MIMI WON! MIMI WON!

Mimi won consolation prize for her entry in the photography competition held by MBSA! In my previous post in May,  I uploaded the pictures she submitted.

All her efforts to get a good shot had been fruitful.  I am for healthy hobbies whatever they are.  May Mimi be a good photographer she aims to be.  Go Mimi!

Cards

Reading again Khalil Gibran literature got me rumaging in my brain whose else poem I had read in the past.  (Think, Think) There is a name...still vague...a name made out of a quality...(think, think somemore)....then I got it! Patience Strong.

Patient Strong's poems filled my school days when  cards were given for birthdays and poems were written in autographs.  Beautiful cards in envelopes, with a poem, often by Patience Strong were given as a gesture that you are remembered on your birthday. Nowadays wishes are greeted via sms.  After a few days, or few hours, it is deleted. But a card  is a tangible wish with beautiful words and illustrations that can be kept for a long time.

I surfed the net to find her poems but got only a few.  Her poems are really sweet and meaningful that touched our hearts and became mementoes we gave one another.  Here is one I share with you.

The saddest word in all the language is the word Goodbye.

Pause before you speak the word that maybe you'll regret.

Though perhaps you weren't to blame - forgive it and forget.

Wait before you cause a storm that wrecks your peace of mine.

Life is brief and love is precious - and its hard to find -

so never risk destroying it by something done or said.

Think before you spoil your chance of happiness ahead.

The great poet

What kind of books do you read? A friend told me recently that he is not interested in reading.  Many people do not read much but that do not make them any less interesting. And I read alot, hiding behind books and I am one of the most boring people in this world.

But when you read alot, there would come a time when you have to spill it out  by writing your own thoughts.  Or all the imput would make you want to puke. hehe. Have you felt that way?  For those who has a small or secret wish to write, please follow these instructions.  1. Get a paper  2. Get a pen  3. Write down what you feel like writing.  4. Send to me    5. I would read it happily.

Before I read just about any interesting book.  Now, as age is catching up, I would read what would make me a better person after reading it. Learning Islamic studies for a few years, it becomes very apparent  the different kind of school of thoughts between the western and the muslims.  With the western's free thinking and 'follow your heart' underlying message,(not all) I would come to a close, since we muslim cannot follow our hearts and our thinking must never be free. 

I am no longer able anymore to absorb everything but to do so selectively. But it does take away the simple joy of absorbing. :)

So now, I am into Khalil Gibran's work of art.  Isn't he something???  He comes from a thinking plain way higher than us, being able to see the beauty of life and in God's creation.  Many artists are tormented souls and their sufferings has given them the leap to see more than we see.  We look at the sky and see blue, they look at the sky and see angels with string instruments and ice-cream castles..(I see cotton candy)

Here are some of his quotes whose beauty I would like to share with you.

" Your pain is breaking of shell that encloses your understanding"

"The eye of a human being is a microscope, which makes the world seem bigger than it really is"

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter his house of wisdom but rather lead you to the threshold of your mind"

"There are those that give with joy and that joy is their reward"

"Life without love is like a tree without blossom or fruit"

"Poetry is a deal of joy, pain and wonder and a dash of the dictionary"

"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need"

"If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were"

"If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom"

Best nyeeee.........

When things were simpler.

The landmark of Shah Alam is its lovely lakes. It has 2 big lakes, one by the Masjid Negeri and one in section 7.  There is where the people of Shah Alam exercise and you find many of them doing so in the mornings and evenings, and I can say, it is the norm for the community here. Men, women, children and families of all ages and background would make their way to the lakes and have a work out.

It is a part of  my regime now to exercise 30 minits a day, as per Dr Alfi's requirements. No wonder last time I was healthier,  when I would make time to jog, very little sugar intake and eat simple food.  Back then, with Mimi in Matrikulasi and Hajar in Cairo, I was skimping in spending. Cakes, pizzas, eating out were a luxury. 

Now Mimi got her scholarship and Aishah working, Alhamdulilah we can indulge in the yummy food, going to Dellize with Aishah, ordering dominos when we are not cooking, not going to the lake anymore had resulted an unhealthy Mama. It seems this lifestyle is not suitable for me. 

I think I have to revert back to the old ways. At least the eating part.

Short advice

Short advice for today,

RANSANGKAN YANG POSITIF, JANGAN RANSANGKAN YANG NEGATIF

When was the last time you did a blood test?

It has been sometime I had a blood test, about 5 years ago.  I had one done last week and the results had been 'expectedly' bad.  Cholestrol higher than range, uric acid on the high side and many other indicators towards the high side.  Hmmm....

Its a good thing I went or I would just keep on going and ignoring all the signals my body is giving me. 

So our doctor has put me on a diet regime as I am obese now. Obese!!!!!

He gave me a list of what I could not eat, and as curiousity kills the cat, I did more research on the net, to find the list gets longer and longer. I was eating oats happily knowing I was keeping my cholestrol at bay when I saw oats on the no-no list for uric acid.

Since I got the results, I find myself staring at food, stopping short from eating,  to compute, was this on both list?

Now I have to do some food exploring to know what is there else to eat since 70% has been striked out by the good doctor.

A box of chocolate

Forrest Gump said something to this effect, that life is like a box of chocolate, you don't know what you are going to get.  That was how my hari raya this year, a box of chocolate...

That is why it is always important to 'betulkan niat' when we are about to start anything. Mulakan setiap perbuatan dengan Bismillah.  Because, when things change courses or things happen unexpectedly, you do not jump up and down.

It was indeed an privilege to be able to celebrate hari raya with relatives in Kota Bharu after some years of moving to KL.  Auntie Kak's family has grown with the increase of grandchilren. Kak La's lovely family, Kak Pah's lovely house and Cek's good food.  To 'beraya' with my wonderful Mokcik Moh and Pokcik Wei, with Mama Robiyah and family.

Then to have the Little Ladies' Papa and Pak Uda coming to the house was always a highlight of my hariraya, because it is the  time of the year when they gather as a family, when his first family and second family meet and unite. When it shows blood ties bring people together.

I guess I believe in hariraya.  That's why what we lack to make hariraya perfect makes me sad. 

Day before yesterday, I beraya with my grandmother at the hospital, meeting relatives from another branch of family tree.  That night to my brother's open house where I meet the lovely, ever so proper family of Kak Ann's.

Eventhough I am always apprehensive how hariraya would be every year, but  like I wrote, we always manage to enjoy ourselves for as long as we  have the 4 F, that is faith, family, friends and food.

Back together

Hariraya 2010 in Shah Alam and Kota Bharu

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Mimi and Aishah's Fruit tarts for raya

hari raya in progress

I have learnt a lesson today, about most things are easier said then done. 

We bought cheap stuff and after assembling it, praakkk!!!! It breaks.  Parts not fitting, can only be changed in a week or more,  there goes my raya.....

Saw Ziana Zain at the bank.  I went to this out of the way bank, since in the way banks have ran out of notes for hariraya, to find Ziana who is really beautiful in real life making everyone there wake up, sit up and go gaga over her transactions. Other then that, no notes.

Aishah found her blue green baju raya. 

The house is far from ready.

I fasted till 4 pm.

Shushu and Giogio cannot be with us for raya, since the pet's hostel last entry is at 1.00 pm tomorrow. There goes Mimi's joy and happiness.

The neighbours playing the hari raya songs at high volume for the whole block to hear.

Little Ladies Part 10

We started earlier to clean and spruce up the house, but only now picking up in pace.  Being a true last minute person, starting early  is just an act, really, nothing much done.

Hajar is a fastidious person, she cleans well into every crook and corners, such as scrubbing the tiles on hind legs.  She goes for the rust, grit and grime, I go for the outer surfaces and storaging.  We will leave the windows and curtains to Aishah when she arrives tonight.  Mimi, hmmm...she can decorate when our new little glass cupboard comes and wash our baju raya and tudung raya and the telekong raya given by Kak Hanim and the artificial flowers.

We are giving away what we no longer use, like clothes,  to our relatives (sedeqah should be to relatives first)  in Kota Bharu.  Recycle what can be recycled eventhough we get pittance for the price we paid for them.

Lets clear the clutter and the cobwebs.  Lets have a spick and span hari raya.  But don't spend too much time cleaning.  Ramadhan and the night of Syawal is still a time for ibadat. That is more important.

This Ramadhan

I have not been able to write much about Ramadhan, and not in position to tazkirah since my ibadat is so poor .  There is too much going on in my head and in my heart.

Dashed hopes, sprouting new hopes, news of sickness and deaths, making big decisions, terminations,  new deals like purchasing qoroh :),  peri menapausal symtoms of prolonged menstruation, able to fast so far for only 9 days, tampering in biscuit selling,  and the usual never ending running around, the morals are low this month.

I was writing on forgiveness.  I know one thing about forgiveness, it takes away alot of burden from the heart.  If we forgive someone who had done us wrong or is forgiven by someone whom we have done wrong, our heart feels free and light, the memory of what took place is deleted and it increases the space in our heart, just like the computer.  

Sometimes, we can forgive, but finds difficulty forgetting.  It means we forgive only a little, maybe 10%. We should try to forgive more in percentage.

My ibadat is so poor this month.  I have to thank Shushu and Giogio for waking me up on the 10 last nights, eventhough I cannot fast, to look out at the sky at the balcony to see whether its LailatulQodar. Only Allah knows.   Then I doa and seek forgiveness from Allah. The way I am going, I have to do extra ibadat into the month of Syawal to make up for the low pahala of my Ramadhan.

If we do not know Allah, how would we ever cope with life's 'onak dan duri.'  For Allah to take care of us, we have to take care of Allah.

Ramadhan is the most auspicious month for it is a month we fullfill one of the Rukun Islam, most probably the hardest. Being hungry and abstaining from our desires. Desires that would ride us, if we do not hold their reigns. And fasting is the best way to reproach our desires so it does not go out of control, or out of the permissable.

So when hari raya comes, the desires had been ploughed and managed, done enough terawih, paid our zakats,  heart is willing to forgive and forget,we are all ready to move on on better footing as a  slave of Allah, a muslim, a person.

Blue green for raya

This year, Mimi is dressing us in blue green.  It started some years ago with green, then crimson, then orange brown, this year blue green. (something like this highlight)

On hari raya , we address families by their colour. Purple family or pink family or peach family. No names required.

My sister-in-laws are superb at putting colours together. There was once when Kak Hanim was going same colour, different shades, light, darker, darkest.  And Kak Ann, as usual, picking the most pleasant tones for her family, looking like out of a magazine.

As for us, partly same colour or a tinge is enough, if not the whole background. As long as there is blue green somewhere.

But same colour  does look good for photo taking don't you think? All  coded, coordinated and unified.A set of a family. 

Must remember blue green ribbon for shushu.

Little Ladies Part 9

Hari raya is drawing near.  Hmmm...hari raya...our most awaited festive day after our most special month which had not been so festive for the last 20 years or so.  But ok laah...we survived it, manage to have some fun, and join in the merry-making, though in my heart not fully....

I always had difficulties paying zakat fitrah because by right, payment should be by our guardian. But since we are not so close, my guardians and I, so I paid for myself and the girls. Without fail, every year, it would tug on alot of heartstrings since like I said, by right it should be paid by a guardian. Its not the money. Its the thought that I don't even know if there is a guardian for us or not. No husband, faraway father (for both me and the girls), lost brothers ...(tears welling now) and I can't even ask, because I am afraid, they had not notice at all. Oh well, its only 7rm per person and ones I get it done, ignore the painful song in my heart, its forgotten till the next year. This year, Alhamdulillah,  Aishah has taken it upon herself to pay for everyone since she has grown-up and had made a living of her own. Until she gets married, I shall pass the batton to her.

We would always cook our trademark hariraya dishes of ketupat, sambal goreng, kuzi ayam, sambal kacang and sayur lodeh, each of everyone's favourite.  We used to buy the ketupat's moulds, but now the Little Ladies can weave, so its  homemade and nicely shaped.

Hajar would make the patience required kuzi ayam or lamb, frying the onions carefully so that it is not over fried, and pounding it patiently.

Mimi would be in charge of making dessert and so far her recipe is the simplest of all that takes 2 minutes to prepare. Just add one can of evaporated milk to one can of fruit cocktail and Viola! Dessert!  I hope she has progressed this year and come up with something more fancy.

Another difficult moment would be going for hari raya prayers as I would see, intact families in their beautiful clothes, usually of same colour tone for each family, going together to the mosque, the distinguished fathers and elegent mothers, handsome and beautiful children in tow,  and it would just be the 4 of us for 20 years now braving the crowds, sans a male 'guardian'.

I won't even begin to describe the intact families' hariraya celebration to compare with ours.

But Alhamdulillah,  so far we have made it, and our low key hariraya is still hariraya and we always end up enjoying it,  As long as we have each other, it will always get better.

Puteri Saadong

Here is the story of Puteri Saadong, told by Professor Normala (my aunt, Kak La) to us on the day I dropped off her order of biscuits.  My emphasis on the prof bit, to add authenticity to the story. She couldn't be making this up, ok....prof and all.  As for me, who is only half Kelantanese, all these while I thought Puteri Saadong is a mythology like Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang who had long changed into mountains in Kuching, Sarawak .  To my surprise, she is real, like you and me.

When did the beloved by  all Kelantanese ruler ruled?  Way before Arwoh Mok? ( my Kelantanese great grandma I wrote about) Wow...thats long, ancient!  Arwoh Mok told me during her younger days, she went around berkemban.  That is in sarong fastened above bosom, without top.  I imagine the constituents of Puteri Saadong, going around berkemban under her souverign.

Prof  Normala, spoke with upmost certainty of the princess and her history. (that figures)  Kelantan must be the only state that had such a great and powerful woman ruler so...(that figures too)....that is why Kelantanese women are quite prominent in their state and are usually strong...(that figures)....they were empowered from the very beginning...by Puteri Saadong and later on by Cik Siti Wan Kembang, another great women in Kelantan history.  That is why, rarely Kelantanese women are taken for fools. Hmm...now I know...hmmm.....

The story goes like this;

Puteri Saadong was once a reknown ruler in Kelantan who was loved and revered by all and beyond.  Her royal husband was a Tengku Abdullah. They lived in power and happiness.

Alas, their happiness was shortlived.The Siam Emperor wanted Puteri Saadong and to do that, he and his army came to attack Kelantan.  To save her beloved country, she sacrificed her own needs and was willing to be pawned for the safety of her people. So she left Tengku Abdullah and Kelantan and submitted to be married to the Siam Emperor, with one condition, she is not to be touched.  Being a multitalented person, she can cast spells....and casted a spell on the Emperor to have skin disease that cannot be cured even by the best of healers. No skin specialist then.

Time past and the Emperor could not endure the ailment much longer and if Puteri Saadong could cure him, he would grant her anything. She wished for her return to her country and the Emperor, as soon as he was healed, let her go.

Puteri Saadong came back to Kelantan only to find Tengku Abdullah betrothed to another women on the throne.   Her unfaltering love for him did not seemed reciprocated in the same way.  ( a man is a man no matter where and when) She declared war ( being at the top does this to you)  and with her army, attacked Tengku Abdullah and his people. With her hair pin, she stabbed Tengku Abdullah (so sad, huhu) to his death.  Love at its most complicated.

After that she turned into a recluse and stayed in the mountains of Bukit Marak and after sometime,  turned into a 'orang halus' .  She became invisible but provided the people with crokery, (plates, bowls, glasses etc). I heard many times from  old folks that crokery those days were borrowed from 'another world'. I suppose human don't own much household items then. They borrowed for kenduri and return them after use. Unfortunately some people did not return them and this saddened Puteri Saadong. (poor queen)

For a long time, there were people who could still  hear the sounds of crokery at Bukit Marak, maybe even to this day.  It is there Puteri Saadong  last lived and became a legend in Kelantan, part mortal and part spirit, a bridge between the two worlds.

Allahu a'lam. So it goes  according to Kak La.