Monthly Archives: July 2014

Raya 2014 … hoping it will be special and will become a tradition

Posted in Everyday Life by

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.

Dalai Lama

I do not recall the exact moment of when Hari Raya means just another holiday. Perhaps it was the killjoy preachers who likes to say ‘puasa kita patut lebih meriah dari raya tapi kita pula buat yang sebaliknya’.

I agree that one should not spend lavishly for Eid thus nullifies all the pahala he/she has gathered during Ramadhan. I however also disagree that we should downplay Eid as an event of joy and celebration. Eid as a personal victory in battling our personal demons as we observe the fast.

I see Eid as a public and accepted excuse for a person to go home and spend some time with the family. To bridge the gap and rebuffer connections. To wear something nice and fresh for a special occasion. To see and visit people you’d never have seen even if you get that long weekend off.

A time to be generous. A time to forget that one eternal enemy. A season to eat special food and taste new delicacies.

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This year I am celebrating Eid at my hometown Kuching, Sarawak.

This is not a normal ‘tahun ni beraya kat tempat saya’ sort of thing. This time the whole family is going back to Bumi Kenyalang specially for the raya season – not the school holidays, not for annual leave.. no… it is RAYA. Despite undergoing housemanship in Kuching before, I did not really get to enjoy the festive season as it is. I had to be oncall. Hence, this year is a great opportunity for myself and also Mr Husband to see how Kuchingites celebrate Hari Raya.

It is also my hope to be able to go back to Kuching for Raya every 2 years. Of course my government warrant gives me the privilege of having that once a year visit but for Raya… lets BE able to make it for at least once in 2 years. Lets make it a tradition for my family.

I still have one last call this weekend prior my flight to Kuching. My bags have been packed since last week.

Till then, I wish everybody Ramadhan Mubarak, Eid Mubarak. Take care.

When reading becomes a social crime…

Posted in Everyday Life, Ponderings & Personal Development by

“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.”

– Lady M. W. Montagu

When I was a child, BOOKS were banned from the dinner table.

I was an avid reader since I knew how to read. I saved up my pocket money to buy Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew series, Siri Salma and a lot others. As a teenager, I began reading magazines and even now in the medical field, I buy fiction to balance the serious facts of physiology and such.

I loved reading so much as a kid that I brought the books to the dinner table and flick the pages with one hand and the other hand serving food into my mouth. At first, Mother did not seem to mind. She must have liked the idea of me reading books but I guess the habit began to take its toll. I was not communicating with the rest of the family. My nose was always in a book like Belle of Beauty & The Beast. Her questions of “how was school” was always met by a short answer. My reaction to her interesting stories of the day was met by a lame ‘oohhh’.

So when Mother threatened me one day to ย hang a book at my throat – I stopped bringing books to the table. It did not make me stop reading. But it taught me a lesson.

Reading, though brings good can still be bad if it affects how one perceive or interacts with each other.

People nowadays don’t read books. But they read on their smartphones loaded with smart apps. And while smartphones keeps ones daily task at bay, updates you on the most recent feed of the hour… it has its sins.

 

Nowadays I tend to cringe whenever I see someone at the restaurant, parents to be precise, having both their heads down facing the screen of their phones – not talking to each other and letting their children eat and play by themselves.

Don’t get me wrong. These things happen at home too. I have to remind Mr Husband or my brothers to leave the phone at the sofa during dinner and if they don’t want to participate in our parents grandfather stories – to at least just listen and respond appropriately. Apalah sangat tertinggal news feed for the next half an hour or so.. What is it that is so important on Facebook or Mudah.Com ย that you can’t stop to appreciate the food that’s been prepared before you.

I think ย LIVE human interaction is still the most important of all. We have to learn to use our soft skills and five senses to gather and celebrate more of each other. And perhaps for once, we don’t have to tell everybody that you bought 3 pairs of shoes at Parksons Grand Mega Raya sales today.

 

 

 

My life’s soundtrack.. well some

Posted in Ponderings & Personal Development by

How many of us married couples are still searching or actively listening to romantic songs nowadays? Kinda taking everything for granted nowadays aren’t we? Knowing that we get to see our loved ones everyday, there is less incidenceย to berangan or feeling tak larat of the nice things our spouse do everyday. Be it taking the garbage out or bathing the little monkey.

http://www.wannasmile.com/

Credit : http://www.wannasmile.com/

I remembered during courtship when I would actually compile a list of love songs to listen to over and over again at times when I feel very lovey dovey. There were also breakup songs, frust songs, motivational songs, travel songs, dance songs et cetera.

Even now, when I hear certain songs… it will immediately transport me to a particular strong memory – sometimes moments that bring me gazillion joy or…. of things I want to forget.

For instance, I will always associate Michael Buble’s – Home to my trip to Rome. Everything just fits perfectly at the time. Our party of 8 just happened to be in Rome when this song became a hit worldwide. The best part was not in going to the Colloseum or that gondola ride in Venice. Or that scrumptious slice of margarita pizza and gelato… it was at the moment we got lost in the town of Rome. Circling the area for God knows how long yet everyone being so peaceful enjoying the ride watching the city lights. With Buble’s song in the background of course.

Black Eyed Peas “Meet me Halfway’ on the other hand conjures memories of a relationship gone sour. When both somehow thought the other party was angry of something and yet both clueless of what was going on. Still, on my part I was hoping that we could perhaps meet halfway to solve the problem or get a closure. It did not happen – and the sourness just dissolved with time. I remembered checking in to a hotel after my normal day at work ( a houseman at the time) without any extra fresh clothes and just use whatever toiletries I have in the car. Only to check out the next day, drove back to work in the same clothes I used the day before with NOBODY noticing. NOBODY had any idea I was having a rough time. NOBODY checked if I had breakfast or dinner the night before. NOBODY knew that I did not return home last night. It was a sad moment. For a while. Until I met Mr Husband.

Interestingly I don’t have that one special courtship/wedding song with Mr Husband. Honestly I couldn’t recall, which means we probably did not have one. We were bonded by food. Our first date was after all at a Kelantan stall beside the national masjid and we had Nasi Kerabu for dinner.

Hehe..

So, on second thought… perhaps its not that we are taking for granted of each other. Every couple is different and complements each other in their own unique way. We may not need songs to reminisce on our lovely past but we still have food. Glorious food.

Somtam Tesco Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks by

“Eat whatever you want, and if anyone tries to lecture you about your weight,

eat them too”

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Sometimes the most lovely dishes are closer to home.

Somtam (kerabu betik) is one of my favourite Thai dishes. I first had it when a fellow friend whose mother hails from Bangkok prepared us a homemade Somtam. Later, my second Somtam meal was in Krabi. However, this time I bought this Somtam at Tesco Melaka’s Bazaar Rakyat for MYR5. And the taste was everything I imagined it to be. Take note, it is very spicy but the bliss of having it for Iftar was worth it. Although I did have to swallow 2 tabs of Gelusil post meal.

Its a simple dish. The ingredients were fresh and the young boy mixing the somtam certainly knows what he is doing.

Too bad the Pulut Mangga was not available during Ramadhan. Perhaps, after Raya then? Heard it was equally mouth-watering.

 

Pray For Gaza

Posted in Current Events by

Some time ago, I used to tell myself,

“All these actions to boycott Israel products will probably not change anything. There are millions many more Malaysians who would still buy them”

After all, the number one brand which dominates my household is Nestle. I was never a pious person, even now. But as they say,

Until I read a profound article an ustaz posted on the worlds new media : FaceBook.

What struck me most was not the theory behind boycotting and such. In fact, it was something more simple and individual. It read,

“If Allah asks, what have you done to help your brother and sisters in Palestine?” what would I answer…

In a way I was enlightened. Often, we feel persuaded to do things because we want to see the effect immediately. Rarely, it is because we want to please Allah and gain pahala for all its worth. Hence, I feel compelled to take on further steps in Freeing Palestine. Things that I would do the same during the times of the horrible Holocaust under mean Hitlers regime.

There are a few ways to help. Most are inspired by our very own Dr Halina.

  1. Make dua for the people of Gaza : I also learnt that there’s a dua called Qunut Nazilah. Something new to me that I have never known before.ย 
  2. Send donations through the many available NGOs in Malaysia who contributes to Gaza.ย 
  3. Boycott products : I suppose after I finish my current pack of Milo and Maggi, I have to find a substitute. As for the Golden Arches.. well, well, its time to limit the visits and stop all together. InsyaAllah.ย nestle-marque2