're right, there are other, and most probably better things out there compared to music. But music is apart of something real. Use it for the right reasons. Don't use it for the wrong ones. Even in anything we do or see, take the good and leave out the bad stuff. Like eating a burger from McDonalds. Maybe some of you don't like the pickles in a doublecheese burger(like me for instance), so all you have to do is pick out the pickles and put it aside and just nom away and enjoy the burger! Bak kata pepatah, "buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih". So go! Go appreciate the good stuff in life. Give your mum a hug, kiss your wife on the forehead before going off to work, give your little brother/sister a congratulations pat for doing well on his/her maths test, tell someone you love them, and the list goes on... It would be nice if I could collect all of Dr. Sacks' writings. It would be even better if I could meet him in person! You never know what Allah has installed for you. ;) Til then. Perhaps I'll check out the latest from J.K Rowling, The Casual Vacancy. Toodles. Labels: books Occupational Therapy Students' Congress 2012 Sunday, September 23, 2012 ( 6:37 pm )
Salam and a good day to everyone. A quick announcement.  To all OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, PHYSIOTHERAPISTS, SPECIAL EDUCATORS, REHAB SPECIALISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, PARENTS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM! Persatuan Pelajar Pemulihan Cara Kerja (PPPCK) of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will be organising an OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS' CONGRESS in NOVEMBER 2012.  Below are the list of our targeted speakers and topics that will be discussed in the congress: -Prof Dato Dr Zaleha (current rehab trend in Malaysia) For further details log on to www.fsk.uitm.edu.my or visit the official FB page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ot-students-congress . Please share this with anyone relevant. Thank you very much! p/s: Early bird price is available til 5th of October, 2012. So hurry! :) Labels: Occupational Therapy Quick update! Tuesday, August 07, 2012 ( 5:00 pm )
Hola! Quick update for mi amigos. Raya is less than 2 weeks away. Meaning there is less than 2 weeks left for puasa. As usual, when Eid is near, I'll be on house cleaning duty and also cutting onions and making raya cookies duty. So I don't know if I'll be able to blog then. Hence, I have made a list of want I would like to blog about, and in order. :) I really really really realllyyyy wanna write as much as I can before the new semester starts because I doubt I'll have enough time once it starts. Sigh. Yes, I've already started drafting some... In my head! So I hope there are some curious cats wanting to know what it would be on. Just wait and see, ya? But one thing's for sho, I'll be publishing a post tonight! Til then, keep smiling :) Bedak Arab Giveaway! Saturday, August 04, 2012 ( 11:59 pm )
 Mari! Mari! Mari mencuba nasib. LOL. Never have I ever joined a giveaway before. But this Kokuryu Super Summer Cake a.k.a "Bedak Arab" seems like the hottest item among the muslimahs nowadays. This is due its properties that can be worn even when performing the solat. Plus, it is a 3-in-1 foundation, moisturiser and concealer (if I am not mistaken). And ofcourse there are other reasons that makes it so special, so on and so on. Me being curious on wanting to own that item without having to use any of my savings, I decided to join this giveaway. I don't have anything else to join in anyway. Ladidadida. So ladies, if you wanna get your hands on it I think you can get it from the giveaway lady herself, Mrs Lela. OR you could just join this giveaway and hope that you'll be lucky enough to win it! Just click on the banner above to redirect yourself to the giveaway page. Bismillahirahmanirrahim. I am officially joining this giveaway bandwagon, with hopes that I am one of the lucky two. Hehe! Join in, ladies! Psst. More info on Bedak Arab here. Just Quote Me: Al-Baqarah 216 ( 2:24 pm )
 “..Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu, padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi (pula) kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu; Allah mengetahui, sedangkan kamu tidak mengetahui.” Labels: Islam He's still the one I love. ( 2:31 am )
He is the one I run to. He is the one I talk to. He is the one who truly understands me. He is the one who always hear me out. He is the one who knows what my heart wants to say. He is the one who makes my life as good as it is today. He is the one who respects my needs. He is the one who completes my life. He is the reason that I smile. He is the reason I am happy. He is the reason I have worries. He is the reason I have nerves. He is the reason I can laugh. He is the reason I can cry. He is the reason I can breathe. He is the reason I am still alive. He is the reason I can think. He is the reason I feel love. He is the reason I feel blessed. He is the reason I am strong. He is the reason I have will. He is the reason I am what I am, and where I am today. He is indeed the one I love, and indeed the One that loves me. He is the one and only Creator of mine, and Creator of all in this universe. Allah swt. Allahu akbar. Alhamdulillah. :’) Jangan lupa diri. Jangan lupa Dia. You're all the way there, I'm all the way here Monday, July 30, 2012 ( 1:50 am )
Assalamualaikum.  Have you ever owned a snow globe? You know, the object that comes in small to large sizes with various figurees in it that people get at the local gift shop when they don't know what else to get for Teacher's Day or their little sister's birthday. Well yes, that. A snow globe. Simple concept, that snow globe is. You just shake shake shake it, put on a flat surface immediately and just watch the snow fall on the little penguin with a red and white striped scarf protected in the glassed globe. People can actually enjoy doing that. I don't know how, pft I don't even know why. But some people just like it. And I respect that. Though some just like to make it as an interior decoration for the living room where it is placed on a antique, wooden, glassed-door cabinet. Hooray for them. What can you do with a snow globe? Well, imagine, there you are just observing it from outside the globe(duhh). Well ofcourse there is no way that you can possibly get in there. Unless ofcourse.. you break the glass, but then there wouldn't be a point anymore because you just ruined the whole purpose of the snow globe. So there you are, looking at it, just looking at the snow falling on to the bottom surface and on to the little penguin's head. The snow gets to fall on to the penguin, the penguin gets to feel the snow. Hooray for them! They seem happy about it. What about you there? The one observing from outside? Are you happy about it? Don't you just wish that you could be in there with the penguin, inside the globe without having to throw the whole thing against the wall to break the glass? You wish you could throw snowballs at the penguin and enjoy the snow together. And probably wipe off the excess snow on his head which could make him cold(if it were to be real snow, ofcourse). But there is just no way in. And will there ever be a way in? Even if there were to be a way in, would the penguin mind you being in there with him? The barrier seems so solid, as if you are not allowed to be near the penguin at all. But here's the thing, you don't really know what the penguin wants because he's all the way in there and you're all the way out here. Will you still find a way in? And what have you got to lose? You want to show that you care about a person. Because you just really, really care about him/her, it's hard to pretend that you don't. But, you don't know how to because it is as if all you can do is just look from a far and hope that he/she calls out your name and asks for your care. But would that ever happen? Would that ever happen if you don't try to show it first? But what is there to do? What is there to do.. You're all the way here, and the person is all the way there. You don't know what's going on in his/her mind, but you don't know how to ask as well. You are at a point where you hope that you could do something, but you just don't want to ruin things. Even if you give your special care tips, does he/she really want to hear it from you? Even if you give your comforting words, does he/she really want it coming from you? You wanna be there for that person so bad. Because you just care too much. And you feel as if it is a discomfort to you watching it from a far like that. Like its aching at the back of your head. You want to be able to feel free to show that you care, but worries are flooding your heart, worries of being a nuissance. It's hard. It's just hard. How can you express yourself and what is the right way to do it? And it's even harder seeing that person happily having attention from others but you. Ofcourse you wanna be there, but you just feel as if you don't have a right to do so because.. Just exactly who are you to them right now? Who are you..? Who am I? Man, losing a best friend sucks. Losing the person you always talk to, losing the person you always cry for help, losing the shoulder you always cry on, losing the place of comfort, it sucks. And sometimes, it's not always about yourself. You'd miss caring for someone, too. You'd miss being important to someone. You'd miss being a support system to someone. You'd miss making someone laugh. You'd miss being needed. You'd miss being the shoulder to cry on. Yes, I miss all of that crapola. I never thought it would be this hard, Ya Allah. You know when two people have been really in love, it feels as if your feelings are communicating with each other when you're all silent in reality. But.. Whitney Houston did say in How Will I Know, "don't trust your feelings". When will I ever learn how to quit and leave it be? You're supposed to be strong, silly! But I believe, "So verily with every hardship there is ease" (Surah Inshirah 94:5) The truth is.. I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that my presence is not wanted. Then I keep that fear with me here and I go all shaky. Well, my heart goes all shaky. I mean, that's what it feels like. Macam vibrate pula. Pelik. They didn't teach me anything on that in Anatomy & Physiology, or Psychology. But yeah. I don't feel that there is a point in trying to talk to you, or trying to comfort you, if you don't want it from me. I just don't know where I stand anymore. And I'd probably make things worse if I tried. I'm well aware of the situation. And I understand. But knowing me, degil at times, kan? Yes, I'm actually talking to a person indirectly via this post. Strange, as I don't usually do it here. But, yeah.. I'll just.. leave everything as it is. Wow, this is really hard. Oh, dear. Oh, and the other truth is, I just can't seem to get my hands off the keyboard can I. But hear this amigos, even if I am good at writing stuff or absolutely nonsense, I know what I mean and only God and I know how sincere I am with it. Words aren't always just words. Talk is cheap, and action speak louder than words, but no one said anything about typing.. As far as I'm concern. Hah! I'm ending this post with a sigh. With an even heavier sigh because I had to type this twice as my laptop died and I wrote it in Notepad first. Why didn't I write it in Word instead? Haihhhhhh. I'm gonna go borrow Harry Potter's firebolt now and visit The Lost Boys of Neverland. Goodnight, guys. Have a pleasant dream. So long, farewell! 'Even if you don't love me today, I'm happy that you had loved me yesterday"-Anonymous. Alhamdulillah! Wednesday, July 18, 2012 ( 9:11 pm )
Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah, I am done with my second semester in my degree. Alhamdulillah, I had managed to sit for all the examination for all the papers this semester. Alhamdulillah, I had survived the difficulties and the strains of studying these heavy, heavy subjects/courses. Alhamdulillah, for being able to learn from such experienced people. Alhamdulillah, for all the knowledge that I have gained, and will gain. Alhamdulillah, for the good health that accompanied me through out my examination week. Alhamdulillah, for the good health I have been given by my Creator. Alhamdulillah, for the times I recovered from my illness. Alhamdulillah, for all the good food that I had eaten. Alhamdulillah, for all the food, though not delicious, but fullfilling my satiety and good enough to give me energy. Alhamdulillah, for all the joy and happiness that has been brought in my life. Alhamdulillah, for all the people who brought, and still bring joy and happiness to my life. Alhamdulillah, for all the sad and upsetting moments that has taught me to be happier. Alhamdulillah, for all the people that had made me sad and upset, whom indirectly had made me happier. Alhamdulillah, for all the people who made, or even attempted to make me happier and save me from my sadness and sorrows. Alhamdulillah, for all the hardship I had faced that has taught me the meaning of life. Alhamdulillah, for all the tests that has taught me to be patient. Alhamdulillah, for all the times Allah had answered my prayers. Alhamdulillah, for all the times He made me learn patience while delaying in answering my prayers. Alhamdulillah, for all the times though He did not answer my prayer, He instead gave me something better. Alhamdulillah, for all the times He had with me, listened to me, hear my thoughts, hear my heart, hear my gratefulness and my sorrows. Alhamdulillah, for all the things I have done right. Alhamdulillah, for all the times He saved me from doing something wrong. Alhamdulillah, for all the mistakes I have made, that has taught me to do things right. Alhamdulillah, for all the good things I have heard. Alhamdulillah, for being born in a supportive, loving and awesome family. Alhamdulillah, for all the people I have met in life. Alhamdulillah, for all the people that had made me a better person. Alhamdulillah, for all the friends that have cared, loved and supported me even during my lowest. Alhamdulillah, for all the kind people that accept me and my flaws as it is. Alhamdulillah, for all the love and care He has given to me. Alhamdulillah, for all the love and care others have given to me. Alhamdulillah, for all the love and care I am able to give to others. Alhamdulillah, for still being able to breathe at this very moment. Alhamdulillah, for the good changes that occur in life. Alhamdulillah, for the chances that has been given in life. Alhamdulillah, for all the things that has happened that made me who I am today. Alhamdulillah, for all the things that won't fit in this post. Alhamdulillah, my blog is 6 years old now. Alhamdulillah, someone is reading this(I'm pretty sure someone is). Alhamdulillah. All praises to Allah. Thank you, Allah, For every single thing that You have written for me. Don't forget to be thankful, even for the little things. For the little things always matter. And it is He whom had made everything happen, as we only plan. Why not make a list too, you know, to appreciate life better. *wink* May we all be blessed by Him, insyaAllah!
Til then, have a happy Ramadhan, amigos. :) Just Quote Me Monday, February 20, 2012 ( 6:00 pm )
DIY TUTORIAL: Satin Rose Sunday, February 19, 2012 ( 1:42 am )
 Salaam, mi amigos! How's it goin there? Well here it is, my very first ever do-it-yourself tutorial! I've always loved DIY projects and I've also followed a couple of DIY blogs which I had left their links under the "DAILY VISITS" section on the left. Most of them are clothing DIYs, though. But feel free to check them out! I had actually been making these satin roses for the past few days now. Quite enjoy making it especially when I have nothing else to do. It all started when I ACCIDENTALLY burnt a piece of fabric of mine. And I thought, "nahh it can't end here can it? Let's put it to good use!" Hence, the DIY rose. :) Now the following tutorial is actually a mixture of something that I had learnt off Youtube and from one of the DIY blogs. I decided that this way works for me, and hence, I'm sharing it with you! Apparently there are various ways of making a rose, and also different ways may result in different shapes and sizes. So let us begin.  What you'll need: 1.A pair of scissors 2.Super glue/hot glue gun 3.Fabric of choice(Here I had used italian satin silk. Mucho soft) Steps: 1. So first of all, you need to cut out a piece a fabric, and make it about 24 inches long, and 1 to 2 inches wide. 2. Next, fold it in half, and just apply abit of glue at the end to allow the both sides to stick together.  3.From the glued end, leave about a 2-inch tail and twist it with your right hand twice and hold it with your thumb.  4. Now take your left hand and fold the left part inwards a few times to make the center of the rose.   5. Dot a tiny amount of glue onto the inner part of the rose's center so that the right part of the fabric is secured to the center. This is to ensure that when you do more twisting and folding later, it won't move about, especially when you're using a satin type of fabric. 6. Using your right hand, twist the right part of the fabric to the back, once. Move it along the center abit and twist again. Have your left hand hold on to the tail to make things easier.  Dot some glue everytime after twisting twice as you go around and around the center.  7.Keep repeating steps 6 until you get something like this:  8.When there is about a half or an inch left, twist it to the back and glue it to the bottom of the rose. Take the tail of the rose and fold it like a square and glue that to the bottom of the rose too.  And the results:  Voila! There's your own satin rose. It was abit confusing for me at first. I mean, the person in the video made it look so easy. But with confidence and determination, and also abit more practice, you'll be able to make it look more and more beautiful each time you make it. Tips & tricks: 1. Use a satin ribbon instead of a cut out fabric, to get nicer edges. 2. Use a different kind of satin, which is abit rougher than italian perhaps because italian satin silk is very soft. Although it does have a very nice semi-shine effect. 3. When twisting around the center, imagine a spiral, which is expanding at its diameter. 4. Use proper fabric scissors when cutting the fabric so that the edges are cleaner(as compared to mine). 5. Keep your left hand holding the tail as you move around the center to make it easier to handle. So what can you do with it? Well you could make a brooch out of it. You could do some home deco out of it. Or you could just do it for fun and exercise those fine muscles! Hope you like it! And if it seems complicated, don't fret to ask any questions. I'll help out as much as I can. Til then, make that satin rose! :) The Hijab: More than just a piece of cloth Monday, January 16, 2012 ( 4:03 pm )
Bismillahirahmanirahim. Assalamualaikum w.b.t Exams are finally over! Alhamdulillah. My first semester is officially over and it's time to pack up the things, get ready for clearance and back to lovely Penang! So, about that super long post that I planned to write? Oh, yeah. That. As a Muslim, I think to myself, “how can I make myself even more closer to The Creator?”. Well ofcourse, solat lima waktu, baca Quran, tutup aurat, etc. But sometimes, sekadar membuat yang wajib, dapatkah kita merasai nikmat disebalik semua itu? Are we able to feel the pleasure of just doing the compulsory? It used to be just “solat lima waktu, baca Quran, pakai tudung” but now after being exposed to a lot more of the beauty of Islam, I believe that it’s more than that. For instance, wearing the hijab. Isu pemakaian tudung pun boleh jadi sensitive. Kenapa boleh sampai macam tu? Sedangkan saya di sebuah Negara Islam yang maju. As a a female muslim, I believe we do know that we must wear the hijab, the veil, the tudung or whatever you wish to call it as it is what Allah has summoned us to do. Memakai tudung adalah tuntutan agama, bukan sebarang bentuk fesyen atau sekadar permintaan ibu bapa/suami. For some people, it may take time. I, myself, took the time to wear it. And only wore it when I was 15. At first it was only because my mother asked me to. I mean, you know that it is a must, but still you don’t do it because you’re not ready or you wear it because of the sake of wearing it. “Memakai tudung mestilah ikhlas”, orang kata. And yes, it is true. We should be sincere about it. But still, it is something that we must do. Sincerity and readiness will not come knocking on our door, we must go and find them ourselves. This is called intrinsic motivation, where you motivate yourselves from within. It is believed to be more satisfying. Everyone does it, I believe that. And so it is not impossible for us to take that first step. For I had once quoted, “Change isn't easy. But it's a step to take. Take that step and the next thing you realise, you're there. You've changed”. Firman Allah s.w.t yang bermaksud “Dan katakanlah kepada perempuan-perempuan yang beriman supaya menyekat pandangan mereka (daripada memandang yang haram), dan memelihara kehormatan mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka kecuali yang zahir daripadanya, dan hendaklah mereka menutup belahan leher bajunya dengan tudung kepala mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka melainkan kepada suami mereka, atau bapa mereka, atau bapa mertua mereka, atau anak-anak mereka, atau anak-anak tiri mereka, atau saudara-saudara mereka, atau anak bagi saudara-saudara mereka yang perempuan, atau perempuan-perempuan islam, atau hamba-hamba mereka, atau orang gaji dari orang-orang lelaki yang telah tua dan tidak berkeinginan kepada perempuan, atau kanak-kanak yang belum mengerti lagi tentang aurat perempuan, dan janganlah mereka menghentakkan kaki untuk diketahui orang akan apa yang tersembunyi dari perhiasan mereka, dan bertaubatlah kamu sekalian kepada allah, wahai orang-orang yang beriman, supaya kamu berjaya” Now that you’re there, now that you’ve done it, congratulate yourself. And now, on ways of wearing it. The hijab is not just a piece of cloth you put on your head. I, for one, believe that it is more than that. It is something that represents modesty, that represents a Muslim woman, that represents you. Thus, wearing it modestly and appropriately would be nice and fit the purpose. Oh, and about being fashionable? You can be fashionable all you want for all I care. As long as you don’t forget the true reason on why you wear the hijab. Pakailah tudung macam mana pun, berlilit, berpin, asal jangan kita lupa kenapa sebenarnya kita memakai tudung di kepala. I have seen so many different styles, so many creative ones, weird looking ones also, but Alhamdulillah, many of you have been blessed with creativity. DeBono once said that creativity is a mysterious and rare gift. Thus, not everyone has it. But being able to manipulate and experiment with it, one must be inventive. And so I have seen many inventive and creative Muslims nowadays, especially women. But always remember what the hijab represents. “Kita tidak menolak fesyen, tetapi garis panduan syarak perlu diletak di peringkat utama dalam semua keadaan. Dengan kreativiti pereka fesyen yang mempunyai roh islam, pakaian wanita seperti jubah tetap menarik yang menepati urusan agama dan bersesuaian dengan era moden dan terkini”.( retrieved from http://mokhzam.com/blog/710/menutup-aurat-dalam-islam.html) Don’t complicate the simple. Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda,”Islam itu mudah maka jangan dipersulitkan,”. Next, on wearing it right. Sue Anna Joe had once released a “Wear It Right” Campaign about sometime last year? I’m not pretty sure. It is a really good campaign and I hope it has been effective. It has been summoned by Allah in the Holy Quran, that we should cover the hair, the neck and also the chest. “Dan hendaklah mereka(perempuan) menutupkan tudung ke dada mereka…” ( An Nur : 31)
Mentutup aurat dengan betul dan sempurnanya, bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah bagi sesetangah orang. Mungkin kalau dah terbiasa sejak kecil, mudah untuk mereka. Tapi bagi orang yang mencari jalan sendiri, it’s probably a big step. But we can start by taking that first small step. Hold on hold on, janglah marah, atau jangan pula nak “condemn”. For I have once been that person. But alhamdulillah, Allah made me realise on the importance of wearing it right. It is a fact, a fact that sometimes we are afraid to face, or choose not to face at all. But why, still, does this problem occur? “Mengutuk cara orang pakai tudung. Haih. Pakai tudung pun salah. Tak pakai pun salah.” “Pakai tudung tak semestinya baik, tak pakai tudung tak semestinya jahat.” “Ala, janji pakai tudung. Biar lah pakai macam mana pun, daripada tak pakai.” Maybe this is why? I suppose all need a little of reflection. And fix our perception. I’ll leave that to you to think about. Right now, we’re unsure of where we stand(in terms of heaven and hell, sins and deed), tapi amalan-amalan di dunia lah yang akan membantu. If wearing it right can increase the chances of standing firmly, then why not? Please, this is not something that anyone created just for fun, just to condemn celebrities and create controversies. This is something that has already been written in the Holy Quran. And there are its benefits. Sekurang-kurangnya, kasihanilah kaum adam. Sudah lah mereka itu “kaum yang lemah sebenarnya”(Dr. Hamzah, 2011). Bukanlah mereka ini lemah, lembik atau lembut. Tetapi, macam mana pun, tetap manusia. And they too have what the anatomical term call “fontanels”, meaning “soft spots”. Kalau tak, macam mana mereka ni boleh “jatuh cinta”? Is it not when we fall in love, our hearts weakens? Tet! Tapi.. itulah. Yang pada asalnya tak tengok, dah tertengok. Yang memang tak mahu tengok, kita pula menggalakan dia tengok. Kalau tak tutup dada, apakah tidak ada apa-apa yang tertonjol? Ada yang memakai ketat sana ketat sini, nak berfesyen katanya. Macam mana saya tahu semua ini? For once I had been this lost person. I thought that it would be fine. At some point it seemed cool. Sekarang.. Hm, rasa malu pula. If it is just drawing attention to yourself, then you never know what could happen next.. Unless you like that kind of attention. I know I don’t. And if I had a husband, I know he wouldn’t either. Don’t you want to feel special for the one and only? And what I mean is, well, humans, are simply attracted to each other in many ways. Tak semestinya kalau kita memakai tudung labuh, atau pakai serba hitam, perhatian orang tak akan tertarik. Tapi tarikan seksual tu tidak dilahirkan, sebaliknya ia menarik manusia untuk seketika berfikir tentang Deen Islam, Allah, maruah, dan ‘kecantikan dalaman’. Please, don’t be shy about this. It’s time to open up and educate yourself. In Malaysia, this a sensitive issue. However, it should not be as sensitive as it is related to our daily lives. We probably need to fix our mentality, no? Because it can cause confusion and how can we mature if we aren’t allowed to talk about the important matters? Alah. Macam pegang anjing. “Tak boleh pegang anjing!”. Sebenarnya, orang yang cakap macam tu, dia dengar “anjing” je. “Tak boleh pegang anjing yang basah” sebenarnya. “Anjing basah” tu tertinggal lah pula. So.. yeah how about that whole fix perception idea? Believe me, after wearing it right, well.. Ok before that. This is the problem with me. I sometimes have low self esteem. Anything can trigger it back to zero. But now, sometimes I feel pretty when wearing it right. I feel good about myself. And that is what everyone should feel about themselves. These things, these small things, perkara remeh-temeh ni, banyak kepentingannya. These small things really matter. Maybe if you don’t get it now, I hope you understand sooner or later. *(For further understanding, refer to http://lobaitampin.blogspot.com/2011/03/method-al-quran-dalam-isu-aurat-menutup.html) So what are the common questions frequently asked? “Jadi macam mana nak lawa kalau pakai tudung labuh?”. Boleh je lawa. You can still look beautiful even wearing it right. Who said it’s impossible? I mean, look at the people below:  Ahh. Who doesn't know the lovely Aishah Amin. The beautiful hijab fashionista. Always covering the chest. Still manage to pull off all sorts of looks!  Or how about something a little simpler? Like none other than the lovely Dianah Bahrin? Siapa taktau cik kak ni. Her proposal video went viral. Plus, orang Malaysia kan cepat excited. Tak sampai 5 saat dah sampai kat Twitter, Facebook and wherever possible for newspreading. But hey, I think she's pretty. And really modest-looking. She is indeed the one who inspired me.  Even the people close to you could be a good example. For instance, my good friends in UiTM. They've been with me through the whole of semester 1. They're as nuts as I am! But I've learnt a lot from them. They can manage to look great and still wear it right. So why can't I? Labuh sampai menutup punggung itu adalah lebih baik. Kerana dua tempat itu(dada dan punggung) lah menarik perhatian dan sering menjadi perbualan lelaki-lelaki fasik. But covering the chest is already fine with the hijab. And so your blouse should do the job of covering your butt. Or maybe you could just wear an abaya, a maxi dress which is not tight, or maxi skirts(trending awesomely now aren’t they?) and maybe even palazzo pants(thank God to who created that one!). And if you want to wear accessories like necklaces, you can always get the ones with long chains. Or wear whatever you want as long as it’s not too tight and revealing. “So where can I get awesome clothing and hijabs but still wear them right?”. Don’t fret! There’s always a solution to everything.  I recommend Tudung People. Their collections are breath taking. Ran by the beautiful Fazrena Azleen, Tudung People has a wide range of scarves which are suitable for casual and formal occasions. If you're into the whole chiffon thing, and you don't want anything too see-through or expensive, SHOP HERE! They sell really affordable and reasonable-priced products of high quality. Trust me. I, alone, have bought three of the Numa collection, one from Adiva, and three of their Najwa neck covers(one for Ibu and she liked it!). Last I checked they had almost 40,000 likes on their page! What's not to like anyway. Tudung People? RECOMMENDED  And what else none other than Dena's family business, Aroush Style(previously De Hana Hijab) offers you lots n lots of coverage(of the chest). I haven't got myself one yet, but sure hope I do soon! Ini banyak bagus niii. Tapi sangat laris rasanya. Lots of their collections have been sold out! Perfect for casual days. Aroush Style? RECOMMENDED  And last but not least, HijabSchool. If I am correct, ran by the awesome Miss Shazwani Sahiful Bakri. If you like maxi dresses, or abayas, or probably looking for something new and cute, YET modest, go for their collection! I got myself one. Haven't received it yet though, but I seriously can't wait :D HijabSchool? RECOMMENDED *Anyone else know where else to get awesome modest clothing?* So there you go. Not solutions to your problems. But options of solutions to your problems. I am not just some girl trying to show off, or trying to say sugar, spice and everything nice. Tak. Saya bukan nak cakap bagus, nak berlagak atau apa-apa perkara yang sama sepertinya. I just want to be improved. Saya hanya menegur diri saya sendiri, dan Alhamdulillah, saya dapat menerima teguran itu. It’s a wakeup call for me, and if it is for you too, then it’s good. If you can’t accept it yet, and not ready to open your heart, then at least open your mind. Being open minded is what some people lack nowadays. And I believe that it is worth sharing. And worth motivating people who believe that change is difficult or impossible, and worth influencing those that are still not being able to accept. And most important, it’s worth a try. Allah suka akan orang yang sentiasa mencuba, tak cepat putus asa, sentiasa meminta tolong daripada-Nya. So shall we not be ignorant anymore? And let’s really do some reflection, as of what I have done for myself. Cukupkah sekadar “itu” atau “ini” sahaja? I hope that I have helped and said well. Forgive me if I had not given enough explanations or had made you feel put down. It is not my intention for you to feel so. And I know maybe some of those who are reading right now may be those who feel as if I am talking about them. But no, I don’t know who is or who isn’t reading right now. And I might even make my own family or friends feel such a way, but all I want to say is keep on trying, never give up, know that there is always someone who supports you, and know that Allah is always watching over you. I'm glad that my loved ones are very supportive and are always there when I need them. Well then amigos! Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Be open, as I am open. As long as you are mature about it, I’m all ears. Don’t judge me for I am no scholar in this area. And I have a lot to learn. But I believe that you don’t need to be a scholar to wait for all of this to be said. I, myself, have many flaws. And there are probably a thousand other mistakes that can be corrected, yet I have not corrected it. But anyhow, trying is a first step. Slowly, make that transition.. We humans aren’t perfect anyway, right? Women of Islam, you are beautiful no matter what. It comes from within; a beautiful heart and soul leads to a beautiful person. If you are my age, now you are a daughter, a sister, a friend. Soon, you will be a wife, a mother, a grandmother. “You educate a man, you educate one person. But you educate a woman, you educate a whole family”. Sama-sama lah kita mengingati sesama sendiri. Semoga kehidupan kita lebih diberkati dan lebih diredhai. Ini bukan gimik, ini bukan cerita dongeng. Ini satu pesanan. Allah always loves us, He is forgiving, but can we cheat death when it comes? Wallahualam. Thank you for taking time to read this awfully awfully long post. Maybe someone can do a post response? Hehe. Til then. Assalamualaikum :) #TOWARDSBEINGABETTERMUSLIM  
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