Monday, November 13, 2006

VOTE can ??


Jangan Marah eh.. ni suker2 jer...

If you don't mind making a few clicks on yr keyboard - kasi xcersaiz sikit jari-jemari yg lembut tu.

Votelah for my baby ni, ....
(by Wednesday 15/11)
cian dier tunggu pat depan pintu ..

hehehe... cam rhyme pulak..






to vote : click here
http://www.mumcentre.com/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&catid=178&page=vote&picid=1464

Yang dah vote tu... Thank Kyu so much
Yang belum tu... tunggu aper lagi ? cepat lah vote ;)

Friday, November 10, 2006

How I Came To Love The Veil

If u hve sometime to spare - read this article...
If u hv more time - click on those underlined words which I hv painstakingly ;) ...provide a link.

================

How I Came To Love The Veil
Yvonne Ridley, Washington post - London, USA
Monday, October 23, 2006


I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures -- until I was captured by the Taliban. In September 2001, just 15 days after the terrorist attacks on the United States , I snuck into Afghanistan , clad in a head-to-toe blue burqa, intending to write a newspaper account of life under the repressive regime. Instead, I was discovered, arrested and detained for 10 days. I spat and swore at my captors; they called me a "bad" woman but let me go after I promised to read the Koran and study Islam. (Frankly, I'm not sure who was happier when I was freed -- they or I.)

Back home in London , I kept my word about studying Islam -- and was amazed by what I discovered. I'd been expecting Koran chapters on how to beat your wife and oppress your daughters; instead, I found passages promoting the liberation of women. Two-and-a-half years after my capture, I converted to Islam, provoking a mixture of astonishment, disappointment and encouragement among friends and relatives.

Now, it is with disgust and dismay that I watch here in Britain as former foreign secretary Jack Straw {(read this - "2006 veil controversy")} describes the Muslim nikab -- a face veil that reveals only the eyes -- as an unwelcome barrier to integration, with Prime Minister Tony Blair, writer Salman Rushdie and even Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi leaping to his defense.

Having been on both sides of the veil, I can tell you that most Western male politicians and journalists who lament the oppression of women in the Islamic world have no idea what they are talking about. They go on about veils, child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages, and they wrongly blame Islam for all this -- their arrogance surpassed only by their ignorance.

These cultural issues and customs have nothing to do with Islam. A careful reading of the Koran shows that just about everything that Western feminists fought for in the 1970s was available to Muslim women 1,400 years ago. Women in Islam are considered equal to men in spirituality, education and worth, and a woman's gift for childbirth and child-rearing is regarded as a positive attribute.

When Islam offers women so much, why are Western men so obsessed with Muslim women's attire? Even British government ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid have made disparaging remarks about the nikab -- and they hail from across the Scottish border, where men wear skirts.

When I converted to Islam and began wearing a headscarf, the repercussions were enormous. All I did was cover my head and hair -- but I instantly became a second-class citizen. I knew I'd hear from the odd Islamophobe, but I didn't expect so much open hostility from strangers. Cabs passed me by at night, their "for hire" lights glowing. One cabbie, after dropping off a white passenger right in front of me, glared at me when I rapped on his window, then drove off. Another said, "Don't leave a bomb in the back seat" and asked, "Where's bin Laden hiding?"

Yes, it is a religious obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly, but the majority of Muslim women I know like wearing the hijab, which leaves the face uncovered, though a few prefer the nikab. It is a personal statement: My dress tells you that I am a Muslim and that I expect to be treated respectfully, much as a Wall Street banker would say that a business suit defines him as an executive to be taken seriously. And, especially among converts to the faith like me, the attention of men who confront women with inappropriate, leering behavior is not tolerable.

I was a Western feminist for many years, but I've discovered that Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing in 2003 when judges of the Miss Earth competition hailed the emergence of a bikini-clad Miss Afghanistan , Vida Samadzai, as a giant leap for women's liberation. They even gave Samadzai a special award for "representing the victory of women's rights."

Some young Muslim feminists consider the hijab and the nikab political symbols, too, a way of rejecting Western excesses such as binge drinking, casual sex and drug use. What is more liberating: being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your surgically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character and intelligence? In Islam, superiority is achieved through piety -- not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

I didn't know whether to scream or laugh when Italy's Prodi joined the debate last week by declaring that it is "common sense" not to wear the nikab because it makes social relations "more difficult." Nonsense. If this is the case, then why are cellphones, landlines, e-mail, text messaging and fax machines in daily use? And no one switches off the radio because they can't see the presenter's face.

Under Islam, I am respected. It tells me that I have a right to an education and that it is my duty to seek out knowledge, regardless of whether I am single or married. Nowhere in the framework of Islam are we told that women must wash, clean or cook for men. As for how Muslim men are allowed to beat their wives -- it's simply not true. Critics of Islam will quote random Koranic verses or hadith, but usually out of context. If a man does raise a finger against his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body, which is the Koran's way of saying, "Don't beat your wife, stupid."

It is not just Muslim men who must reevaluate the place and treatment of women. According to a recent National Domestic Violence Hotline survey, 4 million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period. More than three women are killed by their husbands and boyfriends every day -- that is nearly 5,500 since 9/11.
Violent men don't come from any particular religious or cultural category; one in three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to the hotline survey. This is a global problem that transcends religion, wealth, class, race and culture.

But it is also true that in the West, men still believe that they are superior to women, despite protests to the contrary. They still receive better pay for equal work -- whether in the mailroom or the boardroom -- and women are still treated as sexualized commodities whose power and influence flow directly from their appearance.

And for those who are still trying to claim that Islam oppresses women, recall this 1992 statement from the Rev. Pat Robertson, offering his views on empowered women: Feminism is a "socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
Now you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

hermosh@aol.com
Yvonne Ridley is political editor of Islam Channel TV in London and
Coauthor of "In the Hands of the Taliban: Her Extraordinary Story" (Robson Books).

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Cool Slideshows


====================================
another good read : THE REALITY OF HIJAB

"This is not surprising, considering that Islam is the fastest growing religion on Earth. What is surprising, for Westerners, is that 7 out of 10 (70%) people who become Muslim are Women! It is these same women who then go on to willingly observe the Hijab without coercion or force. The women of Hijab in the cities of London, Paris, New York etc, are not all immigrants who have just stepped off the boat, as many people think. Rather, many of them tend to be women of high intellect and education. Women who have experienced the bitterness of western oppression. Women of diverse nationalities and races, who are brought together as one, under the banner of Islam. "

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Monday, November 06, 2006

2 Thanks and 2 Sorries

Thanks #1
Friday nite, got a visit from Jue & family... (Tuper sampai nak amek gambar)
Thanks so much ya Jue .. it is so wonderful of you to come..

...Shukran Ghazilan

Thanks #2
(this is overdue)
To Jue also, for this Elmo & Big Bird .. suker sangat si Zed dapat ni, sampai makan pon tarok Elmo pat tepi ..
(Slamat I ingat nak semunyikkan these things b4 u come to my house, tak sampai ati tengok Jadul sedih biler u mentioned abt. his Elmo & Big Bird) ...














And now ..

2 sorries ..

My humble aplogies to Eli & Mas... Afwan Afwan.
Thanks so much for the invites but I really really can't make it to your homes ..
maapkan patek ya...

Saturday my home kener serang wif my relatives & Sunday ader jempotan kawin, then go my aunt's house & my bro (open house).. tau tau tengok jam dah pukol 10 malam !!!...

Aizzz, where does the time flies.... ???

Monday, October 30, 2006

10 Dayz wif Baby...


10 days of being at home makes me one happy mama ..

Wif Hari Raya coming, I took off from work from Friday 20th October - all the way to 29th October.... WOoo hOoooooo !!!!
Monday 30th October being the day I dragged myself back to work & my mind constantly drifting to the wonderful times spend with my baby...
(hb & my other 2 sons included lah ...).
Those wonderful time which my maid is enjoying everyday (me - minus the cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing and other houseworks, of course .... hehehe).

Here's what I misses everyday while being at work :(




~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Then...
"Ummi... curtains for wat ?"
"put over yr head ? "
"make selendang ?"
"you can't see me........... "

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The best being... he kept coming to me to be pampered & 'manjer-manjer' ....


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
P.S -
It's been 2 days now that my 'Katkoot' is having fever..... ): *sigh* :(
But Alhamdullillah, he is not cranky & is his happy self.. playing & laughing, eventhough his body is warm & his eyes are teary....
*** Get well soon ya baby ***

Friday, October 27, 2006

Thursday, October 19, 2006

EID MUBARRAK !!!

Syawal kini akan menjelmer,
Ku pohon maaf segaler doser..
Yang sengajer dan tak sengajer, semer,
Maklumlah, kiterkan maknusier biaser..

Kiter bersembang di ruang siber,
Ader yg belum, bersuer muker,
Hanya menekan keyboard pat komputer,
Kiter berbicarer tanpa suarer...
Takot tekehel, terkasar bahaser,
Terguris ati, tanpa sengajer...
Ampon dan maap juger ku pinter,
Maafkan peleezzz.. ku nak masok syurger...

From my Family,

EID MUBARRAK To All

Thanks for visiting my blog...
Hope u all enjoy it as much as I luv sharing it with you....
Heppi visitings & heppi holidays !!!

P.S - I will be on leave from 20 Oct - 29 Oct 2006, so if I don't come on-line and you all miss me... you know how to get me.... *wink*wink

Monday, October 16, 2006

Sebok-sebok Kueh !!

HARI RAYER semangkin dekat,
Buat Kueh semangkin hebat,
Tak luper make time to beribadat,
Penat, penat.. nak jugak rehat ....


Satuday - Suji



Sunday - Chocolate chips !

Ni semer dah siap, my mixer not working !!! aaarrrrggghhhh.....

Maybe it's the plug ?... ya Rabb ! punyerlah susah nak bukak ni plug - screw dah karat !!!
So, just potong the wire & pasang plug lain....
Alhamdullillah.... bepusing pon dier :)

Hasil nyer..... ta daaa........

Friday, October 13, 2006

KUEH TART...oooohhhh

(sempener Deepavali & Eid Fitri).......

Pakai sari pakai kebayer
Jangan suker terlalu ketat
Lagi Sebelas ari nak ari Rayer
Aku dah buat Kueh TART !!!!

Yeh... yeh.... dah buat kueh Afdal... wohooo !!!

Take leave yesterday to make Kueh Tart at my sister's house wif my sis, my niece & my nephew (tukang tarok inti)... ni kueh must do ramai2, if not boooooorinngg..........hehehe

Iftar there too... KFC delivery, Murtabak, Yong Tau Foo, Otak-otak...

Ok, as promised - here's some pics....


Sebelum di-bakar


Fresh - Out from the Oven


Close-up... hehe

So ? wat to do with the egg whites ?....

Macaroons with choc-chips & nuts...


Monday, October 09, 2006

Makan-makan Iftar

Ok lah..ok lah... Semer pon buat agar-agar Oreo ni, so I pon nak try arr !!... hehehe
My mum pon invite us for Iftar on Sunday, so boleh lah bawak skali ...
My nephew nak masok NS on Tuesday, so cam sent-off Iftar party lah kiter semer pat saner..
"Take Care my dear..InsyaAllah, u tak kener bully pat camp... & InsyaAllah u can come back for Eid.. Ameen. "

Part of the spread
Main Dish : Roti Jala, Kari Daging, Mee Goreng, Bubur Gandom, Gado-gado, BBQ-chicken, Salad ... Dessert - Epok2 sayor, Chin-Teng, Cocktail Jelly, Custard Pudding, Oreo Jelly, Rock Melon dan lain-lain)

Part of the house occupants
Cucu-cucu (20) & dalam perot (1) , anak & menantu (6 X 2), cucu menantu (1), my parents (2), maid (3)

And, ni lah gambar2 biler I make the Oreo Jelly (with my little elf helper) ... tapi after that I was wondering, - knaper kaler tak gelap cam yg I nenok in others' blog ?... ooohhh ... ader lain version rupernyer ... aizz, aizz, aizz.....
Then, I yg tamak crushed Oreo melambak sampai xtra so much - sprinkled at the top, & still got xtra - keep in airtight container for future use... hehehe

===============
Oh ya! before I terforget... Saturday, last minute my hb nak jempot kawan dier ni yg baru jadi pengatin, for iftar... dier dah lamer tak makan Mahshi (stuffed rice). So kiter balek pasar pukul 3.30pm & kelam-kabot buat (ni lecehnyer kerjer) !... Did the Mahshi : Wrapped in cabbage, stuffed in green & yellow capsicum & brinjal. Roasted 2 chicken, fry mutton liver, spline & kidney, tossed some salad & served with flavoured rice - cakes, fruits & tea for dessert .... yummy, yummy :)



Sebok jugak si Katkoot ni..hehehe

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

IFTAR with HABABA

10 days had passed ... the blessed month of Ramadhan.
How fast !... MasyaAllah

Till now, we iftar & terawih at home everyday....
Alhamdullillah, this year hb is around to be our imam, and my sons get to do the Terawih with us, InsyaAllah till the end of Ramadhan.. Ameen. Last year - hb was bz at the Geylang Bazzar and 2 years b4 that - at the Restaurant. I am glad.... Syukor.

May Allah blessed our family in this sacred month of Ramadhan & grant us everlasting contentment & happiness in this world, all thru' Jannah, InsyaAllah....

On Sunday, my maid wanted to take her off day. Hb and the 2 boys are going to Iftar at the Spore Arab Association. So I took the opportunity to go to my Ummi's home for iftar coz I know that my Abah will go to the Arab Asstn for the iftar too. Reached there ard 5pm. It was just me, baby, my Ummi & her maid. We had mee goreng, nasi beryani, bubor gandum & rojak... so nice iftaring with my Ummi again....

Baby was alone today, so he mummbles & babbles all day long, much to the giggles of his Hababa (my ummi) & her maid. Then when Hababa gave him a 'songkok', I laid for him a sejadah & he straight away said "Awaaababbah" & sujud ... Hehehe, but the songkok a bit too big & kept on dropping off ! so he kept taking & putting it back on his head... SubhanAllah, so cute (but we ketawernyer-ketawer, luper nak amek gambar !).

Neway, my hb also picked me up a bit late - till my Abah already came back home. Then my Abah said "Zed nak balek ?.. nanti lah dulu.. bual2 dengan Habib"... which my Ummi quickly said "dah lah, penat dengar dier bebual dari tadi tak setop2.... hehehe ".

And oh ya ! sempat I buat Chocolate kek again b4 I went to my parents home, tapi punyer lah kelam kabot - start at ard 3+pm & wanted to go off at 4.30pm !.... so the top a bit terhangus... tapi punyer lah sedap !..hehehe.
Buat 2 portions pasal that day buat 1 portion merembut - so nah amek ko semer !... tak sempat buat the ganache, so balek umah 11 malam buat... Cut the cake into half, spread at the centre & spread the rest on top... bebudak & bapak budak dah tunggu pat luar, cut for them some slices & put the rest in the fridge...
Ngantok & ni Katkoot pon blum tido !... dah 12 midnite lah... "Aggggghhhhhh Yaaaawwwnnnnn !!!!!"






I bought this cap looongg tym ago.. since my 'single' dayz...
~~~ "Chatters" - luk at the print on the cap !! *wink* ;) ... hehehe


Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A YEAR OLDER.... & $1500 poorer !!!

Shukran Ghazilan... for all the Doas & Wishes....

Luv ya all lots!!! Muackkkssssss !!!!!

Received this... isn't it cute :)


Thanks dear hb for the vonderful Chocolate Kek !!..... :)
===============================================

My 'best' birthday prezzie.... my vehicle won't start !
The agent quoted abt. $1500 for repair !!.... AAArrggghhhhh !!!!!! :(

Sabar...sabar.... Ramadhan Kareem.... ;)
==============================

Monday, September 25, 2006

Wet..wet Saturday !

SATURDAY, 23 Sept 2006 (3.30 - 6.30pm)

Brought Baby Katkoot to Bugis Junction.. I managed to get 2 shoes - dear HB paid for them ...Wohoo !!!

We had McD and as we are heading home, we passed by the fountain... Baby doesn't want to move, he was so excited to see those water jumping about ! Bit by bit he edges towards the water... ppl sitting around are looking & laughing - seeing him screaming & jumping joyously at the gush of water splashed onto him. He edged nearer & nearer and I hv to run after him ! Gosh ! we are entertaining the crowd !!... but nevermindlah they are enjoying my cute lil baby's happy reaction... hehehe !
Cameras are snapping around & everytime baby gets splashed with the gushing water, they laughed & clapped their hands !

Aiyoh, yoh ! he's already drenched & I'm getting wet too !!... Can't get him out !!.. he kicked & screamed whenever I took him away ! It's 6pm already & he's shivering, but yet doesn't want to bulge.. ppl are snapping way too many pics of my baby... hv to get him out !!!
So, I scooped him up - crying, kicking & screaming. Toweled him dry, put on a fresh T-shirt & off to the toilet to change him. His socks & shoes are totally wet, so he hv to go barefooted, nak kasi pakai my new shoes.. it's way too big for him.. haha ! ... and of all the days, we decided to bring him on an MRT ride !!... so cam anak 'sakai', set home with him sitting barefooted in the train !!






... in MRT - hehehe, cian anak aku, orang ingat kiter tak mampu beli kasot.



At night, thought of going to the next block (void deck) for our 1st terawih, but my two sons malas... so we juz terawih at home.... Alhamdullilah, si kecik pon sebok (tegok tu dgn kain pelikat dier... hehehe) !!

Friday, September 22, 2006

RAMADHAN KAREEM


SYAHRUL MUBAARAK
RAMADHAN KAREEM

HAPPY & READY TO WELCOME THE BLESSED MONTH OF RAMADHAN WITH ALL THE PRIVILEDGES IT WILL BRING !!

INSYA'ALLAH WE CAN CONTROL THE NAFSU INSIDE US - COS NASFU HAS A FAR GREATER INFLUENCE ON US THAN SATAN !!

INSYA'ALLAH WE WILL INCREASE OUR IBADAH IN THIS BLESSED MONTH & IT WILL STAY WITH US THROUGHOUT OUR LIFETIME....

YA ALLAH, PLS OPEN UP THE DOORS TO GOOD DEEDS AND MAKE MY PATH TOWARDS THEM EASY...

PLS CLOSE ALL DOORS THAT WILL LEAD TO SINS & MAKE ALL KIND OF OBSTACLES TO BLOCK MY WAY TOWARDS THEM...
PLS BLESS MY FAMILY, MY PARENTS, MY SIBLINGS, MY RELATIVES, MY FRIENDS AND ALL MUSLIMEEN.. INSYAALLAH, AMEEN


SALAM

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

ZOO Again !!

19 Sept 2006 - 3rd Trip to the Singapore Zoo
(0900 hrs - 1400 hrs)

I was a fine day - Alhamdullillah.

We set off from home at 8.30am & reached the Zoo around 9am.
5 hours of roaming around & we are exhausted ! Baby Katkoot also went to his dreamland ...

reached home around 2.45pm.

He's so brave & wanted to 'touch' every animal !

Even offer biscuit, and later, his teeny-wenny little finger for the baby goat to lick & gnaw at !!

To sum it up, here's some pics !! We had a GGrrrrreeeatt tym :)

Zoo.. here we come !!

Eh ? this Goats eh ?... not sheep lah...






Making frenz....



.... Nak balek (ni style baru dier jalan - cam datok2 tangan tarok pat blakang....hehehe)

Dah nak tido pon sempat amek gambar ... satu lagi !! (mat bunger2)

Monday, September 18, 2006

WEDDING PICTURES

FOR ZAINAH & SOME OF MY BLOGGER FRENZ THAT KEPT ON ASKING TO VIEW MY WEDDING PICTURES (some ony arr.. hehehe)

QUICK ! QUICK !!!!!... For Limited Period only !!.....

I'LL TAKE THIS DOWN SOOooooooooonnnnnnnnn!!!!


SORRY - TIMES UP !! TAKEN DOWN ....

WANT TO VIEW MORE ? ....
TAFADDAL TO MY HUMBLE HOME ;)

Friday, September 15, 2006

GIFTS ... Shukran


1st Gift -
My friend send me this book all the way from Jakarta - she said this is the BestSelling book over there now & they are going to make this into a 'Soap Opera' drama next year... alaaa, cam criter Dia & Hikmah tu....
I am reluctant to pick a 'hard to put down' book now coz I wanna spend my free times with my Katkoot baby, and I know that I will be too 'loss' reading a book which I enjoyed. But since she kept bugging & asking me thru smses if I hv finished reading - I picked up the book to read lah...

THANKS HALEEM, lap ya many many - Muackkks !!! (Halimatos lah...)

Mmmpphh... ok liao ! finished reading. Verdict - so, so lah. Not so interesting to my standard, so many times the book left unread on the table... hehehe.

The whole setting of the book is in Egypt (mmpphh, that's why u asked me to read eh ?) - abt the life of an Indonesian man studying in Al-Azhar university. The good part about the book is it's full of Ayat2 (verses) from Qur'an & Hadith. Most conversations & incidents are reference back to the verses from the Qur'an & Hadith. The boring part is - the Hero of this book is too goody, goody, and all the 4 beautiful female characters in the book fell in love with him, and he ended up marrying 2 of them !(cam bagos jerr... hehehe).

Ok lah, don't reveal too much - saper nak pinjam, can get from me ; if not - can get at National Library (I saw it there).

===========================================

Here's some backdated entries :-

2nd Gift - Thanks Love, for this lovely gift !!! - U know I looovveee it
{though u ended up eating half of it yrself ;) }

======================

3rd Gift - And, Let's just enjoy these pics "The day my Katkoot goes fishing"... hahaha - tak takot langsong ! He wanted to squeeze those 'jumping' fishes ... And what a catch !!

Thanks to my hb's friend from Egypt, everytime he's in Singapore, he spent his time at East Coast - fishing !!!!! (cam takder kerjer lain). His gift to us... behari-hari makan ikan tamban !!!




The Best Gift (Alhamdullillah...)
My hb & 2 sons hv been bugging me to cut his hair... kekadang dier tekerok2 biler panas & bepeloh... I just snipped here and there. Nak potong sayang kan, kan, kan..... rite not ? all those curls nanti ilang.......

Monday, September 11, 2006

In Memoriam....

How do u Remember 11th Sept ?

11th Sept always brought back special memories to me. It has been a been a Special Date for me fm then & still am till now - though the feeling of melancholy set in my heart everytime this date come & goes by... Especially so for the year 2001 !

NO... it was not bcos of the 911 incident - although when those "heroic" pilots slammed into the two towers killing "how many now eh?" (coz it kept on declining fm the > 7,000 ppl" estimation 1st published to shock & shook the world).. I think now it's abt 2,750 (read link).

Today, 11th Sept 2006 and you would hv turned 44 yrs old ...

My beloved friend - Shaikha Salma Bte Shaikh Omar Alkhatib... AllahYarhama.

11th Sept 2001 marked the last Birthday you celebrated. I can still remember that day when I visited u at yr sis home... u are not well. But yr strength, MashaAllah, - that had always been the admiration of many, kept u vibrant & chatty all the time.. On that day, u complained that the 'thousands' repeated times the images of the plane striking the towers being aired had make u 'groggy', what a way to celebrate a birthday, u exclaimed ! ... Yep, that morning, the world was shaken by the news that the Twin Tower in USA had been struck ! and the media had gone into frenzy - all TV or radio stations u tuned into will show u images & news abt that !
"Not only u" I said, "I am getting sick of seeing those images too!"

Salma - my cousin, had always been my best friend. my confidante. We grew up together in the same house - when we left our kampong in 1989, I still ferried between staying at my parents home & hers (with her dad Allahyarham Habib Omar (read link) & a couple of my aunts).

I hv scribbled this note down years back - only now after I know the blogging world can I write them down in print (with tears flowing now... :( )

"I wish a am a writer, then I could write all the beautiful words to describe u. We had grown-up together & over the years had been best of friend. Both of us being single, we talked about growing old together. You, cheerful as u are, yr spirit were not broken when u were diagnosed with Cancer in 1991. Over the years, never complaining, instead u grew even stronger - believing that grief & worries will only make things worst. "'Redha' to what Allah have given u, make the best out of it - InsyaAllah, this is the way to bring yrself closer to Him..."

You even became part-time councellor to those striken with cancer :- One by one of whom passed away... Allahyarham.

But u and me.. we were always happy :) Most of our free times we spend together... after work, weekends, holidays.. telephone calls - those were the days. You were my Holiday buddy.. after every couple of mths, we will definitely plan to go somewhere to de-stress.. a few short holidays to Malaysia or Indonesia & One Far Holiday per year.. that's our routine. We had great times in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Dubai, Europe, Perth, Brisbane.. etc.. Always the two of us with inclusion of some other friends if they wanted to join us. But sadly (on reasons can't be elaborated here), I can't come with u when u did yr Haj & a couple of Umrahs.

Almost every weekends we met - shopping, window shopping, having a walk or juz us coming over at each other's home for chats...
All those wonderful moments together... u never missed a prayer.. even if it meant we pray at some corners or staircases in a shopping centre, she will insist that we do it.. Alhamdullilah....

In July 2001, we went to Jakarta, even when u are not so well, u were patient.. following us around, sitting at a corner while we shop around. Then came August, you still wanted to go to Perth with me. U were not so well then.. but still we went cos I hv promised to accompany my SIL with her 2 children coming back to Singapore after an 8 mths stay, and u wanted to come along. You gather yr strength to walk along side me.. never giving up. We still went around having a blast... over at sand-dunes, u even slide down the sand !! We went touring & shopping.. some days u just don't hv the strength & are in pain..u choose to stay back.

We came back to Singapore safely, Alhamdullillah, but yr health deteriorated.. In & out of hospital, but never once complaining or talk about dying. Instead, managed to even console & give hope to another lukeimia patient. Your are the favourite amongst the nurses in NUH.
"Why u don't want to get married?" came a shocking question towards me one day while I was driving u back fm a check-up at NUH.. we had discussed this with girly giggles many times, but this time u asked me seriously.. I brushed them off jokingly then...

Then, on 30th December 2001, I got a call from yr sister.. u are in the hospital yet again... quite bad, they told me. I rushed down to the hospital to be by yr side. Holding yr hands & reciting the Shahadah to you.. ."Ya Allah, Ya Allah"..though semi-consious from the mophines, I know u know my presence as you held my hand & mumbled back the recitation... I fed u Zam-zam water & you swallowed them.

7pm - I saw u grasping for air.. "Don't fight so hard my beloved, breath slowly... slowly... all will be fine... you will be ok... Slowly.. slowly.. I love you, we all love u and Allah love u..." and with that... slowly...you were gone!
INNALLILLAHI-WAINNA ILAIHI RAJIUUN...
You left me here all alone, though I am not alone in this world - I felt that I am the loneliest person that moment... but I truly 'Redha' on yr leaving me to meet the Almighty creator, Allah...
I am confident that a nice & religious single girl like u will be granted Jannah... united with yr beloved mum & dad.. Allah Bless them All, InsyaAllah."


Now, my beloved friend.. I am married & blessed with a beautiful adorable boy. You don't hv the chance to see them. Many have asked me (including my hb whom had never met u).. will I be married if u are still around ?"... the answer is "Wallahu-Alam", I myself don't know - really.. its Allah's Qadak & Qadar... but truly, I wonder them myself. All that happen is for the best, InsyaAllah.....

I do miss her dearly... very very much. But u know what?.. she's always there with me, in fact, till now - after 5 years, she visited my dream almost everyday ! SubhanAllah, almost all the dreams I hv, she's there with me, and she's fine ! On a few occassions in the dream it will seem like she was sick but was well again (hard to explain)... they said yr pass memories will dominate yr dreams, Wallahu-Alam... for me I am just glad and I Thank God after I had those dreams - for it really 'terubat' (cure) my 'rindu' (missing) for her...

"Ya Rabb, cucuri lah Rahmah mu sebanyak2nyer buat roh Shaikha Salma. Jangan lah dier disiksa walau sedikit pon, luaskan & terangi lah kubornya.. berbahgia lah rohnya sementara menunggu hari-hari bilamana ia akan ditempatkan di Jannah mu, InsyaAllah... InsyaAllah juga, jika diizinkan - dapatlah kiranya kami bertemu lagi di Jannah mu.... Ameen. Al-Fateha..."


Thursday, September 07, 2006

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY.. BATOOT"

6th Sept 2006 - My 2nd son - 'Batoot' (duckling) turns 13 today !!!

Went to work as usual, it was a bz day ! Anyway, I already promised to take half day & maybe we can head to East Coast for a Lunch BBQ. However, Mr sun was quite moody although he did not shed any tears.... Take half day anyway.

'Batoot' was in school for his Band practice & came back ard 3 pm !!!... While waiting, we were wondering if we should carry on with the BBQ plan... and should I juz go grab a cake from the shop or shall I bake one for him. Since we are waiting.. I asked my maid to rush to buy Butter, Brown Sugar, Baking Choco, Strawberry, Dairy Whip Cream ;- the rest of the ingredients I already have... so Viola !! I started baking at 3pm & by 4.30pm the beautiful cake was READY !!! Top it up the Choco Ganache.. lots & lots of Strawberries & M&M Chocolates...(so sad me no hv the camera to take the pictures.. but I tell you arr - it looks so temptingly delicious). Thanks to my blogging friends, my mood to bake is back after quiet sometime being shoved in the graveyard... hehehe.

Ok, 'Batoot' wanted to go to the beach for BBQ, so my hb rushed to NTUC to buy Chicken Wings, Prawn, Minced Meat, Beef Steak, Corn, Chicken Spare parts, breads & drinks .... Rush rush to marinate the Chicken Wings, Beef Steak, Prawn ... make Kofta balls from the minced meat (my maid prepared all these lah ..) & by 5.30pm we headed off to East Coast.

My baby 'Katkoot' (chick), was so excited to see the sea. Quickly change him & he went for a dip with his 'Baba'. Then we played with the sand. BBQued the food... eat, eat.. run, run..talk, talk ... it was already nearing to 9pm !..

Oh.. Oh !.. quickly - cut my Super Scrumptious looking Birthday Cake ... hehehe (puji sendiri lah.. tapi belum raser lagi)
Ok - cutted & ngapped, very niiiiceeeee... even the birthday boy said it's nice ... hehehe.
9.30pm - packed & home.. here we come !

Verdict - We had a good time :)
(Sad - no pictures ! :( )

Oh.. oh ! This is cute - At one time, my hb hugged me & give me a kiss - then when I picked up baby - he hugged me & kept on planting kisses on me.. when I gif him my cheeck, he pushed my face & kept on kissing me on the lips... hahaha (although I don't encourage this)...



"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BATOOT"

May Allah showers you with abudance of blessings, may yr faith towards Islam grows stronger & may yr knowledge grows deeper with every tick of the clock & every beat of yr heart. May u always be surrounded with the ppl u love & who loves u back. May yr life path towards success & happiness in this world be an easy one, that leads u straight into Jannah.. InsyaAllah. May u be a 'Soleh' son who never forgets his duty towards the Almighty Allah and your parents...

May u be a good Muslimin that we can all be proud of... InsyaAllah... Ameen.


p.s - I felt so tupid arr.. no wonder my previous posting no kaler option !.. I was in HTML window lah... !!! *knock head*

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

An Atheist Professor & A Student

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem Science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand

And:-

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful ?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

Student is silent.

Prof: You can't answer, can you?
Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

Student: has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student:You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol,science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive. . . . . . .

... this is a true story

WANT TO KNOW WHO THAT STUDENT WAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




it was none other than......... Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the present President of India
==================

Wallahu-alam

===============
Why kenot change colour one eh ? Where did the colour option go ??

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Marhaban Sha'ban

Rejab is the month of Allah, Sha'ban (link) the month of the prophet and Ramadhan the month of my Ummah" - Hadith Qudsi

We welcome you O' Shaban, O' the month of the Prophet.

After emerging from Rejab with a heart that you have worked to purify day and night, cleansed from sin that has for so long weighed you down. It is now time at last to begin the journey.
Let us now enter the door, the door of Muhammed. (Peace and blessings be upon he)

This sacred month is a time one draws closer to the chosen one, not only in the implementation of his sunnah but also by increasing ones love and intimacy with him.
Once the heart beats with love of the most perfect of creation, it sends a rush around ones body, you begin constantly to think of his compassion, his beauty, his wisdom, his generosity, his connection to the celestial realms. He was the most, most, most perfect in every way, you are about to explode ... its too much and like a volcano this intense love erupts and flows through every part of you, your eyes cry in longing to meet him, your limbs surrender to his path and your tongue, oh your tongue, can do nothing but praise him.

Sha'ban is the month of the Prophet, meaning the month of sending much praise upon him.

Alf sal Allah alaika ya rasul Allah Ya Muhammed
(May a thousand blessings be sent upon you Oh messenger of Allah Oh Muhammed)

The prophet himself used to say 'miserly is the one who does not send salutations upon me'
In another Hadith he said 'He who sends salams upon me once, Allah sends salams upon him ten times'.

It has been related that the one who forgets to send salams upon him is forgotten.
Sending praise upon him illuminates the heart and fills the depths of ones soul with light. Love and longing to meet him becomes part of you, your limbs begin to conform to his way without your even realising it.

When Ramadhan enters with Rejab having stripped ones self from sin and Sha'ban filling it with love of Allahs messenger then the rains of Mercy, forgiveness, Love and Proximity can truly pour down and penetrate the depths of ones heart.

Allahummah barik lana fi Rajib wa Sha'ban wa balig na Ramadhan
(Oh Allah bless us in Rejab and Sha'ban and allow us to reach the realities of Ramadhan)

...Ameen.


Nisf' Sha'ban (Night of barakah) (link)

On the Holy Night of 15th Sha'ban, after Maghrib or Isha prayer it is traditional practice to read Surah Yaseen three times (pls read the link), and after each time, read a special doa with the following intentions:

1st reading - the niyyat (intention) for should be for Long Life.
2nd reading - the niyyat (intention) should be for Protection from Calamities.
3rd Reading - the niyyat (intention) should be for not being needy to anyone except Allah.

~~~~~ TO ALL - SHA'BAN MUBARRAK !!! ~~~~~