My Lil Stamped Footprints

Alhamdulillah It's Friday ~ 1st Zulhijjah 1432H

2011-10-28T12:17:00.000+08:00

Alhamdulillah, It's Friday and we are still breathing right now, alive and kicking.. We get to meet again with the leader of all days, Friday.. It's truly a blessing, Ya Rabb, Alhamdulillah.. yes, Alhamdulillah, why not, peeps..

We always tend to forget that death can come to us, anytime, anyday, anywhere, young or old , poor or rich, ready or not we are, everything is on Allah's will.. waking up on every morning is indeed a blessing by the Almighthy..what if it's no longer a privilege for us to enjoy.. All of our matters and businesses in this world will end immediately... Yes, on Allah's will, living is a privilege given to us on undefined lease term.. no one knows when it will end, everything is on Allah's will.. hence, Alhamdulillah it is, peeps..

I guess everyone loves Friday.. For Muslim, it's because Friday is the Leader of all days.. Friday is a sacred day, we are blessed with the opportunity to perform Friday prayers, especially for the Muslimin..

"Then when the (Jumu`ah) Salat is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah (by working), and remember Allah much: that you may be successful.'' (62:10)

Perhaps, allow me to share some of the gist from my reading on Friday's benefits:

Nabi Adam Alaihis Salam was created by Allah on Friday
Nabi Adam Alaihis Salam was sent to earth on Friday
Friday is the leader of all days or known as "Saidul Aiyam", the best of all days
There is a blessed hour on Friday during which a person is granted anything lawful and good by Allah that he prays for, as such that Duas are answered and accepted
The Day of Qiyamah or Resurrection will be on a Friday
The benefit of fingernail cutting on Friday. For any Muslims who cut their fingernails on Friday will be protected against illness and be granted with safety.

Anyways, as Muslims, we should be happier because we are meeting with the Friday that falls on 1st Zulhijjah.. In Islamic Calendar, Zulhijjah is the last month of Hijri. Zulhijjah means "Hajj" literally.It is the most awaited month by all Muslims as the great annual worship of Hajj is performed by the pilgrims at the Holy lands. And as for the rest of us, we are blessed with Eid'ul-Adha..

The first 10 days of Zulhijjah is the most imperial and glorious days in Islamic Calendar. The Holy Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said, "One fast duringthese days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one nightduring this period is equal to the worship in the "Lailatul-Qadr". Allahuaklam. This chance comes only once a year, every Muslim may want to grab this wonderful opportunity to perform as much Ibadah as much as we can. InsyaAllah we will be blessed.

Another blessings that Allah grant us in the month of Zulhijjah is the Youmul 'Arafah or known as the Day of Arafah. This is the day where all Hajj Pilgrims gather and assemble at Arafah, the plain land ,positioned six miles away from Makkah Al-Mukarramah, to perform the most essential task in their Hajj, named "Wuquf of Arafah".. Everyone is placed under the tents, wearing all white, looking similar and no one is superior, it may reminds us of Mahsyar.. Summon and dua' will be recited here.. the messages will go straight to heart, oh my, it gives overwhelming feelings.. Speaking of it, reminds me of the sweet moments of my Pilgrimage.. it makes the heart grows fonder.. Allahu Akbar..

Anyways, for all of us here, who are not in the pilgrimage journey, we may also get to seek the benefit of the Youmul 'Arafah.. it is desirable for us to fast on this day. The fast of 'Youmul 'Arafah' has been emphasized by the Holy Prophet, SAW, as a mustahabb (desirable) act. According to a hadith,the fast of this day becomes a cause, hopefully so, of forgiveness for sins committedin one year. InsyaAllah. There are more to tell about Zulhijjah. I gues it deserves another entry..

Well, my empty soul always express the excitement of meeting Friday by saying TGIF or Thank God It's Friday, it translates my excitement of meeting the weekends.. I guess, from now onwards, i wanna cease that expression from my life.. i would want to express Alhamdulillah It's Friday for the happiness of meeting the sacred Friday.. i wanna appreciate Friday more, instead of the weekends.. I reckon this can be my little initiative to make me a faithfull Muslim.. remind me peeps if i forget this.. correct me if im wrong..

So peeps, let's make our Fridays meaning and important starting from today, insyaAllah.

Alhamdulillah It's Friday.. :)

I'M BACK!

2011-10-27T13:03:00.001+08:00

Heyya, peeps..

Perhaps "It has been a while" just dont seem enough to justify the length of my long hiatus.. this abode has been left unmanned for almost a year.. so where have i been? well, i was around.. it's just that i've lost the knack and passion to write and ramble about anything, so i thought.. and i guess time may also be one of the factors.. my routine had undergone several series of alterations throughout the year..

Writing requires the knack and passion, be it just for scribbling a simple note.. any writers would want their writings to be catchy and interesting, either formal or casually.. and i thought i've lost it, not until recently i get reacquainted with writing again.. During my long hiatus, all the writings i've been doing were merely for my assignments, term papers, thesis proposal and whatnot.. all these have gotten me really occupied, with the embedded series of migraine episodes for my so called "benefit".. writing for pleasure wasnt seem as fun anymore.. i guess that explains the long abandonment of my humble abode..

Somehow along the way, the long hiatus has given me the urge to start blogging again, expressing my thoughts, sharing my feelings in this cyberspace.. i found new passion to write for pleasure again even just to jot down on the most foolish note for an entry.. no one has to know me to read my notes or access the junks in my humble abode.. i am free to express my thought as long as i dont write on any issue that can get me into troubles.. For all i know, Google can bring anyone here and i can remain anonymous to anybody in this cyberspace.. During my hiatus, i've seen quite an extensive number of visitors come and go, leaving footprints in my Live Traffic Seed.. that tells me that wouldnt it be great if i start scribbling my words again..

So peeps, here goes, i wish to continue the lifeline of my humble abode.. let me rejuvenate this place to let everyone feels comfortable during their visits here.. Till then, see ya!

2011

2011-01-03T08:12:00.000+08:00

Oops.. i hope it's not too late for me to wish a Happy New Year here.. come on, im only 3 days late!! Ngee~

anyways, i've been caught up with lotsa things during the last leg of 2011.. it was kinda a busy week despite the long holidays.. and i've been too busy putting on weight as well.. u see, throughout the week, i cook lunches, i made afternoon meals and not to mention indulged 'em like nobody's business.. Ngee~ i can feel the additional expanded spaces on my cheeks.. haha..

hurms, so many things await for 2011.. my class has resumed last Saturday.. im gonna have busy weekends again.. and there are major reshuffling at my workplace too, looks like my honeymoon is over now.. tonnes of works are waiting and the bosses are waiting at the other end, yelling, "Let's Get Cracking"..

Whatever it is, im hoping my life will turn out alright for 2011.. i hope will not chicken out when it's time to take chances and all.. like i've mentioned on 1st Muharram, i dont have any specific resolution for these two new years.. im just letting the nature take its course.. so everyone, all the best for 2011..

When The Lease Expires..

2010-12-20T23:54:00.000+08:00

Cancer and death are quite a perfect duo.. Death has taken its toll to cancer since science has ever been discovered.. Cancer can get acquainted with many parts of our anatomy, may it be blood, brain, liver or even breast.. So, is cancer a death sentence to many.. only Allah knows best..

But some may say, yes it is.. according to them, cancer is like a biological time bomb implanted in human body.. well, i reckon the whole experience can only be best described by the contracted beholders but most importantly, above all this, everything is under the will of the Almighty.. nobody can deny HIS will, we can be deadly sick by the minute but recuperated alright in due time, or if HE says it's our time to go, so it is, albeit we were in the pink of health just minutes before it.. Kun Fa Ya Kun..

Cancer has been the popular vocabulary recently, to me at least.. i've crossed path with quite a number of people whom have been contracted with one.. and that includes my cousin, a bombshell has been dropped on her when she was told she has breast cancer at the age of 34.. when she learned the truth, the cancerous cells have been eaten her alive all the way to stage 3.. devastating right? well, that's pretty much it with cancers nowadays.. when one learns the ugly truth, BAMM!!, stage 3 or 4 await at the advance edge.. and these fatal cells make quite a rapid "progress", due in a month or 2, perhaps 3 if they are lucky.. my mom's friend was told she had leukemia just a week before she passed on.. and that definitely shocked the livings.. well, i guess that's probably the reason why some people named cancer as a death sentence.. it happens too fast..

This afternoon i received a text informing that someone i knew had lost her life to breast cancer.. she has fought a fierce battle down to her last breath.. the news i received at 1pm turned out to be a false alarm.. her heartbeat stopped then but she had revived to life 40 minutes after, so everybody was relieved but her condition continue to deteriorate hours later.. preparing for the worst, her aged wheelchair-bound mother came to bid her final goodbye to the beloved daughter, and at that moment the heart stopped beating, for real.. so as the clock ticked at 4.05pm, there she was a daughter, a wife and a mother lying on the hospital bed, surrendered her final battle at the age of 37.. she left behind 5 kids, with the eldest being 12 and the youngest is barely 2.. the poor toddler is still struggling with formula as he was still breastfed by his late mother just two months ago..

Everything just happened too fast.. she didnt even get to do a chemo yet.. It was started last October.. a small swollen lump under her bra line had opened up the gate of truth.. she underwent a check-up to seek the truth and a bombshell dropped on her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at an advanced stage of 4.. the cancerous cells had "progressed" to her liver.. but that didnt put her spirit down.. being a tough fighter, she took the news with a smile.. within these two months, her health deteriorated, but she still can managed to pull a smile.. i can still remember the moment she smiled when i visited her 2 last weeks.. when her visitors were sinking in tears upon seeing her condition, she can still put on a smile and said, "Hey, what's up with the tears, it's not like im gone, please be done with it already".. we knew deep inside she was aching, her body was bailing out on her with most parts of her anatomy were crippled.. but that didnt stopped her from smiling and that made our hearts sank even deeper..

Whose heart will not sink to see a young toddler went berserk looking for his mom.. he has been separated from his mom since she was hospitalized.. seemed to know she may not be coming home in a pink of health, the poor lil child was crying for his mom and that left his father with no option but to bring him to see his mother 2 days ago.. perhaps he knew his mom was leaving him, so there he was meeting his mom for the last time.. that would just break everybody's heart, wouldnt it..

We just dont know what the future holds for us.. she was healthy as she thought she was 2 months ago before the bombshell dropped on her.. and this could happen to us as well.. only Allah knows if we will still be around next week, next month or next year.. staying oblivious of the future, we should at least do our part to pay attention on our health.. this should be a reminder to me, i always take my health for granted.. whenever a headache occurs, i would take it as mild migraine.. whenever my stomach ache, i would reckon im having indigestion discomfort.. i would faint already at the thought of medical checkup.. procrastinating a medical checkup is seen as the best option right until the health deteriorate severely.. sometimes i reckon, enduring a pain is nothing compared to an ugly truth..

We may be in the pink of health as of we are breathing now, but only Allah knows best if our health may bailed out on us moments later.. Anyhow, comes whatever obstacles, let's not sink in despairs because Allah is always there for us.. Turn to HIM and have faith.. Anyways, i would appreciate your kindness to extend an Al-Fatihah to this tough fighter.. May she will be laid to rest in peace.. insyaAllah..

Death happens to anybody, anywhere, anytime.. when our lease of life expires, it's time to leave everything behind and return to HIM.. our time will come, sooner or later..

Truly to Allah we belong, and truly to Him shall we return..

Whoa, whatever works for 'em, man!!

2010-12-17T01:26:00.007+08:00

This is a jaw dropping insight and im totally speechless!!..

Owh, i truly appreciate the space i have in my room now.. it makes me love my bed even more!! i feel like swimming in it!! God, im thankful for the luxury of having a room all to myself with an en suite bathroom for my convenience and to top it all off it's bigger than this guy's living room.. owh man, this is beyond my wildest imagination that such house would ever exist and i dont think we can ever get to come across a house any smaller than this one.. it feels like living in an airplane with shelves of compact compartments.. and it gets worse when you have to share the tiny space with other human being.. it's like you can feel each others' breathing.. and it's fancy being a 39y.o guy sharing a tiny room with his mom.. hats off to this guy!!

Seriously, whatever works for the Japanese to own a property nowadays.. and perhaps claustrophobic may not exist in their vocabulary.. A pat on the back for the Japanese!!

10th Muharram 1432 ~ Asyura

2010-12-16T01:22:00.006+08:00

The Day of Asyura, it marks the 10th day of 1432H, in the month of Muharram.. Today is the day to be celebrated by all Muslims with good faith.. There were eventful histories took place on this very day.. among others were it was the day of Prophet Noah's ark came ashore, and the day Allah s.w.t saved Prophet Musa a.s and his people, and the day Allah drowned the Pharaoh and his army.. Allahua'lam.

Thus, Let's embrace the day by fasting and doing good deeds.. have a good read on an insightful article about fasting on Asyura at this webbie..

So dear friends, Happy Asyura Day.. :)

My Reward

2010-12-14T13:56:00.002+08:00

I reward myself for acing my 2nd sem by bringing my sister and i, together with Naem and Aimi on a day-out at Sentosa & Orchard last Saturday..

Initially, we wanted to visit USS but hard luck, all tickets were sold out.. well, never mind.. we had a great time posing at its entrance that day.. i guess that was just good enuff for now.. we reckon the crowd might subside after school holidays..

So we went to tour Sentosa Island instead.. opted for the 4D Magix & CineBlast activities, we did the pirates and extreme log ride.. after that we rode a shuttle to Siloso Beach, took pictures, however we were asked to leave for crashing the Zouk private party zone.. actually, we reckoned the real reason why we were asked to leave was because we didnt look like any of Zouk goers at all.. u know, the hijab and all.. plus the party wasnt even started, not until 7pm.. well, never mind that, we are no party goers anyways.. so to vent our anger, we went to get some adrenaline rush at the Luge & Skyride.. wow, they rock!! especially the Luge.. i definitely wanna do it again..

After Zuhur prayer, we left Sentosa for Orchard to indulge Ayam Penyet Ria @ Lucky Plaza.. right after that we headed to iLuma for Harry Potter exhibition.. but it was kinda disappointing.. there werent much to see.. only posters and some of their clothing worn in the movies.. we took enough pictures though.. with that we head back to Orchard to pray at Masjid Al-Falaq, stayed for Maghrib as well.. before we head back to JB, we enjoyed the Orchard's lights at night..

So those were pretty much all of my reward.. however, i reckon the latest version of iPod Touch would be a great reward though.. is there anyone kind enough to get me one? Ngeee~

Alhamdulillah

2010-12-10T13:23:00.001+08:00

I just received my 2nd sem result and im smiling from ear to ear at disbelief.. Alhamdulillah..

I thank Allah for HIS blessings that have eased me out during my despairs.. There were times when i feel like quitting, but HE didnt leave me struggling alone out there.. Alhamdulillah..

When we are in despairs, turn to Allah because HE will send HIS blessings to help us out.. InsyaAllah

At times when we dont believe in ourselves, HIS blessings will surprise us out, so lets keep our faith intact and turn to only Allah..

Ahlan ya Muharram

2010-12-06T10:27:00.002+08:00

Comes the 1st month of New Year, be it Muharram or January, Resolution will be the most talked about by many, either the new or renewed wishes for the next 12 months ahead or the reflections on the recent-passed calendar.. some may be seen as fulfilled and some were otherwise or perhaps none of those were satisfied at all in the previous year, Allahua'lam.. anyways, i dont have any specific resolution for 1432H or 2011.. it's enough to say that i pray for a great year ahead.. insyaAllah if Allah allows it, i hope that i can complete my EMBA with flying colors.. May Allah grants me and my beloved ones with good health, wealth (Rezeki) and wisdom.. insyaAllah..

I pray for a great year ahead to all Muslims in the whole wide world.. Amin..

Baiting & Fishing @ Popular Mega Bookfair

2010-11-26T08:31:00.002+08:00

Weehoo!! I went fishing yesterday and came home happily bagging a full net.. No, i didnt go near the sea during this rainy season.. my baiting & fishing activity revolved around Danga City Mall and my bait stuck at Popular Mega Bookfair.. yesterday was the preview day for Popular Card member and all i can say that it was cheap, cheap, cheap!! the discount was almost 90% for certain products..

The Percy Jackson Collection for Aina4

My fishing net has bagged 6 cds and 7 books.. 3 of the cds are japanese drama boxsets which were sold 3 for RM10, a saving of RM61.70 on those.. a jaw-dropping indeed!! while the other 3 are movies which were up for grab for RM10.50 each.. tehee!!

I get myself the hard cover of Jefferey Archer's Path of Glory & Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart at RM16.90 each.. who cant be smiling for these babies, right?.. my youngest sister wanted the Percy Jackson Collection which was sold with 30% off.. i also get myself a Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird and a children book, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.. my oh my, i have plenty of books and cds to keep me occupied during this semester break.. ngee~

This Bookfair is on up till next weekend.. i plan to make a 2nd visit there when my sisters are here next week.. Aina² wants to get Jane Green books while my youngest Aina plans to get the remaining 2 Percy Jackson books.. tehee!!

Suturing A Mother's Heart

2010-11-19T13:49:00.007+08:00

It broke my heart to see a very aged, almost a century old deeply hurt mother bursting into an ocean of tears on an evening of Eid-ul Adha.. The sacred day had witnessed a sad sonata for this poor mother.. The second she grabbed and hugged me with tears in her eyes, my heart melted right away, totally understanding her sorry plight.. Empathy is the only antidote that i can offer.. An irony to this sacred event, a mother's heart has been hurt and broken into pieces yet again for the umpteen times by none other than her own kins.. It'll take forever, perhaps down to her last breath to nurse her wounded heart and suturing each of its pieces back together.. Wake up, Children!! Your mother's heart is aching, deeply, sinking in sorrow..

Feeling rejected and dejected, she traveled miles away, leaving her own home to find a new sanctuary to nurse her heavily injured heart.. at her own home, she couldnt help feeling estranged, rejected and dejected by her own kins.. she has traveled from one home to another until she settled down in her new sanctuary.. A year has passed since then.. The almost a century old mother has tasted the bitterness of feeling unwanted in her own home..

Her dear husband has left this world, resting in peace.. Helpless and vulnerable as she already is, she has witnessed her own kins are drifting far away from her, one after another.. her most-dear child has turn himself away from her in her own home, completely disregarding this old mother's heart despite her tender loving care throughout these years.. hoping for the wound to heal over time, she moved in to another child's place within the close vicinity.. and yet again, she was hurt.. she has been rained with reasons and excuses hinting of wanting her away from them.. with the remaining strength and guts, she tried her luck with yet another child of hers, but only rejection was left to be harvested.. her maternal heart was stabbed several times by her own children..

Having not much choice in her hands, she was determined to step out of her own home a year ago.. there, she had to bid goodbye to the place where she had harboured the love with her dear husband and children for more than half a century.. with heavy and wounded heart, she had carried herself traveling miles away from her own place to a rather foreign land.. The small language differences didnt hinder this mother to find a new sanctuary.. here, the residents of her new sanctuary hope that she'll feel loved and happy.. unlike in her own hometown, the small language barriers here might limit the daily communication but the people here are hoping that she can feel the love they harboured for her.. i'Allah..

A mother's heart would still be wounded upon thinking of her ingrate children.. deep down she still harbour high hopes of wanting to come back to her own home.. it is her very initial sanctuary after all.. thousands of memories were crafted there with her late husband and children, that place was where she had lived her entire life.. and may it still is, a dream she has kept deep inside her heart..

On the sacred day of Eid-ul Adha, with high hopes she expected to be invited back home upon knowing one of her child was visiting her at the new sanctuary.. after a year away from her own hometown, she misses her initial sanctuary back home, and perhaps harboured the intention of visiting the place where her husband was laid to rest.. for that, she has waited the whole morning for her child to arrive.. "When are they arriving?", "Where are they now?", "Are they here yet?".. these questions were rained anxiously by her the entire morning.. her waiting has come to an end when the long awaited child arrived at 3.00pm.. the 3 hours of meeting was far fetched from her expectation.. there were neither a single word nor an invitation uttered by her child of wanting to bring her home.. she was feeling devastated and rejected yet again.. just minutes before the break of Maghrib, the child asked for the permission to leave.. her strength had completely diminished, she couldnt hold her tears any longer.. once the child step out of the door, the poor old mother burst into tears, feeling deeply wounded.. succumbed to feel totally rejected, she just couldnt stomach to waive her child goodbye, staying inside sinking in her sorrow.. after a while, she could only mustered her remaining courage to say that she has resigned to her fate of spending her days at the new sanctuary.. she has no other place to go but here.. wouldnt that break your heart to see a vulnerable old mother sinking in her sorrow, deeply.. i dont know if her heart can be sutured anymore.. it is beyond repairs, too many scars and painful wounds to be nursed..

For all i know, the people of the new sanctuary are trying their hardest to provide for her needs with love.. they just hope whatever they do will help this old mother to mend her broken heart, despite deep inside they just know, it is nowhere near from the reality.. yeah, reality bites!! a mother's heart is delicate and only tender loving care can nurse it healthily.. while the Almighty still loan her to us with limited lease of time, all we need to do is to care for her.. i'Allah, with this, it is hoped that she can be a proud mother.. i pray hard that my mother and myself will not experience any of this horrific tragedy.. i'Allah, i hope my sisters and i will always remain true to love our mother with all our hearts despite what happens.. i cant even imagine what my life would be without her..

Anyways, i pray for the children of this old mother to find their way back home and remember to love her with all their hearts, cherish her while she's still here.. i hope they will suture back the every broken pieces of her heart together and nurse it with full of love.. may they will come around and realize that they'll be old too someday.. Only Allah knows best, what the future might hold for us.. we never know if what goes around comes around.. Allahua'lam.. in the meantime, let's love our mothers with all our hearts, if we are drifting away, take a second to remember their sacrifices, giving birth to us, to raise us, to put up with our unreasonable antics, to nurse us with love.. whatever it is, we just have to remind ourselves that "Syurga itu di telapak kaki ibu"

Grin!!

2010-11-19T01:25:00.002+08:00

because i had a wonderful rendezvous with 'em yesterday (technically!! as it's 1.30am now).. ngeee~

No, i have no intention of writing a review here.. it's enuff to say that i just cant wait for Part2.. Ngeee~!!

Eid Mubarak

2010-11-17T02:46:00.005+08:00

To all Muslims,
Eid-ul Adha Mubarak

Merdeka!! Merdeka!! Merdeka!!

2010-11-12T12:58:00.002+08:00

TGIF!!! and Weehoooo!!

I've finished my final exam.. Tehee!! TOODLES to my 2^ndhorrific semester and the infamous ECONOMIC ANALYSIS as well.. thank you for making my life a living hell.. muahaha.. I just cudnt be happier when it's finally over.. phew~

MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!!

Ok ok.. I know this is an outdated entry.. I've enjoyed a week of MERDEKA since last Sunday.. for the past 5 days, I've been hogging the TV as if I haven't been watching it for years.. it took me 2 days after the final exam to went back online.. I just feel that I need to rekindle my relationship with my precious TV.. ahaha.. so what should I do to kill the time during this semester break.. hurmmm~ vacation sounds like a good idea but with whom, yea? Aina4 is still struggling with her finals.. Aina² is super busy at the hospital, she's in the transition of becoming a MO.. I've also been thinking of visiting Aina³ in NCL during Xmas since we've been granted the 9 days leave but I dunno if I can stomach the cold weather and at the same time Aina³ is intended to spend her Xmas break in Egypt.. so at the moment, the UK vacation is put on hold for a while..

Naem has suggested 12^th Dec as the day for our Universal Studios day-out.. yeay!! Cant wait!! I hope Aina4 can make it to this trip.. lil hope for Aina² to join us as she might still be very busy.. Aina³, u gotta wait till ur summer hols next year, yea!!

Anyways, in the meantime, I just have to get myself really busy with my beloved TV programs..

Mondays – The Amazing Race

Tuesdays – The Biggest Loser Asia

Wednesdays – Juggling between CSIs on Axn and Rain on KBSW

Thursdays – Juggling between The Amazing Race Asia on Axn and Rain on KBSW

Fridays to Sundays – anything interesting will do

See, sounds pretty busy right.. wakakaka!!

Halloween in Islamic Perspective

2010-11-03T13:40:00.000+08:00

If yesterday, i touched about the misconception of "Crossed-Fingers", today i feel like sharing info about Halloween in Islamic Perspective.. again, this urge comes from my saddened heart for knowing some of my friends were celebrating this so called spooky annual festival..

i know, my entry comes 3 days too late as Halloween has been celebrated last Sunday.. however, i guess im not doing any harm for putting up this entry today, albeit 3 days too late.. insyaAllah this is for a good course.. with this, i hope i will not get to see any of my friends enjoying Halloween next year.. this festival should be regarded as the dreaded misconception by all Muslims as this event can lead us to idolatry or syirik.. nauzubillah.. let's protect our faith and aqidah, friends..

Virtually all Halloween traditions are based either in ancient pagan culture, or in Christianity. From an Islamic point of view, they all are askew forms of idolatry (shirk). As Muslims, our celebrations should be ones that honour and uphold our faith and beliefs. How can we worship only Allah, the Creator, if we participate in activities that are based in pagan rituals, divination, and the spirit world? Many people participate in these celebrations without even understanding the history and the pagan connections, just because their friends are doing it, their parents did it ("it's a tradition!"), and because "it's fun!" Understandably, we like to be part of our community and extend our tolerance by sharing in joys of others.

So what can we do, when our children see others dressed up, eating candy, and going to parties? While it may be tempting to join in, we must be careful to preserve our own traditions and not allow our children to be corrupted by this seemingly "innocent" fun. When tempted, remember the pagan origins of these traditions, and ask Allah to give you strength. Save the celebration, the fun and games, for our 'Eid festivals. Children can still have their fun, and most importantly, should learn that we only acknowledge holidays that have a religious significance to us as Muslims. Holidays are not just excuses to binge and be reckless. In Islam, our holidays retain their religious importance, while allowing proper time for rejoicing, fun and games.

Guidance From the Quran
On this point, the Qur'an says:

"When it is said unto them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed, come to the Messenger,' they say, 'Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.' What! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?" (Qur'an, 5:104)

"Has not the time arrived for the believers, that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them? That they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors." (Qur'an 57:16)

These are some of the extract from an article taken from Muslimness website.. the rest of the content can be found here..

Lets Watch Our Words..

2010-11-02T13:10:00.005+08:00

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Islam,

Are you familiar with the phrases, "Cross my fingers", "I keep my fingers crossed", or "Cross my heart n hope to die" and the likes.. i believe most of us have at least heard these phrases once or twice.. these words are popular and frequently used in movies, dramas and songs to symbolize good luck or for nullifying promises.. in fact, unfortunately, some of us have embedded these words in their daily vocabulary without realizing the meaning behind it.. these words may sound cool to you but lets be reminded brothers and sisters, to be very careful of what we utter in our conversation as it may hurt our aqidah and faith in the end..

The reason why im posting this issue is because im saddened by the fact that these phrases are widely used without guilt by some of my Muslim friends, especially in their FB statuses.. there were few instances whereby i was taken aback after reading their statuses as these phrases were "nicely" arranged in their sentences; staying oblivious of its meaning.. Thus, i figured perhaps i can use this medium to unveil the truth behind these phrases.. hence, i went to visit Mr Google and found an interesting article to support my doubts.. these are pretty much the gist of the message, however, the full content can be found here..

Crossed fingers have a Christian usage as well. Yet even here there is a divergence of opinion as to its exact meaning or origin.

While most agree that it was a “secret sign” employed by Christians when Christianity was illegal there is a divergence of opinion as to what it evolved from. Some today suggest it is a version of a cross (two fingers “crossed over” each other, thus symbolizing a cross). Yet I have trouble with that suggestion.

For the earliest Christians, when this symbol’s usage first developed, the cross was not as common as a symbol as the fish for Christianity. Since the cross was a depiction of a purposely painful and gruesome method of public execution its usage was less common in the first century and came into use as early as the second century.

The fish, however, has a much earlier usage by Christians. ICHTHUS is a Greek word, which means fish. Christians used the word as an acrostic, meaning “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” There are early examples of a fish scribbled in places associated with Christians-used as a sign to identify one Christian to another. Many suggest that crossed fingers were a simple fish sign one Christian would use to identify them to another.

It amazes me that the simple symbol of crossed fingers can be used in so many different ways-as a symbol for good luck or giving the user the ability to lie. Yet for us the most important usage would be a symbol of the Christian faith. It either is the symbol for the cross (possible) or a symbol of a fish (more probable, in my opinion). As a symbol for the fish it’s a profession of faith-saying that the user believes that “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, (is the) Savior.”

So Brothers & Sisters, lets be reminded again to be careful of our words.. whether the "crossed fingers" symbolizes cross, or fish, this phrase and act are the symbol or identity to portray faith in Christianity.. dont get too carried away to copy the Westerners lifestyles as these are probably their propaganda to shove us astray from the right path.. so brothers and sisters, dont hurt our aqidah by uttering these words or copying this act.. Let's say NO to the phrases of "Cross my fingers", "I keep my fingers crossed", or "Cross my heart n hope to die" and the likes..

Let's say "Allahu Akbar", "Alhamdulillah", "Subhanallah", "Masya Allah" instead.. and make these words as parts and parcels of our lives..

Miss Spoiled Brat

2010-11-01T13:13:00.004+08:00

I cudnt help to feel a lil bit down on my luck when i have to cross path with such a very spoiled person.. She gives me nothing but series of migraines.. being the youngest child in her family, im good to say that she's the biggest spoiled brat i've ever met in my adulthood.. thank god, my youngest sister turns out fine and is nothing like this spoiled brat.. not even close!!

My bad luck began when i had to be in the same group as her.. well, in the outside, she looks perfectly fine.. Alhamdulillah, her appearance fits her as a fine Muslimah.. and for those who dunno know her, they might think that she's a very well respected person as she always talks about blessings, taqwa and more (in her facebook, of course).. and she looks bright and one of the most interactive student in class.. she loves to shoot questions albeit sometimes few of it were seen unnecessary.. thus, i thot, having her in my group will be a good thing for she may be able to support us in our studies.. lil that i know, it will turn out otherwise in due time..

I begin to notice her true colors when we were in our 1st semester.. we were needed to perform a mini research project.. while me and my other 2 group members were in the library having a discussion, she seems to be the one with the most arguments.. to her, this was wrong, that was unacceptable and whatnot.. despite her tonnes of arguments, she failed to give solutions.. and while all of us were discussing in the library, she, on the other hand was so busy with her lappy, u know, "facebooking".. each of her movements seem very much important to be updated, that includes during lectures too.. she'll be updating stuffs like "im waiting for my presentation turn", "im sleepy in class", "the lecture is so boring".. bluerghh!! a lil too obsessed with facebook.. and kinda self-centered too!

Anyways, after knowing her for almost a year now, i can managed to conclude she is nothing as she may seem in the outside.. her works were just junk, despite her countless arguments.. i had to be the one clearing up her mess.. normally i would have to sacrifice my night sleep, burning the midnight oil to amend her crappy works.. and i thot im the very last minute person here but she's far worse.. other than her crappy works, she is very pampered as she would love to wait for others to spoon-feed her.. when it comes to work delegation, she would pick the easiest task.. she contributed the least in group discussion, presentation, write ups..

Last friday, i had my patience tested at its peak.. she was crafting her antics yet again.. instead of contributing and completing her part in our group project, she went on asking us for answers of her own individual assignment.. i cudnt help but to snap.. but alhamdulillah i still have sanity in me.. instead of swearing, which has been drafted earlier on.. i wrote an email in a very fine and subtle words to remind her to be considerate of others.. it's unfair when she's not contributing to the group.. well, lil that i know, instead of understanding my message, she failed to attend classes the next 2 days during the weekends.. when asked, she told that she wanna quit school.. she had intention of quitting but as she received my email, her intention is being materialized sooner..

Crap, i know she's blaming me.. despite feeling disgusted, i went on apologizing to her if she's quitting because of me.. i reminded her not to make hasty decision, but to no avail, she's quitting anyways.. well, darling.. suit urself.. it's your future at stake.. perhaps, it's the best thing for us all.. at least we will not be burdened by you anymore..

It's fancy to cross path with a 27 y.0. spoiled brat.. says who spoiled brat can be found during teenage years only.. and it's a shame to have a well respected person in the outside to act in such a way.. i hope it will not give a bad impression of us Muslims.. most of us, do things perfectly, instead of taking responsibility for granted.. anyways, i pray that she'll come back to her senses sooner or later and do not follow her heart blindly.. i'Allah.. a lil advice to her,

"You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs"

School Holiday Comes Early this year

2010-10-21T11:14:00.002+08:00

Applies to school students in Muar only.. and that shouldnt be a happy occasion, pupils!! As the API has reached the undesirable level.. perhaps, doctors and private clinic practitioners gotta thank our neighbour, Indonesia for helping 'em getting more customers.. huhu!!

So dear colleagues in Muar, take good care of yourself !! I hope everything will resume to normal soon..

Schools in Muar close as haze worsens

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
____________________________________________________

KUALA LUMPUR: All schools in Muar have been advised to temporarily close as the air quality in the district has reached dangerous levels.

Muar recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 432 at 11am yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said schools should be closed if the level passed 400,

“School principals will still be able to work but students do not need to attend school until the level is below 400,” he said yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who chaired a National Security Council meeting to discuss the haze, said that co-curricular activities in all 204 schools in Muar should also be cancelled.

However, he said the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia examinations would proceed as scheduled but students were required to wear protective masks during their tests.

He said the air quality in Muar reached an unhealthy level on Monday but rose to the dangerous level at 11pm on Tuesday.

“The Department of Environment has been monitoring the air pollution since Oct 15 via 51 monitoring stations in the peninsula. The API recorded in all stations showed healthy and moderate levels except for Muar and Malacca,” he said.

Malacca’s API was at an unhealthy level when it recorded a reading of 111 at 11am yesterday, he said.

Muhyiddin said an action plan was already activated to deal with the situation.

“We have asked the Muar authorities to inform the residents of developments. We are not hiding any information so that safety measures can be taken,” he said.

“The DOE is sending 10,000 masks to schools in Muar to be distributed to the students. Mineral water will also be given as people are encouraged to drink clean water during this bad weather,” he said.

He said the DOE would also begin cloud seeding as soon as possible.

Asked about the cause of the haze, Muhyiddin said it was due to fires in Sumatra which were sparked by the dry and hot weather.

He added that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas had contacted Indonesian authorities to discuss how both countries could keep the situation under control.

In Muar, Education Department officer Ramli Abdul Samad said the department would begin distributing masks to the schools soon.

Ramli said a short shower in the afternoon had reduced the haze in some parts of the district, especially in the Sungai Mati areas, but there was still haze in Sungai Balang and along the coast.

Healthy API readings are below 50, moderate (51-100) and unhealthy (101-200). Readings above 301 is deemed hazardous.

For updates on the API nationwide, visit the department website at http://www.doe.gov.my

___________________________________________________
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Tak Cukup Melayu?

2010-10-14T08:27:00.002+08:00

Hurmm, statement apakah itu? Ada orang kata sapa yang tak pandai makan sambal tempoyak tuh tak cukup melayu.. sabo je la.. sambal tempoyak ke kayu pengukur kemelayuan.. muahahah.. biar betul..

Ada ke patut aku yg muke sangat melayu ini dikatakan tak cukup melayu sbb aku tak pandai makan tempoyak.. bukan belagak tp kalo makan tempoyak esp masak lemak terus rasa pening ngan nak mun².. rasanya combination santan ngan durian tuh mmg power kot.. huhu.. sabo je la kan.. set tempoyak aside, bring me all other ulam²an & sambal belacan to prove my Malay authentication.. muahahaha!!

10.10.10 Catastrophe

2010-10-12T23:46:00.006+08:00

10th October 2010 (10.10.10)
Many of us looked at it as a nice date, some were looking forward to it for thinking it was an auspicious date, you know for fairy-tale wedding, birth and whatnot.. but little that we know 10.10.10 will also carve a tragic history for witnessing such fatal catastrophe on the nicely combined binary-ish date.. Allahua'lam..

Al-Fatihah for the deceased.. send some prayer for 'em, people..

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ، وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ اْلأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَاراً خَيْراً مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلاً خَيْراً مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجاً خَيْراً مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ

Took place at route 222.9 of PLUS highway, this fatal tragedy has drawn massive attention, not to mention anger among the nations since the last 2 days and yours truly is no exception.. I was taken aback upon learning the nature of the crash.. how can a heavy vehicle like a bus seemed light enough to fly into the contrasting roadside after hitting the guardrail and later ploughed into 5 other vehicles unless it was driven fast and furiously.. this is a bus that we are talking about, not some kancil or any light weight vehicles.. thus, only one logic reason comes fleeting in my mind, that is the speed of the bus can explain it all..

The speed must have sparked a huge momentum upon hitting the guardrail thus it flew the bus literally over to the other side.. so stop blaming on the strength of the guardrail, braking and steering system of bus and whatnot.. a speeding vehicle has higher potential danger to engage in a bigger crash impact, what more a furiously driven heavy weight bus.. rumor has it that the bus was driven at 150km/hr at a predetermined 90km/hr speed limit area .. Allahu'alam.. only the survivors can tell the real situation..

This fatal accident has caused 12 casualties which include the driver himself.. innalillahi wa innalillahi rojiun.. it is sad to know that most of the victims are still young and had their whole lives ahead of them.. one of 'em is going to his convo, some are college students and a girl on her 1st ever bus ride.. i know Allah knows best, it is their fate and their lease of lives have been cut short, but a precaution could minimize the fatalities, hence the horrific tragedy.. everyone knows that speed kills and yet they still let it happens insanely..

i have personal experiences of being provoked by a Delima bus and other buses while driving on the right lane at PLUS expressway.. i find it absurd to be shoved away by heavy vehicles when they are supposed to adhere 80/90km/hr speed limit.. these drivers seem to have the same kind of intimidating moves of shoving cars in front of them away by tailgating and flickering their high-beam light.. urgh, isnt it just plain dead annoying!!

these drivers seem to forget that they carry lives in their custody.. i just hope that at the expense of this horrific tragedy, an expensive lesson is to be learned by us all, not just the drivers, the enforcers and public as well.. please remember, speed kills..

i just love the idea of engaging a hotline system for allowing passengers to report via calls and smses pertaining to bus drivers' attitudes and actions while behind wheels.. this will let them know how serious we are.. don't let us lose faith on the main mean of Malaysia's public transportation.. frankly speaking, if somebody asks me to ride a bus at the moment, my only answer would be a big flat "NO!!".. so to all the bus drivers, please redeem yourself, regain back our trust & confidence in you and stop risking our lives for some foolist and reckless acts!!

of Eid 2010 Affair [here n there]

2010-10-08T16:57:00.005+08:00

29th Syawal, today that is!! owh time flies!!

Little that i realize my last entry was on 29th Ramadhan.. whoaa, genap 1 month!! this hiatus was a tax at the expense of being a good (as if!!) student.. my Eid was taxed too, i've not been to a single open house.. i was caught up with my studies in between classes, assignments, presentations, exams and whatnot..

But that didnt bother me, in fact my Eid was celebrated in moderation despite the long mandatory holidays, it was well spent on writing up and completing the piles of assignments.. and regretfully, we didnt managed to snap any family raya photos together.. perhaps, our moods were kinda affected when my sister had to return to the UK just 5 days before the 1st Syawal, albeit ironically she had a blast celebrating Syawal there.. whilst shamefully here, we only managed to visit only 2 houses during Eid itself..

Our Eid mood was also diminished when my mom had to be hospitalized when her sugar level suddenly rose to 23.. she even had to underwent minor operation to remove inflamed ulcer at her back which was then thought as a pimple by her.. Alhamdulillah, everything went smoothly..

So all these were pretty much the here and there of my Eid.. nothing much, nothing fun to shout about.. apa bleh buat, layannn je laaa!! tehee!! anyways, i managed to snap few piccas during Eid Feast at the office, hence, bear with me and layan je la ye.. tehee!!

Eid Mubarak

2010-09-08T01:14:00.007+08:00

29th Ramadhan.. Already? Has it been 28days all this while? Time flies, huh..

In less than 48hrs Ramadhan is leaving us, really soon and will be away for a year.. i guess most people realize Ramadhan is sailing its journey towards the end for Eid has been the most talked about since the past couple of weeks.. however, ironically, do we really realize that Ramadhan is near its end and it's gonna take a year to be reunited again.. maybe, the thot on Eid has occupied the bigger picture in this scenario.. thanks to the promos on mass medias, shopping complexes, bazars and the list goes on for creating such hype, sigh!.. whatever it is, let's just hope, we'll get to meet Ramadhan again next year, i'Allah.. :)

Albeit Eid is coming in 2 days time, my excitement is nowhere near to be found, wondering far astray and having difficulty to find its way home.. probably, an adult like me finds Eid is just another normal day to go through and there's nothing to be excited about.. that makes me envy the kids out there.. how i wish i can be kid again..

Hmm on lighter note, my Aina³ has safely arrived in Newcastle, her semester reopened the next day upon her arrival.. another year celebrating Eid without her, so close, though!! it was 5 days more to Eid.. my Aina² is only granted a short Eid leave and will resume duty on 3rd Eid.. that leaves me with Aina-Buchuk at home throughout the Eid week.. but she's not the only company i have during Eid, my lecturer has awarded us with enough homework to keep us busy during the holiday.. i have 4 case study due on the 18th Sept and 1 marketing plan assignment to be completed.. that's more than enough to occupy my time during the holiday.. kinda a turnoff though, or more of an anti-climax precisely.. huhu..

Anyways, i would like to take this opportunity to wish all Muslims and Muslimahs across the globe, Eid Mubarak, Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin.. Remember Ramadhan is coming again in a year and until then, don't get too bloated for the next 11 months..

Be it with excitement or not, let's celebrate Eid with love for Syawal is the month to extend our love, care and concern towards family, friends and the society.. This is because Love is...

“حلآل”

2010-08-26T08:31:00.022+08:00

What does Halal or “حلآل”, means to you? or how strong is your sensitivity towards the Halal compliance by the food makers.. Let's go back to basic and question ourselves on how rigid are we in adhering the Halal compliance.. As Muslims, Halal is not something that can be kidded about.. whatever we consume is gonna be part of our flesh and blood.. we are what we eat, remember?

Lately, Halal status has been the alarming national concerns to us Muslims.. issues have been pressing one after another.. from Ramadhan Buffet to McD and to QBB Ghee.. last 2 days i've received an email from a colleague concerning McDonald's' halal status.. the issue is probed around Jakim's statement to withdraw Halal recognition for Uruguay Islamic Centre which involved Mac Food Services (M) Sdn. Bhd.. In the email, there was an attachment of a paper-cutting stating that Mac Food is the supplier for McDonald's.. Allahua'lam.. upon reading the email, my mind has been traveling back and forth to the countless visits i went to indulge on McD meals.. owh, i feel like fainting already.. Ya Allah, i seek for your forgiveness on my negligence to comply on the nahi mungkar..

Out of curiosity, i feel the urge to seek for the truth.. thus, i went to Halal Malaysia website and to my utter relieve, i found Jakim's statement dated 23rd August 2010 stating that Jakim is not suspending or withdrawing Halal Certificate for McDonald's or Mac Food Services (M) Sdn Bhd.. i'Allah, let's hope that statement can clear our doubts towards McD.. the statement can be found here.. Allahamdulillah..

However, to my dismay, the good news ended once i stumbled upon this statement in the Halal Malaysia website.. it is concerning QBI Packaging Sdn Bhd and its QBB Pure Ghee.. Jakim's statement dated 23rd August 2010 is suspending the Halal Cert for QBI until further notice, hence, the suspension covers on QBB Ghee.. the statement can be found here.. and my mind went back and forth again to number of times i indulged on Sugi Cookies, Pineapple Tarts, Nasi Minyak and the list continues.. imagine how famous this ghee is during Ramadhan and Eid especially among the cookies makers.. i almost bought the ghee myself the other day for having the intention to make Pineapple Tart.. Alhamdulillah, i didnt managed to grab that thing or it might go to waste.. but the point is, imagine how many of us have been consuming this substance since childhood.. it's totally frustrating.. i hope Jakim can clear this matter as soon as possible.. for us Muslim consumers, it's our duty to search for other Halal options until Jakim can prove it otherwise..

All these while, it seldom occurred in our minds that Halal issue can be this tensed and pressing in M'sia considering its claimed as an Islamic country.. i always have the impression that getting Halal food in M'sia is no biggie.. looks like, we have be extra careful on what we consume and what we buy after this.. we cant take it for granted and similar to Muslims whom stay abroad, we should also always remind ourselves to look on the labels of the items we buy so that we can be certain that the food is Halal.. but somehow, i think Muslims who live abroad especially in the UK have more conveniences to look for Halal foods.. the products in the UK are more Halal or vegetarian friendly than here in M'sia.. i've been there once and i found that most of their products state clearly if the items that are suitable for vegetarian.. i think M'sia should do that too.. we cant just be too sure that all M'sian products sell in the market are Halal for our consumption.. let's make Ramadhan this year as a start to walk the talk on nahi mungkar compliance.. Allahu'lam.. :)

Tamar . Kurma . Dates

2010-08-17T13:20:00.004+08:00

Tamar, Kurma, Dates or whatever it is called refers to the very same thing.. The highly consumed fruit during Ramadhan El-Mubarak.. some just cudnt do iftar without it, and there are some whom just cudnt deal with it's sweetness.. and personally, i dun fond sweet stuff as well especially the soft very sweet ones [tamar] but there are some tamar i can deal with for they are less sweeter than the rest.. those are the fresh tamar and the dried Mariami by YuTa.. the fresh tamar reminds me of the days of our pilgrimage, when we can have easy access to fresh tamar on the street.. fresh tamar tastes the best.. nothing compares.. :)

Anyways, i came across an article of the benefit of having tamar in Ramadhan.. May it changes our perspective towards Rasulullah's most consumed food.. :)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Breaking the fast with dates is a Ramadan tradition, as most of its benefits are unique to this particular fast. Breaking one's fast with dates, as well as praying before iftar, are both mentioned in the Hadith literature: "The Messenger of Allah would break his fast with ripe dates before he would pray. If those were not available, he would eat dried dates. If those were not available, he would drink some water."

One of the many physical benefits of breaking the fast with dates is that our body benefits from the date's high level of natural sugars. Sugars travel most quickly to the liver, where they are converted into energy more quickly than any other nutrient. Muslims have an immediate need for this energy when they break their fast, for they need energy to perform their sunset prayers. Ironically, one also needs this energy to consume the iftar meal. When a person eats, the body uses energy to digest the food. Eating large quantities of food immediately after fasting is not healthy for the body, which is in a weakened condition. Eating a date first helps the body start its digestive process and gives it the energy to deal with the secondary, more complex foods, eaten during ifta.

Dates are also high in vitamins A and B6, folic acid, potassium, natural sodium, iron, and magnesium. Thus, eating dates daily during Ramadan is like taking a daily multivitamin. This daily multivitamin can create a stronger and healthier body, one more fit for fasting. Dates also contain large amounts of dietary fiber, which can prevent any constipation that might result from eating the traditionally rich foods served during Ramadan. Additionally, dates protect the stomach and intestinal tract from parasites and bacteria, and thus is a good preventative medicine when eating iftar at unfamiliar locations.

Dates also have a special place in Islam. In fact, they were one of the Prophet's (SAW) most frequently consumed foods. For this reason, their benefit is most likely spiritual as well as physical. If their benefit were purely physical, one could perhaps consume any fruit high in natural sugars before iftar to gain similar benefits. However, the act of following the Prophet's (SAW) tradition is one way of connecting and remembering him, which is spiritually beneficial for Muslims.

One should pray after eating dates and before eating the main meal, because this short break gives the body time to metabolize the dates and water that have been consumed and to start the body's digestive processes, which have been resting all day. Eating large amounts of food immediately after breaking the fast resembles starting a car and the driving it without giving it enough time to warm up. As we know, this can damage the engine's internal mechanics.

The same is true with the body, for jump-starting the body's digestive processes can shock the entire organ system. In some cases, this shock could be dangerous. In most cases, however, it is simply an unhealthy way to break the fast. The immediate dangers are apparent in the increased need to sleep after the iftar. This sleepy feeling comes about because the body has expended so much energy on the digestive system that it needs to lower its other bodily functions in order to perform its digestive duties properly. Over time, this habit can cause long-term damage to the body.

...Wallahuaklam...

Ramadhan Kareem

2010-08-16T13:05:00.001+08:00

Ramadhan Kareem.. Ramadhan is generous..

Alhamdulillah.. so far we have been blessed with 5 beautiful days of Ramadhan and the blissful tarawih.. comes tomorrow it will be a week that we are fasting in this holy month.. may today goes by in a meaningful way as well.. How are we going to make our days in Ramadhan meaningful? Well, i guess it's all up to us to reap all the blessings and benefits of this holy month.. wallahuaklam.. :)

Anyways, to seize the blissful moments of Ramadhan, i feel like sharing info on the blessings of this holy month which i came across from a webbie.. Wallahuaklam.. may it will be beneficial and to encourage all of us to grab this opportunity to reap the benefits that only come for visit once a year.. it's a shame that we dont realize the benefits of Ramadhan as if we do, we would wanna have a year full of Ramadhan.. :)

Blessings of Ramadhan:

To ease us in achieving Taqwa by Fearing Allah (SWT), Practicing the Revelations of Allah (SWT), Accepting the lil things that one has achieved, Preparing the departure from this world to the Hereafter, Self-Discipline, Self-Control, Self-Restraint, Self-Education, and Self-Evaluation

Works as the Protections of our manners from immorality, anger, doing all the makroohs, mashbooh & haram doings

Ramadhan is the month of Al-Quran Revelation. The holy kitab helps the mankind as the guidance, the manifestation of right and wrong, the summation and culmination of all previous revelations, a glad-tiding to the believers, a healer, and a mercy

Ramadhan is the time when doors of heaven are opened. Let's take this opportunity to reap the blessings

Time for the doors of hell are closed

Devils (Syaitan) are chained down. We should take this opportunity to increase good-doings.

Forgiveness from the Almighty for individual sins if we are fasting with Iman (faith)

Door of Rayyan - it is a door in paradise for the fasting Muslims

The Rejoices for Muslim whom fast in Ramadhan and those are when breaking fast & when meeting Allah (SWT) on the Judgment Day

The Mouth Smell - the smell of fasting Muslims is better that the smell of musk during the Judgment Day

Glad-Tiding - These glad-tidings are given to the well-wishers while the ill wishers are to be stopped during fasting

Ramadhan to Ramadhan blessing - Whoever is fasting in two consecutive months between the Ramadhan to Ramadhan with good intention will receive forgiveness for mistakes committed throughout the year. AllahuAkbar!!

Multiplication of Rewards : Good-doings entitle for rewards 10x, 70x, 700x, or more during Ramadhan

Feeding others & Sadaqah : if we invite others to break fast or take care of the hungry, needy person(s) during the last ten days of Ramadhan will receive equal rewards of the fasting person(s)

Blessing of Iftar - Dua is accepted by Allah (SWT) at Iftar time

Blessing of Sahur - This meal time gives the opportunity for Night Prayers, Zikr, Remembrance, Contemplation, Recitation of Al-Quran, Fajr Solat in jamaah, and Dua of Fajr

Night Prayers Blessings - if perform with sincerity and good intention will receive forgiveness of the past mistakes.

Shafa'at - Those who fast during Ramadhan will receive Shafa'at of Ramadhan & Al-Quran during Judgment Day

Ihya (Passing Nights Awake) - Efforts made during last ten days of Ramadhan will get rewards, forgiveness, and multiple blessings

I'tikaf (Retreat) during last ten days of Ramadhan will get blessings and rewards, peace of mind, and contemplation and evaluation

Lailatul Qadr - Rewards for those who performs Ibadah with sincerity and good intention

Generosity - Ramadhan is the month of Kindness, Hospitality, and Visitation

Zakat Fitrah & Sadaqah - Charity to the needy with the purpose for purity, feeding the needy, sharing happines, improving human relations, and improving society

Fasting & Health - Fasting helps to purify our body from toxins, reduce weight, purify our brain, rejuvenate body and look younger

Sharing Concept - of hunger, thirst, and rituals with others in the society. Helps to increase empathy

Eid-ul-Fitri - to share happiness for the success in performing a month of fasting

Graveyard visits - Helps to extend our Dua to the deceased, preparing oneself for departure from this world, feeling respect for the deceased, and make the person to be humbled in his life

Every breath is Tasbiih. Every breath and even sleep is Ibadah and being awarded

Umrah in Ramadhan. Visiting Makkah during Ramadhan is equal to one Hajj and one Hajj with Prophet Mohamad (PBUH)

Historical Success and Victories during Ramadhan. There are numbers of events took place during Ramadhan ~ Battle of Badr, Battle of Khandaq, Opening of Makkah, Battle of Tabuk, Tariq Ibn Ziyad opened Europe, Salahuddin liberated Jerusalem from the crusaders.

Wallahuaklam..

Look at all the blessings, peeps.. Plenty, aight? it's our call to seize the opportunity in reaping all these blessings while Ramadhan is still here.. and if you may realize, among all the blessings, Allah's Forgiveness is mentioned so many times.. Ramadhan is the month for us to seek for HIS forgiveness and blessings.. so what are we waiting for.. Let's grab this opportunity to be a good Muslims and good Servant.. insyaAllah.. :)

Ramadhan, here and there..

2010-08-13T16:12:00.002+08:00

Ramadhan has already set foot on its 3rd day.. Alhamdulillah, the other 2 previous days went on smoothly.. As for us Johorean, 1st Ramadhan is one of our public holiday.. wehoo!!

Day 1, went on great.. we managed to get ourselves busy at the kitchen instead of cramping the Pasar Ramadhan crowd that afternoon.. practicing the prudence concept in Ramadhan, we only pulled simple home cooked meal to fulfill the hunger.. my mom cooked simple chicken soup to be served with rice and veg, while i made Kuih Bingka Roti & Jagung for dessert.. Alhamdulillah, it may seemed simple but indeed was a hearty meal for us all.. my bingka might look horrible, but it didnt taste as bad.. i can see everyone was enjoyed eating it..

Day 2, after a relaxing day off, it was hard to drag myself to the office yet again.. thank God, we are permitted to punch out an hour earlier on Ramadhan for coming in half an hr earlier than usual.. The co allows us to punch in at 8am and knock off at 4.30pm.. Alhamdulillah, the new office hour helps us to beat the traffic congestion.. i had smooth rides both on morning and afternoon journeys.. :)

Day 3, yet another day at the office.. i just cant wait to go back home and now it's 15 mins to go and still ticking.. the AC coldness makes my eyes heavy and i've dozed off for a couple of time.. i just cudnt remember the number of times i yawned already.. how i wish i can get myself curling up at Ruang Barakah next door.. huhu..

So, these are the here and there of my 1st 3 days in Ramadhan.. nothing interesting aight, ahaha.. again, im wishing all muslimeen and muslimah, Happy Fasting.. :)

Ahlan Ya Ramadhan

2010-08-10T10:21:00.005+08:00

Marhaban ya Ramadhan..

Comes tonite, the month of Ramadhan is setting its journey with us.. so are we ready to set our venture with Ramadhan this year? insyaAllah, may everything goes smoothly..

to some, Ramadhan is a month most awaited for as it comes only once a year.. but undeniably, there are individuals whom dread the arrival of this holy month.. well, at the end of the day, it's up to our intention to speak for Ramadhan.. wallahuaklam :)

im happy as all my sisters are here in Malaysia to celebrate Ramadhan together this year for Aina³ will be here until 5 days before Eid.. i'Allah we'll be able to do iftar and perform tarawih together.. i'Allah

anyways, im wishing all Muslimeen and Muslimah wherever you are, across the globe, Happy Fasting and Ramadhan Mubarak.. let's seize barakah of Ramadhan while it's still here, we never know if this Ramadhan might be the last one for us.. Allahuaklam..

♥Our Lil Road Trip♥

2010-08-09T13:45:00.020+08:00

and we were accompanied by the ladybird.. tehee!!
no no no.. not lady gaga.. albeit alehandro made several appearances here and there along the way.. wakaka!!

my sister, the Aina³ is now in Malaysia for her a month of summer holiday.. thus, with the lil time both me and the Aina² have, we only managed to pull a short road trip to Malacca.. half of the day were madly rushed spent in KL for both the other Ainas have to make a visit to their fav bookshop, Kamal.. talk about that bookshop, from the outside, it merely looks like any other mamak's small magazine shops with lollipops, newspapers and all, but if we enter further inside, we can see shelves full of medical books.. medical students across the globe order books from Kamal via online.. truly a believe it or not trivia.. seriously, no kidding!!

since, the 3 of us weren't disciplined enough to make the trip fruitful, we only managed to go to several places in Malacca and one of 'em is Melaka Planetarium.. somehow, we think we are too old for the planetarium stuffs.. nothing much to intrigue us, the exhibition still needs much improvement.. and the video session was kinda cheesy for our liking and in fact, i caught my sisters sleeping during the show.. well, this kind of stuffs may suit school children only, i guess.. the entrance fee of RM10 was kinda pricey considering its minimal exhibition there.. thx God me and Aina³ can use our student cards to enjoy discount of RM3 each..

all in all, although the trip wasnt fruitful enough, we enjoy our leisure moments, did taken some pictures here and here, mostly in the car, wakakaka!! too bad, Aina³ is going back to the UK just days before Eid, so another road trip will be without her.. im planning to make another road trip during my sem break with my other two Ainas..

"Skunk" vs "Skang"

2010-08-05T12:52:00.003+08:00

Disclaimer: This entry may only be computable by matured youngster at the age of 30s and likewise. Wakakakaka!!

Hurm, have you ever received text messages which wanna make you scratched your head so hard until your scalp came out. If so, did the content made u think that u're reading an intergalactic secret code from outer space or something that was so hard to be deciphered? Did you ever experienced headache for trying so hard to make a word out of it which made you think learning alien language is its only solution.. If u ever encountered these scenarios, it shows that we are speaking the same language.. wakakaka!!

i dont know what's up with the teenagers and their text messages nowadays.. how much have i aged that sometimes i just cudnt add up with the whole thing.. am i too old for this kind of stuffs.. at 1st i thot i was doing ok for being able to understand normal short forms that are popular among my kind (sounds like an alien tribe, aight.. muahahaha).. in fact, i managed to assist my parents with my sister's text messages.. but then, i came across text messages with words or more like codes that were strangers to me.. we cudnt help my parents with it anymore.. by saying we, it includes my sister who is 3 years younger than me.. how far have the youngsters progressed and how far have we being left behind..

words like "aq" or "q" to replace aku, "ske" for suka, "dy" for dia, "sayyew" for saya, "y" for yang, "nTiw" for nanti, "korunk" for korang and "skunk" for skang and whole bunches more seem like the in thing for them.. btw, skunk? seriously? wakakaka.. it makes u wonder, what's on their mind, huh.. it's not redecorating words is an alien to us, we did that and still using it but somehow seem manageable by the older people..

i guess, our moms, dads and the older generations must have experienced this scratching head thing with us before.. they must have their wrinkling foreheads moments when reading our text messages before.. during our times we did some changes to the words in our text like "ko" to replace engkau, "korang" for engkau orang, "ktrg" for kitorang and more.. i have once been nagged by my mom for using korang and kitorang.. she went on like this "apa korang2, kitorang2, ish budak2 nih".. muahahaha..

so i guess each generation is entitled to their own identity.. we have created our own legacy with "korang", "ko" and stuffs.. so we have to deal with the younger generation as well just like how our parents did with us.. but, somehow, i still think our version is much more computable than the kiddos' because all we did was to shorten the words for convenience while them creatively redecorating it robustly to embed coolness elements.. whatever it is, i guess it's just their shot now and let's not steal their thunder and deal with it..

30, Bring it on!!

2010-07-11T21:21:00.010+08:00

Yes, im officially 30 today!! Say no more, 30 is my number this year.. Deal with it, okay!

With that, im now the new member of 3.0 series club.. turning 30 shud be a great thing in life.. just let nature take its course and live each moment with big heart.. or how Ain puts it, "age with grace"

I started my day today like any other normal Sunday.. i left home as early as 8.00am when i had to rush for my class.. Had several assignments to be completed today and did a presentation along the way.. Alhamdulillah, everything went on smoothly and the class ended at 3.00pm.. Right after, i came back home to fetch my momma as she wanted to go to the PC Fair and grabbed everything she needed.. before heading home, we had a bite for an early dinner, it was on my momma and the day ended just fine.. so if u ask me, what did i do on my 30th birthday, hence the aforementioned are about all.. :)

A birthday celebration is not something i would look forward to when turning 30.. it doesnt get my dreams materialized.. thoughts and prayers from the love ones and significant people in my life are something that would blow me away and melt my heart overwhelmingly.. Alhamdulillah, in mere astonishment, im truly overwhelmed with the numbers of wishes that were sent across by family and friends.. never thought that i'll be getting such a big number of wishes and prayers.. as im typing this, i can see there are more wishes coming in as well.. thanx guys for the thought and prayers.. love y'all!

Hurm, most importantly i wanna thank my parents for all the love.. thank you for bringing me up with such tender loving care.. without you, i wont be here, typing this entry, making life a greatest deal on earth.. i hope that the Almighty will grant both of you a great long live to let me share my happiness with you.. my heart always goes to both you.. i love you.. :)

Before i get too sappy and emotional, i think i shall stop now.. but before that, i have few interesting quotes on turning 30 to share here.. :)

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." - Lucile Ball

"After 30, a body has a mind of its own."- Bette Midler

"30 is the new 20, unless your 20, then it's the new 40." - Dane Peddigrew

"Age is a number and mine is unlisted." - Anonymous

and my favorite is..

Age is Just a Number

2010-07-10T20:51:00.005+08:00

Age is a mind over matter.. if u dun mind, why bother.. Yeah, As If!! im still in denial.. huwaaaa!!

With heavy heart, i finally have to bid au revoir to my 20s.. owh toodles darling, you've [read: youth] been great companion.. i guess it's time that i need to come to term with the course of nature.. Aging is part and parcel of life, everybody has to through it and im no exception..

Being a fickle-minded person, probably now is the best time to grow up and to start take life seriously.. well, it should have taken place long ago but you see, being me, im a late bloomer in everything.. tehee!! frankly speaking, even now, if being asked what do i want in life, all i can do is to shrug my shoulders.. so, hold that thought.. i'll get back to that once i've found my answer.. well, once a fickle-minded, always a fickle-minded.. old habits die hard!! muahaha..

Well, tonite is my last night of being 20s, im enjoying it while it lasts.. and im celebrating it with tones of assignments that are crying for my attention tonite.. says who HRM is easy peasy, piles of assignments are waiting in the queue.. i dunno if i can nail this one but it doesnt kill to hope, aight?

So peeps, i need to get back to my assignments.. this is my last entry in my 20s [as if anybody cares, muahaha].. well, to all 80s [1980] babies out there, i wanna shout, Let's seal the deal of making it great being 30!! teheeee!!

Bau Serigala Memberontak?

2010-07-09T10:10:00.004+08:00

Ya Allah.. sapa la yang buat subtitle untuk Eclipse tuh.. lawak gile.. aku, naem & nida tak tahan siot gelak2 baca subtitle dia.. like WTH.. "minum teh ais di laman" "bau serigala memberontak" tak bleh tahan, beb.. muahahahaha

nama je tgk citer lomantik2 nih tapi kitorang dok bantai gelak je sepanjang movie.. dah la dialogue dia mmg la cheesy meezy.. cair earwax aku dgr smp meleleh.. muahaha.. aku rasa org keliling kitorang sure bengang giler ngan kitorang.. bising je!!

To Lucy, nih review aku.. hurm, aku rasa aku tak suke sgt Eclipse.. nothing can beat, Twilight.. neither New Moon nor Eclipse.. tapi ini review dari aku yg hanya baca separuh jalan je buku si Stephenie Meyer itu.. so mungkin takleh pakai sgt la kot.. ehehe.. anyways, i think what kept me awake throughout the movie was the hawt-ness of my wolf yg buff itu.. kalo takat tgk si vampire kulit bersinar2 dgn bedak tempek di muke kecuali tinge nye, maybe dah lama aku doze off.. muehehe.. owh, tapi kepada sesapa yg suke smooching2, probably suke layan citer nih sbb you can get lots of it.. siap ada scene bella ngan jacob comolot lagi.. tehee!! owh btw, dakota fanning nmpk sgt la matured (more like tua) dlm citer nih, sama la cam New Moon dulu.. all in all, kalo ikut rating aku, eclipse can only bagged 3 out of 5 stars.. tapi kalo nak mintak komen yg lebih menarik, bleh tanya nida ngan naem la eh lucy.. :)

Hurm, since Eclipse didnt really caught my interest, let's leave it at that, okay.. owh, an update to my previous entry about paul the octopus.. i heard in hot.fm this morning that Paul receives a death threat.. the Argentinian fans are on verge to get Paul killed.. owh Paul, u lil poor thing.. so, is there such mission to protect Paul like Witness Protection Program or something? let's save our tentacle buddy.. tehee!! owh, i also heard Paul wudnt be predicting for the final match.. He only predicts the matches where Germany is playing.. so Paul, you're are off the hook from the final heat, babeh.. tehee!!

Sotong Kurita Salai Masak Lemak Cili Padi

2010-07-08T08:37:00.003+08:00

Ini bukan entry resipi.. tapi entry untuk Paul the Octopus.. muahaha.. ada ke sotong boleh predict matches.. mmg lawak antarabangsa betul!!

ko predict baik2 Paul, kalo tak mau ada org nak salai ko buat masak lemak cili padi.. muahahaha.. (btw saya tak tgk World Cup pon)

Paul Octopus World Cup Prediction : Spain will be World Cup 2010 Champion.This brilliant German Octopus already stunned all the German fans and always predicted that Germany will win but for the World Cup 2010 Semifinal prediction between Spain vs Germany, Paul Octopus selected Spain.

In the last ,match of Germany vs Argentina,Paul Octopus World Cup Prediction was for Germany and that also proved true.Now Paul Octopus score is 5 out of 5.Lets see that Paul Octopus recent Prediction will be a hit or flop.

Im Dyslexic, are you?

2010-07-07T17:01:00.001+08:00

or is it lack of self confidence? hurm, beats me!

to me spelling is hard.. it is so hard that even simple words that we use everyday like "Happy", "Celebration", "Challenge" can get me confused and drag me to take a peep in the dictionary.. i thank Merriam Webster & Mozilla Firefox for being such great personal assistance.. i've lost count of how many times i found myself stuck on my writing because i got myself confused over the jumble up spellings especially when it is a handwritten task.. in fact, as im writing this, im very much depended on Firefox's spelling check, thank god that Firefox enables spelling check on this browser, that's why i prefer Firefox over IE as my favorite browser.. i cant remember how many times i have hit the right click button to correct my spellings..

it's not that im unfamiliar with these words, i know how they are spelled.. perhaps, it's just more of my plain carelessness.. i can get easily confused when my inner voice starts questioning "it that its correct spelling?".. that's why a simple word can be a real toughie.. damn, it's more of confidence problem, i reckon.. tehee!! an instance that i can quote is about what happened yesterday when i wanna write a birthday wish to my colleague, K.Marsel.. i was about to write Happy Birthday to you and suddenly i got myself confused when i heard my inner voice questioned "is Happy correctly spelled as Happy?" damn, it's annoying is it? i feel stupid when i cant even spell a simple word that we come across daily such as "Happy".. huhu!!

for having this "disability", i find meetings and brainstorming sessions are among the most dreadful things in the world.. it is because my boss loves to ask me to jot the gist on whiteboard.. it dreads the hell out of me as if im caught in a horror movie.. to hide my "disability", i would normally jot the gist in short forms accompanied with hideous handwriting so that no one would notice my jumbled up spellings.. tehee.. another dreadful scenario is during exams.. i dun have merriam-webster or firefox by my side to help me out.. i cant neither use short forms nor present my hideous handwriting on examination sheets.. so what are the options i have? i would just have to settle with what's best i have and pray hard that my spelling just wudnt fail me.. Deep Sigh!! it's hard to be dyslexic, aight..

Monday is Back

2010-07-05T13:02:00.006+08:00

Owh Goodness Gracious, it's Monday again.. so here comes the blues, baby!! What is Monday without its blues, aight? tehee!!

Poor, Monday.. it's not its fault to come after Sunday.. we shud blame Sunday instead for making it so hard to let go.. what is the crap am i talking about.. sorry, i blame Monday for that.. muahaha..

Since today is Monday, my mood to dress up is caught up in the blues as well.. after Subuh prayer i decided to prolong my sleep until 7 before i get up to bathe.. the idea of ironing on Monday morning seems daunting to me, hence i decided to wear something convenience instead.. the beauty of having a long cardigan is that i dun have to iron the shirt im wearin' inside, i just have to fasten my cardi's 3 upper buttons to hide the crumples and i was all set to go... and an ariani was also a great help to get myself ready in a jiffy.. so, in 10, i was all ready to get myself walking through the blizzard of Monday blues.. no make-up accompanied me today, no compact powder nor lipstick.. im the all black lady today, wearing black cardi, black tudung, black pant.. talk about the blues, huh! tehee..

hurm what else to story mory yea? Owh, my arm is still swollen, subsided a lil bit though.. the swell has gotten smaller to the size of 50cent coin.. so i guess that's about all, i have nothing else to share.. i have a Monday Blues to take care of today.. :)

Owh Sweet Niblets!!

2010-07-04T14:11:00.007+08:00

A swollen arm doesnt stop this unnie from blogging, huh? i guess not.. ;)

Talking about the swollen arm, it was the 'masterpiece' of last friday's H1N1 vaccination jab.. never thot it wud swell like this.. it's bigger than 50cent coin, hokay!! and i can hardly lift my arm.. huhu.. i hope it will subside in no time..

The truth is, i dun have anything interesting to blog about today.. in fact, i have nothing interesting to do the whole day, just lazing around on the couch like a spud, makin' myself a couch potato of the day.. hurm, i have the urge to bake but im saving my mom from nagging as there's no one @ home to indulge it.. my budak buchuk is already off to UTHM yesterday, she's the only one with sweet tooth in this house, apart from my other 2 sisters whom aren't here as well.. so, terbantut la haku punya semangat nak membaking!

As im typing this, i guess have been yawning for like an umpteen times.. so, what's left in the to-do list ? What else aight, tuck myself to schleeep la nampaknya.. cuaca redup nih mmg besh buat tahi mata.. kena plak lepas lunching kan.. kihkih.. citer kat tv pon tak menariks kan..

Anyways, before let myself curl up in the bed, let me share another cute lil munchkin from "Love is.." comic strip.. :)

Adios!!

TGiF!!

2010-07-02T12:23:00.006+08:00

Thank God it's Friday, people!! Hooooray!!

But, what makes me even more ecstatic today is because my beloved boss is on leave.. can't help to grin evilly... muahahahaha!! so what's left to be done today? hurm, nothing?? yeah, it's party time, people!! buweks!

We had a breakfast feast just now.. it was a farewell party for one of our practical student.. A hearty breakfast seize the day especially when the boss is not around.. teheee!! and last night, i made nigella's choc chip muffins to be served today at the party.. i like the nigella's because it's not too sweet to suit with my liking.. the sweetness from semi sweet choc chic is good enough to sweeten the batter.. those with sweet tooth might not like it, though.. since today im in a good mood, i feel like it to share the recipe.. :)

INGREDIENTS

250g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Half-teaspoon bicarbonate soda

2 tablespoons best quality cocoa

175g caster sugar

150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)

250ml milk

90ml vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Serving Size : Makes 12

METHOD


1.	Preheat the oven to 200C and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases.
2.	Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug.
3.	Mix both together – it will be a runny batter - then spoon into waiting muffin cases.
4.	Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and springy.

The munchkin version

Chef@Home ~SO NOT!!

2010-06-28T22:17:00.013+08:00

There are times when i have the urge to get busy at the kitchen.. it doesnt come often though.. ever since i came back to stay with my parents, it's not hard to count the number of times i hit the kitchen.. i have 2 experts at home, make full use of 'em la kan.. muahaha!!

however, im in the mood for baking today.. i have this fleeting urge since yesterday.. therefore, my humble green rolls seize the day!! my rolls come in two flavors: custard, and peanut butter..

~ Green Custard Rolls~

~Green Peanut Butter Rolls~

This so full of herself amateur has the cheek to share her recipe.. muahaha.. tak malu kan..

Green Rolls

Ingredients
75 gm cake flour (i accidentally bought the green one, that's y it's green)
75 gm bread flour
a packet of instant yeast
1/4 cup of fresh milk
an egg
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
3 tablespoon of butter

For Custard Spread
2 tablespoon of custard powder
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 cup of fresh milk
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Get Rolling, People
1. Make the custard spread. Mix all custard spread ingredients in a pot. Stir in low heat until it's thicken. Once thicken, set aside and let it cool.
2. Mix all bread ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well until it becomes a smooth dough.
3. Rest the dough for about 45min to 1hr. Until it becomes twice its previous size
4. Punch the dough to let the air out and knead again. Let it rest for another 15mins
5. Roll the dough to oblong shape and spread the custard or peanut butter. You can sprinkle raisins, choc buttons, choc chips.. (as per your liking)
6. Roll from long side, jelly-roll style: pinch to seal the seam
7. Cut the roll into equal sizes (normally you can get 12 rolls)
8. Place the cut side up into large greased muffin cups
9. Place it in a baking tray and heat it up above boiling water. Cover the dough, let it rest for about 15 mins
10. Bake it for 15 mins at 175 C or until browned.
11. Enjoy the rolls. Nyum Nyum!!

The finished products

Salivating already? Muahahaha.. perasan sungguh!

~Saranghe~

2010-06-26T12:18:00.005+08:00

KBS!! Saranghe.. yeah, im crazy over you.. i cant help it to have my eyes glued on you.. and this is because of...

~Kindergarten Love aka Great Inheritance~

Yeah, i have to admit.. im Korean overdosed now!! huhu.. i've made myself a Korean junkie and just cant get enuff of 'em.. ehehe.. i just got over of my previous addiction on Personal Taste, uh Lee Min Ho.. swoon to death.. ehehe..

~Personal Taste aka Personal Preference~

this entry is kinda overbearing, huh? muahaha.. just bear with me, people.. :)

I Got My Craving Fixed!!

2010-06-24T20:15:00.001+08:00

I woke up with heavy head this morning.. after Subuh prayer, i got myself curled up in the bed until i was woken up by a ring.. it was Izu! then only i remembered, i forgot to tell her that i wanna take urgent leave today.. she must have waited long at our usual meeting spot.. poor her.. uh, we are car pool buddies, btw.. deep inside, i felt glad that i managed to get myself off scot free from the office for a day.. hooray!! it was a blessing in disguise!! :)

i got myself out of the bed at 8.30am.. went online, nothing much caught my interest on the net.. i was getting my daily routine fixed: read my emails, look up for news on ebrowse, fb & etc.. by 10 the migraine has started to subside slowly.. joined my sister for breakfast.. when i got down, my budak busuk was curling up on the couch with eyes glued on the tv, being so engrossed over the Korean show on KBS.. anyways, i think KBS is kinda cool.. im starting to love that channel.. cant believe that im a Korean junkies now.. huhu..

i had a good time today.. enjoyed lazing around all day long, doing nothing..being the couch potato for a day seems like a pretty good idea to let off some steam.. too much of it might be hazardous but it's ok to laze around and pamper ourselves sometimes.. anyways, i didnt use all day to be the couch potato, i still have my conscience, mind you.. since im on leave today, i got myself a deal at the kitchen.. today is the day to fix my craving.. yeah, people.. i have fixed my tang yuan craving!! after an hour at the kitchen, finally the glutinous sweet thing had been materialized.. well, judging by look, it might not be impressive but hey, it's edible ok.. ehehe.. ok la kan.. not too shabby for a beginner.. sian, sapa lagi nak puji kalo bukan diri sendiri.. well, let me present my very own version of Tang Yuan, vs the heneedsfood.com... tadaaaa!! eehehe

There goes my diet today.. arinih layan sweet tooth and carb desire.. teehee!!

~My Humble Tang Yuan~

~ heneedsfood.com version~

Hurm, not too shabby huh? boleh la kan.. ;)

Life Without Limbs

2010-06-23T13:46:00.007+08:00

I cant imagine whether i can make it to live my life without limbs.. no hands and legs? sounds pretty darn hard, aight.. but that is not impossible.. Nick Vujicic is the living evidence..

He proves it to the whole world that nothing can come in between us to get whatever we want in this world.. the only obstacle to stop us from going is ourselves.. we're our biggest obstacle.. we rant, we complaint, we give excuses.. instead of working on our success, we pause to give in to these hurdles to come in our ways.. why should we allow ourselves to stand in between our own success.. no one is allowed to take it from us..

To tell ya the truth, initially, i wasnt intended to write about nick vujicic in the first place.. in total contrast i had written a full page of ugly rantings about yesterday's blunder that has made me turned green.. but suddenly, my senses came back, knocking my head, hard!.. reality check: ranting is ugly, man! i got the chance to see how ugly it was and in a click, i hit the delete button.. owh thank God for giving me my senses back.. Alhamdulillah.. but anyhow, i have to admit, i cant help it to get mad sometimes.. im only human with quite short temper, err is to human.. given the pressure and foul mood, a bright sunshiny day can turn into an ugly blizzard.. especially when we're pretty darn angry and yet people have the cheek to laugh and made fun of us.. it wasnt funny, man, sense the tone, please.. uh, look look.. im starting to rant again.. damn, stop it.. well, i leave it at that.. owh, happy thought, happy thought!! where's that mantra, man?

Let's talk about nick instead.. Nick Vujicic, pronounced as 'Vooy-cheech', is a Serbian Aussie, owh, Serbian, that explains the "Vujicic".. was born in 1982 (uh, he's 2 years younger than me!).. he was born without limbs: no hands, no legs.. once feeling devastated, he had contemplating suicide at the tender age of 8.. however, he had a turning point soon after when he realized he was not the only one with the major struggles.. likewise, there are other people out there with severe disabilities.. he got himself back up and has created his own history ever since.. as early at the age of 17, he had started given talks and inspired people.. traveled all around the world, nick is well known for his inspiring speeches and he even has made it to Malaysia quite sometime ago to share his wisdom.. how i wish i can meet this tough young bloke.. even without his limbs, he proves that he can advance himself in academic by graduating college with a double major in accounting and finance at the age of 21.. cool huh? nick's videos are very popular during seminars, teambuildings, and workshops.. i came across nick's story through a workshop and started grown interest to collect his videos ever since, :)

This one is my personal favorite!

~Are You Going To Finish Strong?~

Tang Yuan!

2010-06-21T17:20:00.001+08:00

GRrrrr!!

Im stranded in a horrible Monday blues.. Most of my colleagues are not in.. some are on leave and some are out doing field work, leaving me bored to death in the cold office.. Thus, i need determination to keep me upbeat to live the day.. Look at what i crave for the whole day to survive the nasty Monday blues.. tadaaa!! it's Tang Yuan, ppl!! ehehe

actually, i've been thinking of this dessert since forever.. i remember having it at Puteri Pacific Hotel years ago and i fell head over heel in love with this baby.. ehehe.. it's unusual for me to like sweet stuffs, except for cocoa-ish thingy.. ehehe.. sweet tooth is not really my thing.. but i cant help drooling over this sweet thingy.. hurm, i've been thinking of giving it a try to make this, and i found the recipe in heneedsfood.com and it looks kinda easy peasy.. hurm, shall i rush to the groceries store to grab the black sesame seed.. well, still thinking.. probably, i'll get over this craving already while driving home.. we'll see... ehehe..

owh, it's 10 to 5.30.. time to knock off already.. i've been waiting to go home the whole day.. it's time to rush to the punch clock.. bubye!!

Rajab Already?

2010-06-14T08:40:00.009+08:00

owh, i just realized that it's Rajab already.. yesterday was the 1st Rajab.. has it been a year already? hurm, time really flies before we know it, aight.. it seems like few months back we were celebrating Eid and now we are 2 months away from Ramadhan.. i just love Ramadhan, cant wait!! i bet most of the ladies out there are on their rallies of ganti puasa already by now.. ganbatte ne, ladies!!

at the same time, lil that i realize we are already in the 2nd half of 2010.. six months have passed, didnt we just watched fireworks on the new year eve? hurm, what have i been doing for the past 6 months, yea? i can only shrug my shoulders to answer that.. for all i know, i've been juggling my time on work and studies.. my personal time is kinda limited, it's the luxury that i dont actually own.. whatever it is, im grateful for all i have in my life.. at least i know, my efforts on the studies are totally worth it.. and i have the supportive heartwarming family to stay behind my back and cheer on me, no matter what.. Alhamdulillah.. :)

as time goes by, looks like time and age are finally catching up on each other.. before i know it, im leaving the 20s already, in less than a month.. the big 3-0 is coming, baby!! huwaaa, im in total denial.. i can no longer hide behind the modest 2-0'ish for cover up, "How old are you?", "Hurm, im in my 20s, TQ", NOOOOO i cant use that anymore!!.. to top it all off, coming this 26th Sya'ban, i age a year older in Hijri calendar.. it's 31 for crying out loud.. huhu.. i cant imagine how can i be 30ish and still be very much the same and immature!! huhu.. aina, aina, aina, there's no time for sobbing, time flies, remember!.. this is life, youth is not yours forever.. pull yourself together and continue living.. living is great, cherish it while you still have it..

what's the whole point of my ramblings? hurm... owh, the message is time flies, really, no kidding!.. time and tide wait for no man.. let's use it wisely.. coming these 3 sacred months: Rajab, Sya'ban & Ramadhan, it's time to focus more on our ibadah and make full use of it.. renung2kan dan selamat beramal.. ehehe..

Love is... Cute Lil Munchkins!!

2010-06-13T11:18:00.016+08:00

Look, look what i've found..

i found these!! The "Love is..."cute lil Munchkins!!! remember the "Love is.." column in NST back when we were kids? They are available online now, on daily fix!

Thanks to the late Kim Casali.. you've put a smile on my face everyday and makes me less remember about the big 3-0 thingy, uh btw, i have less than a month to grasp whatever left in my 20s, huhu!!... hurm never mind that!! you see, i look forward for these cute lil munchkins every day.. Sometimes, i found myself giggling alone for being so engrossed over these babies.. i love how Kim defined Love in various ways: bittersweet yet addictive, plus the modestly naked couple makes these babies so adorable!! Kawaiii!!.. teehee!!

To begin with, i think Kim was so sweet .. the legacy of these "Love is..." comic strips came about when Kim drew these cartoons as love dedications to her husband, then boyfriend in the late 1960s.. it was then published in 1970s and the popularity was a shot to fame... well, who doesnt love these adorable babies, aight? Awww!!! Kim died in 1997 and her legacy is continued by her son, Stefano Casali and a sketcher, Bill Asprey.. Even though Kim is no longer around, both Stefano and Bill acknowledge her for signing Kim's name in the sketches... may these "Love is.." babies will continue to brighten our days ahead..

My personal favorite: Love is... counting your blessings!!

The Fruit of My Labor!

2010-06-12T22:00:00.011+08:00

Alhamdulillah.. im smiling from ear to ear.. i think tonite i'll be sleeping with a big smile painted on my face.. and why is that.. tadaaa..

i know, i know.. it's no biggie.. especially for a 1st sem result, there are more to come in the future ahead.. but being an average student, this is my first 4.0 ever, yeah ever!! i sound pathetic, aight??

Alhamdulillah, i thank the Almighty for making my efforts paid off.. this is the very own fruit of my labor thru the sleepless yet playful nights (thx to youtube for that, teehee), i think i still havent done enuff.. next term is gonna be more challenging, hope i can make it thru..

Aja Aja Fighting!! Ganbatte Ne!! Jiayou!!

Leave All Worries Behind

2010-06-01T20:35:00.003+08:00

W.O.R.R.I.E.S... what worries mean to you?
Everyone worries on something, it comes and goes, as & when.. there are times when worries take us to an adrenaline rush zone or a land of deep depression.. it can be a fatal virus, more of a malignant disease attacking our spirit.. it may also be a hindrance for us to move on with our lives.. worries are inevitable to anyone, we just need to learn how to handle our own worries..

throughout my almost 30 years of living, im still learning to handle my worries and put a rest on mind-boggling matters.. all my life, i got so used to the habit of brooding over things.. i got to admit, im a WORRYWART.. i guess it's the CANCERIAN thing.. and believe me, worrying is just darn tiring.. it costs me my sleep, driving me to sleep deprivation.. waking up with a big eye bag and dark circled eyes is a big NO-NO! i need to look pretty.. i wanna say NO to wrinkles.. being 30 has already put me down so much.. at least i need to look young & pretty.. where's my magic wand.. abracadabra.. make me look 18, please!! ehehe..

right now, im determined to stop being a worrywart.. i must learn to let go and be more relaxed.. life is too short to worry too much.. trouble can get close to me as friends but i need to put a rest to it.. i take trouble as a foe to fight with and leave all my worries behind..

Trouble is A Friend

2010-05-29T14:33:00.009+08:00

~Trouble is A Friend, indeed!~

In My Life

2010-04-29T08:15:00.012+08:00

There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

~I love mi familia~

It's Good To Be Alive..

2010-04-16T08:22:00.005+08:00

Alhamdulillah, it's good to be alive.. i feel blessed and truly contented..

To be able waking up every morning healthily is indeed a blessing from the Almighty.. i can't thank HIM enuff for that.. at least we have another extended lease of daily allowance from HIM to live the day.. it's all up to us to make the fullest of it.. it's us to decide whether we are gonna make our lives meaningful or otherwise.. dun just wait until it's too late to celebrate the gratefulness of being able to live another day.. i just cant imagine what would happen if one day my lease expires and waking up in the morning is no longer a privilege .. if the day comes, there'll be no turning back.. everything that have been done prior to that very day will be up for calculation and hope the number will turn out alright.. i just hope when my time is up, i can pull a big number on my scale during the weighing.. i pray hard for it.. and also, i do hope when im gone, im still blessed with additional support by being able to reciprocate doa' from the livings, if i ever be remembered by any of 'em.. :)

what's up with me recently? beats me.. im puzzled too! i dun usually talk about anything serious, let alone to touch on anything about gratefulness, being blessed and whatnot.. i used to live my days in total foolishness.. i always forgot to thank HIM for all blessings in my live.. pardon me Ya Allah for my foolishness.. lately i've been thinking alot, about live and how death is approaching in a total inevitability.. i took some time to pause and reflect on how i've been living my live throughout these 29 years.. what have i done in return to thank HIM for allowing me to still breathe the air.. shamefully, i've been disappointing HIM for taking HIS blessings for granted.. truly, i have thousands of regrets for that.. i hope i can be forgiven.. shame on me, i still do hope to seek for HIS blessing and Syurga despite what i have done my whole life..

to tame our hearts in walking the talk is no easy task.. in fact, it is the hardest thing to do.. this is indeed a real challenge, i guess.. alhamdulillah, im blessed with the good Samaritans around me.. the ones whom been giving me constant reminders, i thank Allah for letting me know these people and be around 'em.. i thank Allah for bestowing me with the best parents, grandma, sistas, friends and significant people around me.. im blessed for knowing my accounting lecturer, Prof Kamil.. it melts my heart whenever he starts his classes with doa' which is recited by himself and how in between classes he takes a minute and share bits of hadith to enlighten our dark hearts.. it is totally overwhelming.. he constantly reminds us to take care of our sholats, to take few minutes in the morning to perform dhuha, and to liven our night lives by embedding night sholats.. ya Allah, i feel truly blessed.. i thank YOU for loving me so much by sending me "guardian angels" to wake me up from the darkness.. there is no word to express my gratefulness except Alhamdulillah.. ya Allah, i seek for your kindness to constantly love me and help me to stay faithful to YOU.. help me tame my heart to love YOU more and more, day by day.. :)

Every Journey Starts with a Single Step

2010-04-06T18:11:00.006+08:00

Im good to say that i view my life from a different perspective now.. i guess the maturity has set in for a lil bit now.. well, shudnt it be taking charge of my life years ago, aight.. anyhow alhamdulillah, i thank Allah for letting me taste the feel of being matured for a lil bit.. hurm, what can i say, im waiting to be hit by the big three-O storm in no time..

i dunno what strikes me into getting myself to blog again.. i normally find blogging is tiring and i would be happier to see myself as a reader rather than a blogger.. yeah, i used to have a blog and now it's nowhere in existence, deleted and vanished out of disgust.. i just hate myself for letting the world sees the grumpy, ever angry side of me with all the rantings in my previous blog.. i took it with my writing to let off the steam of anger.. not a pretty sight to be seen, aight.. but somehow, along the way, i guess i'd love to remember each moment of my life.. make it significant, probably not to others, but to me at least.. i wanna remember every step that i take.. i wanna cherish my life.. because only now i realize life is too short.. too short to be taken for granted.. every moment matters, no matter how lil or big it is, happy or sad..

thus, i would love to leave my footprints here, stamping it to debut its existence.. well, i dun expect having people to read my writing.. it's not gonna be composed beautifully anyway, but it's more than enough to feel that my life carries a set of meaning and i wanna promise myself that im gonna stop at nothing to make the fullest of it.. so today, im gonna welcome myself once again to the blogging world.. this is the 1st step i make to fulfill my set of journey..