Travelling Together

Hello guys! I was not able to blog last week because my computer was down with some virus ! Many things happened last week including my two children are back for the holidays. In few hours time, we will be heading north to visit their grandmother. We plan to be in Kedah for 3 days then we will be travelling east to Kota Bahru. There are a few things to be done and some friends to visit. I hope the weather will be good for our journey.
When the children were young, we used to travel as one family, all the eleven of us together in our Pajero and we loved that. However these days, to do that kind of travelling is quite impossible! First, it is such a rare occassion that we could all be together. Secondly we have to drive a bus if we were to travel in a group. With the children all grown and the luggage they would take along, you can imagine the size of the group! Few years back we managed to travel to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where we did the Umrah together. The children loved the experience that they planned to meet the same way in the future when they could all get together. We did not have much problem travelling and holidaying together because from small our children had been trained doing that. As such they would always take care of each other on journeys or vacations, big sister or brother would take care of the younger ones. However it's me who would keep counting the heads so as not to lose anyone!

Forgive Everyone?

Last week my husband announced to me that he had forgiven everyone. He said he had forgiven me, my relatives, his relatives, our children, and all those people who had hurt him one way or the other. I was not surprised with that kind of announcment coming from my husband but it makes me feel bad because I could not do the same. Forgive everyone??? People who had really hurt your feelings?? ( It's like something impossible!) It is very difficult for me at the moment. Some of the incidents I may have tried to forget but could not forgive. Some other incidents I may want to forgive but you could not forget. My husband then teach me to say some prayers so that my heart will be more forgiving. Insya-Allah I hope it will work!
Then a few days later, he was so happy telling me that he had just heard this tazkirah as below,
Enam perkara yang Allah berikan kepada orang yang memaafkan kesemua kesalahan orang lain terhadapnya :
1) hati bertambah bersih
2) ketenangan fikiran
3) disembuhkan segala penyakit
4) makhbul doa
5) mendapat hidayah bercurah-curah
6) wajah yang cerah bersih ( point ini dikatakan oleh Imam Shafie)

After I heard the above explanation from my husband, I tried to persuade my heart to do the act of forgiving. First I must learn to forget the painful incidents, then maybe later I will be able to forgive. (When the incident was fresh, it chocked my breathing, bled my heart and ripped my inside) The most painful ones are those incidents which involved the close members of the family, whom once were the persons you had cared for! May Allah show me the way, and make heart be more forgiving! Ammeen!

Few More Days !

Few more days, my daughter Yanna will arrive home, InsyaAllah! Yanna comes back almost every year. She had saved the money for the tickets. Well, not all of it, I had to cotribute some. Yanna is very thrifty and also knows how to earn some pocket money. Her clasmates are international and they would ask from her Malaysian made telekung, tudung etc and her Malaysians friends (not in same school as she) love the stockings from the former Russian territories.( That's where she could earn a few RMs? ) When she comes back to Malaysia, she would buy gifts for her friends and ustazah. Her favourite gifts to her ustazah would be all colors of our malaysian made ball pens. They loved the gifts and she could afford such gifts! Yes, Yanna would be arriving on the 15th August and Lia would be arriving on her birthday i.e few days later than Yanna! ( Lia had requested for her birthday cake to be brought to the airport!) So I am waiting for few more days for the child who was always on my lap, and my 'Pendant' to come home safely. For Lia , do your exam well first, do not get diverted by the thoughts of coming home. As for Yanna pack properly your luggage so that you don't have to quarrel with the Egyptian authorities at the airport! Welcome Home!

Kenangan di Malam Jumaat

Assalamualaikum! Malam ini malam Jumaat. Terkenang pula aku pada malam Jumaat masa zaman aku kanak-kanak hingga remaja kat kampung kami. Penempatan kampung kami itu lebih di kenali dengan panggilan Pondok iaitu penempatan khas dimana penghuninya menumpukan perhatian kepada mempelajari ibadah dan melaksanaknnya dalam kehidupan mereka seharian. Rumah kami adalah rumah kayu agak luas ada 5 ruang memanjang dari anjung hingga ke dapur. Anjung tempat tetamu datang dan tempat ayah rehat dengar radio, rumah tengah tempat bilek tidur emak dan ayah, dan ruang tv, lepas itu rumah ibu, tempat kami lakukan segala aktiviti, belajar, mengaji, menjahit, bersembang juga tempat melayan tetamu yang lebih rapat,(di ruang ini juga terdapat 2 bilik tidur). Kemudian ruang dapur tempat makan, akhir sekali ruang dapur basah tempat menyediakan makanan, memasak dan cuci pinggan mangkuk.
Pada setiap malam jumaat pada masa itu, selepas solat maghrib emak akan membaca surah Yassin, begitu juga aku dan kakak. Orang lelaki pula akan pergi ke surau berjemaah selepas solat maghrib mereka membaca surah Yassin. Kemudian mereka akan marhaban selepas solat Isya. Marhaban ini sangat memeriahkan suasana Pondok ketika itu hingga terdengar ke kampung-kampung berdekatan. Selepas Marhaban mereka akan disajikan dengan makanan yang telah disediakan oleh penghuni Pondok secara bergilir-gilir.(sekumpulan 7 buah rumah akan meyediakan makanan setiap minggu) Waktu inilah kanak-kanak sangat gembira kerana dapat makanan kueh-mueh istimewa. Sepupu emak yang aku panggil Pak Uneng (muda dari aku 4 tahun)sejak dari awal lagi telah buat 'booking' dulang yang berisi kueh yang disediakan oleh ruamh kami ataupun yang disediakan dari rumah Tok Cik Dah. Ini adalah kerana dia telah sedia maklum hidangan dari kedua rumah ini adalah yang istemewa. Kami orang-orang perempuan kadangkala pergi juga ke surau untuk berjemaah dan pada malam Jumaat suasana di surau amat meriah dengan lampu-lampu 'goslin' yang dipasang mencerahkan halaman surau dan halaman rumah Tok guru. Kami kanak-kanak akan bermain-mainan di halaman dan kawasan surau sebelum dan setelah selesai solat. Kawan baik ku pada masa itu ialah Mak Tam, Mak long Nur, Pak Anjang, (semua sepupu emak) Noraini dan Miyah. Bila aku tekenang zaman itu terasalah amat indah dan juga sedih kerana tidak ada lagi suasan sebegitu sekarang ini, maka sedarlah aku zaman itu telah berlalu!

The Smell of Home

Hello guys! Sorry that my blog for today appear late. I was busy this morning with Bahasa Melayu class and Public Speaking class. The Public Speaking class? Yes, I made the students recite poetry and sing patriotic songs in front of the class to loosen up their nerves! Then I started them on delivering a Tazkirah, today's tazkirah's topic "Pentingnya Solat Lima Waktu" . They had a fun time delivering the mock tazkirah. During classes like these it's my voice that suffers because I had to raise my voice so as to make them speak loudly and clearly! Today's Public Speaking was in Bahasa Melayu. We will alternate it with English. Next year they will have to do it in Arabic as well.
Hey, What's that? I can smell something! Oh, my tea is ready! Why of course it is the smell of cempedak goreng! Hmmmm it has that lovely sweet fragrance that makes you want to eat it now! So I have to end this blog and go for my tea and 'cucoq' cempedak. Apparently it's cempedak season and Alhamdulillah our dusun produce a bumper harvest this year. Sorry,I could not post to you all the cempedak goreng. Pak Uniong ,Shida, Oan, Ude's friends, Kin's friends and Mak lang (mine and the bolg one)' you have to come over for tea,if you would like to sample the cucoq! he,he!. For Lia and Yanna,all the fruits of the season that you craved for had been packed and frozen in the freezer waiting for you! Welcome home to the smell of home!

Once I Had A Sister

Once I had a sister,
Not of the same mother,
We adopted each other'
Coz we don't share the same father,
She's two years my senior.

In school we are always together,
Best of friends we were,
And we adored each other,
Happiness and sorrow we did share,
Never did we bicker.

Schooldays were soon over,
Separate ways did we go,
We had family and career,
Not many days we did see each other,

Then came the sad news,
She suffered from cancer!
Much sufferings did she endure,
six years she did linger,
(She did all her ibadah during the six years)

There were no tears between us,
just looked at each other,
Until few days before her departure,
(I could not stand it anymore)
Tears spilled all over,
There were no words to mutter!
I received the sad news.. two days later,
It was all over!
(She was only forty-two)

Now it has been fifteen years since,
the day she departed,
In my heart she's never been away,
Her smile as bright as the day,
Her face as fresh as the morning dew,
I still remember our teen age years,
When in sadness I turned to her,
And to this day I still do!

Hey Sister, What's the Matter?

Hey sister, what's the matter?
I saw you running helter skelter,
Pause a while sister...
Take a breather ...
Does it really matter?
Arriving a little later...

You start your work with an open heart,
'Coz at work you are really smart!
Ready to use your creative juice ...
But why do you have the Monday blues?

Do you know sister,
Why we are here?
Many are blurr of the answer,
But one thing is for sure,
It's not meant to be forever,

You are placed on Earth,
To mark your worth ...
So act your part as directed,
May you get the award,
much coveted!

If only you could see...
where you want to be,
You'd stop running blindly ....
your forces would go straight in action,
your gyro will put you in the right direction!

Hey sister, what's the matter?
Are you still blur?
Stop the rat race..,
For you are just running in a maze..
It's just a craze !
Pause a little ...
your bones are brittle!

Look with wonder,
On a night so clear ...
The sky so high has no pillar
Look at the moon and look at the stars
Then ask youself,
Who is the Maker?

And then, you could see it so clear..
Your vison no more blur,
Every step you take does matter,
And you stop running helter skelter!

In youth you had made mistakes,
In life there's no retake,
However, despair not my dear..
For you are still the actor,
Each day is another picture..
So aim to do better
The trophy is still there,
For you to go after!

Suddenly you realised...
A dream has materialsed,
You have a mission so dear,
the purpose, so clear...
With a heart so sincere...
That whatever people say ...
Does not matter!

My Destination

I am making plans .....
going to a destination,
It has all the attractions...
that defy your imagination,
I am sure you'd want to follow,
if you are in the know...

You may book the ticket,
but it has no confirmation,
suddenly you realised ...
you are at the station!
Nobody takes a ride,
even by the side..
Travelling by yourself..
You are on your own !

I have some idea,
From what I did gather,
of the place where I want to go..
It's not for everyone,
'Cos it's so special...
It's only for those... I am told,
Who are... a 'Blessed soul',

There's a magnificient palace..
made of glass and crystals,
With lovely indoor garderns..
and vast garderns outside,
with flowing rivers,
and all the wonders!

The atmosphere smells..
sweet of fragrance,
in the breeze thats blows lazy,
making you delightfully...dizzy!

With the wind that moves along,
There's singing of songs,
with voices of angels,
the rythm of which is a lullaby

You'd get all your heart's desire,
or anything you admire,
the furniture's a luxury,
and such beauty..
The carperts's so thick,
with designs never seen,
the cushions are 'comfy'..
of velvet in green,

So intelligent is your place of abode,
that anything you want...
there's a mode ...
you'd just have to think,
It will come in a blink!

Rows of handsome butlers,
Rows of preety maids,
At your command they are always good,
serving sumptous food...
and drinks of sparkling wine,
the taste of which you had never dine,

Your dress are gowns of flowing silk...
and shinning brocades,
with diamonds and jewels..,
you'd look a beauty..
as you should be,

There's no nonsense,
And nothing foul...
There's no pain to suffer,
No sadness or madness,
There's only beauty,
and serenity..
And this is the place...
Where I want to be .. !

English Again?

It is Thursday again and Thursday means I have an English class to teach. Yes, today I will teach my class grammar (tenses), just the way my teacher, old Miss Lee had taught me when I was in lower secondary school. This method of teaching will ensure that you will never forget your table of tenses. The table will have coloums of present tense, present continous, past tense, past continous, future tense and future continous and past perfect. He, he, I will have fun grilling them and making sure they will never forget the correct tenses when making their sentences! To some people this may sound boring but to me it is very interesting. Learning to use the correct tenses is the foundation of good English. A lot of reading, some writing, and the frequent use of the language in daily conversations will make you at par with the English speaking people.
Ok, now it's time for me to get ready for my English class, interested? You are welcome to join me in the class. Then my students will be able to practise their English by asking you questions or answering yours! Maassalamah! Illaliqo' (Arabic for good bye)

Ke Pasar, Ke Pasar

This morning I suddenly remembered a nursery rhyme which I learned in school when I was young. It goes like this;

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again jikkejy jig,
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jikkejy jog.

However, today I taught Bahasa Malaysia in my class, it striked me that I should Malaysianised this poetry. Let's have a go at it:

Ke pasar, ke pasar, nak beli ikan kembung,
Terkejut, terkejut, harga naik melambung,
Ke pasar, ke pasar, nak beli ikan haruan,
Jadi hairan, jadi hairan, harga naik tak keruan!

Bertanya, bertanya, apa sudah jadi?
Itulah sebab kau orang naik gaji!
Bertanya, bertanya, siapa punya kelentong?
Fikir sama, fikir sama, kami pun nak untung!

Ke pasar, ke pasar, nak beli ikan bawal,
Dok tengok, dok tengok, susahnya nak kawal,
Balik rumah, balik rumah, ada beli gobis,
Naik lemah, naik lemah, duit pun dah habis!