Diana's miracle

My friend Diana has long longed for a child.  Married close to 20 years, she tried everything.  The gynae, traditional methods, year in, year out, still in vain.

Turning forty on November 4th, she threw a big party. A milestone in her life she said. Balloons everywhere.

She has a good marriage, a long standing career at A&W and a nice house that she loves to decorate.

She resigns to the fact that if she still cannot conceive since her biological clock is running out of time, she would accepts her lot with an open heart.

Until Allah gave her her 40th birthday gift.  Surprisingly and unsuspectingly and finally, Diana found herself pregnant. Mimi and I could only shout.

Only that, her womb is weak and some complication has occurred. She was instructed by the doctor  to rest and not to do anything vigorous.

She said Allah heard her prayers to have a child like everyone else. I controlled my tears.  Knowing how hard she tried to conceive, I told her that we will all pray for the baby to survive.  I pray that the baby is a survivor, like its Mommy, Diana.  Ya Allah, selamatkan lah dan sihatkan lah baby Na yang sekian lama kami semua nanti-nantikan. Ameen.

Mokcik Moh tersayang.

Mokcik Moh telah kembali ke rahmatullah pada hari Ahad 30 October yang lalu. Oleh sebab aku di beritahu 3 hari selepas pergi nya beliau, membuat ku masih lagi terdengar-dengar suaranya yang lembut, tawanya yang comel dan wajah nya yang manis di ulang tayang dalam kepala ku entah berapa kali sehari. Mungkin jika aku dapat menatap jenazah beliau dan memberi kucupan yang terakhir.....

Maka padam lah sebuah lampu yang menerangi hidup ku, itu sahaja lah yang dapat ku rungkaikan dari segala perasaan yang aku rasai ketika ini.  Terkilan tidak di beritahu. Menyesal kerana tidak berjumpa dengan nya ketika dia datang ke sini. Menyoal kenapa dia pergi tiba-tiba tanpa di duga langsung. Hati ku masih lagi meraba-raba satu kepastian, apakah yang sepatutnya.

Mokcik Moh atau nama sebenarnya Hasmah binti Jaafar, ialah mak saudara sepupu ku.  Seorang insan yang cukup istimewa, kerana beliau sangat sederhana.  Tetapi dalam kesederhanaann itu, terbit satu jiwa yang cukup menyenangkan. Yang tiada tandingnya.  Tak pernah ku dengar sesuatu yang kasar  keluar dari mulutnya, paling pun, dia akan diam. Bila beliau bersuara, dia hanya perkatakan yang baik, biasanya  di sulami  jenaka dan tawa.Yang pasti,  yang tak baik, tidak di sebut atau pun di sebut dengan cara yang baik. Yang memahami, akan tahu bahawa dia tidak setuju apabila dia diam.

Aku mengenal beliau sejak kecil, kerana arwah ibu rapat dengannya. Aku cukup bangga memilikinya dalam hidup ku.

Ketika beliau susah pada zaman dahulu kala, di harunginya dengan sabar dan senyuman. Apabila dia senang, di hiasi dengan murah hati dan senyuman.  Pendek kata, sifat-sifat tersebut sudah sinonim dengan beliau, dan saya pasti, amat sedikit atau pun tiada langsung orang yang akan mengatakan sesuatu yang tidak baik tentang beliau setelah beliau menghembus nafas yang terakhir.

Aku bukan menulis hanya sekadar hendak update blog ku.  Aku ingin kongsi di sini tentang seorang insan yang mempercayai pentingnya menjadi seorang yang baik, seorang isteri dan ibu yang baik dan telah mempraktikkan kebaikan itu seluruh hidupnya. Sungguh mengkagumkan.   Tak mudah,  kerana kita manusia kadang-kadang hilang pertimbangan dan kesabaran dan akan bertindak  kasar dan tidak pantas  terhadap orang lain. Kalau lazimnya, seperti orang lain, beliau punyai kelemahan, tidak ketara buat ku ataupun  telah di lupuskan oleh kebaikannnya.

Boleh kah aku diam ketika marah seperti nya? Bolehkan aku taat sepertinya? Bolehkan aku murah hati dan berhemah seperti nya? Bolehkan aku rendah diri  sepertinya?

Hatiku masih mengapai-ngapai kehilangan ini.  Dalam panggilan terakhir ku padanya,  sempat kami sayang menyayang  ketika aku  memberitahunya bahawa aku menyayangi nya dan dia pun membalas yang sama. Masa tu baru selesai kenduri dan aku terlalu penat untuk pergi berjumpanya. Kalau lah aku tahu masa beliau dengan kami terlalu pendek, akan ku gagahi jua, walau letih mana sekali pun.

Kini dia sudah tiada, aku akan sematkan semua kenangan Mokcik Moh di khazanah hati ku, akan ku petik sifat-sifatnya dan tampal dalam sanubari ini,  untuk mengingatkan ku bahawa benar lah  Allah tidak memandang paras rupa tetapi memandang akhlak dan taqwa seorang hamba. Kerana hati dan budi yang baik itu adalah perhiasaan yang terindah.

Mokcik Moh.....

Semoga Allah cucuri rahmat di atas roh Mokcik Moh dan di golongkan di kalangan orang-orang yang solihin. Ameen.

HAFIZ AND FARAH

Every weekend a wedding

For the life of me, I cannot understand why, at weddings, I always stop short from taking pictures with my humble and loyal Nokia handphone, and my post would be without my own pictures, and  I would have to wait for someone to send me some of theirs, which I would never get.

Last night, at Dewan Seri Hendon Putrajaya,  when Hafiz and Farah walked on the the red carpet in tuxedo and a lovely white gown and coincidently stopped by my table to wait for the next cue, I was just gaping at  how lovely they looked and bursting with pride, when I could have taken some really good shots.

October belongs to Hafiz and Farah because its weekends are punctuated by one wedding event. Nikah for family only, then home reception for neighbours  and family and another at the hall for office colleagues and family. I am glad I am family.

The guest were entertained with a show of Kuda Kepang, an energetic fast number joget  and  songs from the Balle-balle group. The mother of the bride surprised us all with a song.

For wedding favours we were given chocolates and colourful towels (see pictures).

As usual,  our not so shy and not so dignified group, were busy having fun, taking pictures, pairing Ding with Selena (so cute a couple ) and making Na dance with the Balle-balle group.

The generous and big celebrations for the newly weds is an indication of  the many good and big things to come into their lives. Hafiz and Farah, who in the own right, have achieved good careers and a promising future.  May Allah give them success in this world and hereafter. Ameen.

GG oven

GG Oven is their (Hajar and Nor)  brand name.  GG means.....hmmm....they might not want me to tell. But I will disclose to you the English translation. Fluffy.

They are burning their faces to the oven since morning, and the new mixer, I named Miss Maximix, is spinning its whisk non-stop. Going whirrrrrrrrrl, to combine the eggs with the cooked butter and flour to make the choux pastry. Then  they would pipe the mixture into  florette shapes onto the trays. Then wait for it to fluff up in the oven and cook at the sound of TING!!! And  repeat. 

Here are some pictures. Sorry, not clear. My nokia is losing its sharpness. 

Have you read any food blogs?.  I am a fan of a few food blogs which are very interesting .  Cafe Fernando is one.  Another is The Misanthropic Hostess. Best giler. With GG Oven starting their small home-based business,  I will write on food too.

Two ovenettes

Saved by the rain

Quite rested from the wedding, I am supposed to go collect something but the rain saved me a trip in a 'for sure' traffic jam from Kg. Semut to Shah Alam. So now I can sit and blog with the cats around me, munching snacks while I make some business plans.  Dream abit, google a little and doa alot. For better things.

I call this place Kg. Semut because for one, it is crowded with a capital C. Second, it is full of activity and life and noise which Aishah could not stand. hehe. Third, it has a system.

I like this place very much. For one because the azan is very loud.  I wonder what kind of loudspeaker they use because of the way it blasts and booms into our homes 5 times a day . I like!!! Second, I found out very late, living in KL makes me happy. For once, that shrinking feeling I feel in most places, I do not feel here.  Strange. Third, its a cha-cha-marba place, and I am a cha-cha-marba person. People here are friendly too.

What started a refuge from my house problems turns out to feel like home. It is a good feeling.  It has been so long ever since I feel good. Poor me. Huhu. Poor Mama. :-(  So girls, let Mama feel this way a bit longer ok?

We, Hajar and friends and I will start something from this place.  An order for 1000 creampuffs is a start.  See, good feelings results to good things.

This flat in Kg Semut will be home cum baking outlet.  Wish us luck. We hope from creampuffs we are able to produces more foodies to sell. Next project after this would be a stint selling this fluffy creamy puffs at the flea market in Amcorp Mall, InsyaAllah.  (as Mahir Zain sings, InsyaAllah, InsyaAllah, InsyaAllah, you'll find the way.....ay......)

I bought our first good mixer for Hajar could never be able to beat the mixture for 1000 like she usually does by hand. Her arms would come off.  Her friend, Nor is good at baking too and I have confidence in this two ladies. I will be their biggest supporter. Maybe QC. A bit of customer service and of course, the delivery lady.

This is the biggest order we have had and I hope our dreams to be self-sufficient would come true. Creampuffs, anyone?

A wedding!

A friend said 'bila kita suka dan buat sesuatu kerana Allah, setiap yang baik dan buruk kita terima dan redha.'
Also ' kita tak nampak yang buruk pada sesuatu yang kita suka, kerana kita tak suka dia kerana Allah'. Deep.

We had our first wedding last Saturday. My sister Idah's reception. At Singgahsana Hotel.

Upon writing this, I have just barely recovered from all the planning, buying, shopping, browsing, running around, answering calls, making calls and driving all over the place. Did everything but took pictures. So no pictures  of the wedding for the time being.

A last minute wedding. All the advise to Idah to make up her mind quickly so that we are not short of time was just a waste of time. Then an issue with a blackberry came about. Shah gave me a blackberry for my birthday. I told Idah I cannot accept because if she does not accept his incessant proposal, I will have to return the cellphone. Idah said  she will be accepting for she knows how much he loves her. I happily accepted the gift and within 2 weeks, the invitations were out.

Actually, doing the wedding was quite a scary task to take on .  With my house problem  and helping with  Hafidz's  wedding the week before, we now have a full blown wedding to organise. A hotel wedding package was called for.  Time was short.  Luckily my aunt is an experience wedding planner, so with the idea in our heads, we got things going, and going fast. We invited only 200 guest and kept it small but 'meriah'.

Being the bride's sister and filling my late mother' place, I bought the most expensive baju kurung I have ever bought in my life.  I had to, since all the dresses I saw at the shops were too fancy and trendy for me.
Finally I chose a simple one, of cotton and some embroideries which ended up more expensive then the prettier ones on the displays. But since its the first wedding we held, I still bought it, especially with Mimi's encouragement, "beli aje Ma, bila lagi'.

Our 'hantaran' was in silver since Shah's was in gold.  Silver flowers on parcels of silver wrapping paper. Silver ribbons were tied around all the items to customize them. Then Aunt Chor added on to the trays dark red roses to make it look more grand and spectacular.

I was everywhere that night. I was nervous and anxious for everything to go smoothly. Aunt Chor was in a hot blue long dress as the theme that night was 'any blue'.  She was at the forefront being 'mak andam' and I was at the back, seeing the door gifts given out to the guest and saying hello to everyone.

Alhamdulillah, it went quite well, with some hiccups due to not having enough time to keep everyone informed and the people who were not prepared to take on last minute task, gave me a scolding instead.

As soon as the recorded kompang started and the bride and groom walk into the ballroom,  we just let it roll as planned.  With En. Manaf giving cues and signals to his staff with his walkie-talkie, we opened the ceremony with doa,(recited by our very own ustaz muda, Hilmee) and merenjis.  Then followed by dinner, thank you speech by my brother, and cake cutting. We even had a surprise birthday cake for Shah.

My wedding favour was a goody bag filled with bunga telur (eggs from Bah, thank you Bah), bahulu given by Shah's mother, complimentary fruit cake from the hotel, some insect chocolates and I threw in a cute little ceramic bell. (picture above)

Siti, my wedding planner friend in Muar, advised me once,  to have a smooth wedding, we must give the best and to be ikhlas. I tried.   Partly on behalf of my dad. And my late mum.

Wishing Idah and Shah all the very best in their marriage.  Bahagia selalu.