What a waste!

Waste of your precious time, your self well being, your much needed sleep and at the end of it, you get the wrath of Allah. So seek Allah's forgiveness and get on with your life.

I read cik tutor's blog and it seems we were in the same boat. She called last night and I poured my hearts out. Surprisingly, she calmed me down telling me that there might be a hikmah why things happened that way. This morning, I kept myself busy with work and more work . Alhamdulillah, things went quite well and I managed to settle my work with my friends' support!

Well, there are 6 billion people living on Earth at this moment. Why bother with one who has an attitude problem. You can acknowledge her/his presence by giving salam and get on with your mission in life. Look around and you would find others who are kind-hearted .

I guess, there's still some hope that everything will be better.

Hope is the light which guides us, when all doors are closed
Hope whispers 'knock again' when you wonder through the night
Hope whispers 'I'm your perpetual light'

KeepYourHopeAlive.

Therapy?

I'm back. Actually I got home from Jitra last Thursday and had to attend a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. On arrival at my parent's house, I was still able to help my mum making the beds and mopping the floor. Yes, my sister and her family were coming home. En suami fondly called her Puan Hajjah. He also gave Tuan Haji Azman a big welcoming hug!

On Saturday, we went shopping. School will reopen in a week's time and I treat myself to a new pair of shoes and a handbag!

After all the excitement, I came down with fever on Sunday. I knew I was exhausted and really needed a rest. Alhamdulillah, I was up and about and felt fine the next day after 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Cik tutor once told me that we could let go of our frustrations by blogging. I was quite unhappy these past few days, especially if I had to deal with a certain type of people.

I get along fine with people with sincere intentions; kind-hearted, never talk behind your back, helpful and most importantly 'sedar diri'. I hope my children and their future spouses will be blessed with beautiful akhlak which is pleased by Allah and all mankind. It is easier said than done. To have children with respectful akhlak is not an overnight work. Rasullullah narrates that :

“Setiap bayi itu dilahirkan atas dasar fitrah. Maka kedua orang tuanyalah yg membuatnya menjadi Yahudi, Nashrani atau Majuzi.”

I hope that en suami and I have done our best in raising our children. We know they are not perfect; always sensitive and sometimes loud but deep inside they have the nicest hearts.

Alhamdulillah, I feel much better already.

Time flies....

It has been quite a while. I've been busy these few days attending to family matters. En doktor came home with his wife last Friday. He took 2 days off to send his wife to Lumut for the induction course. The course started on Monday and ended yesterday afternoon. En doktor drove back to KB on Monday.

Then Azhar and I took the train trip to Kuala Pilah on Tuesday. We only spent a night in Kuala Pilah. During the short stay, I managed to do the usual household chores ; did the laundry, tidied the kitchen and dusted the house. Next Saturday, I am going for a five-day course in Jitra, so Azhar will be staying with my parents in Tambun.

On 23rd December, all the teachers including the new ones are required to report for the new session. I hope that everybody will be in high spirit and strive to work diligently.

Well, gotta go now. There's some housework to be done, exam results to be analysed and clothes to be packed!

Du'a si ibu

Seorang wanita pertengahan umur yang sudah berumah tangga dan memiliki anak-anak yang sudah meningkat dewasa bertanya kepada si ibunya.

'Mak, ada kawan nak pergi Mekah, buat umrah. Mak nak kirim du'a tak?'
Si ibu menarik nafas panjang. ' Tolong du'akan agar anak-anak mak bertimbang rasa kat mak'. Satu pesanan yang membuatkan saya tersentap dan terfikir; seorang ibu boleh menjaga sepuluh orang anak, tapi sepuluh orang anak belum tentu dapat menjaga hati dan perasaan seorang ibu.

Timbang rasa?

Timbang rasa bukan perkara yang senang. Ia adalah perbuatan yang amat sensitif kepada perasaan orang, mengambil kira kepentingan orang sambil memikirkan kita tidak menjadi punca masalah orang . Orang yang bertimbang rasa sentiasa mempertimbangkan kepentingan, perasaan dan pemikiran orang lain, sebelum membuat keputusan sendiri. Dia sentiasa bertanya apa kata orang, apa pandangan orang, apa jadi pada orang. Sifat ini adalah nilai yang paling asasi dalam kebudayaan dan masyarakat Melayu. Ia bukan berkait rapat dengan rasional tetapi dengan perasaan orang.

Jika dengan orang yang bukan sedarah sedaging pun kita digalakkan untuk bertimbang rasa, inikan pula dengan si ibu yang melahirkan dan membesarkan kita. Di zaman yang serba canggih dan 'stressful' ini, kita jangan sekali-kali 'forward' masalah yang hadir dalam hidup kita untuk diselesaikan oleh si ibu . Kita boleh berbincang dengan ibu (she'll appreciate it) dan ajak adik beradik yang lain untuk sama-sama beri pendapat untuk cuba selesaikan. Jika masalah itu melibatkan perasaan, pengalaman kehidupan dan royanan , sila telefon ibu-ibu anda untuk sesi konsultasi , sekurang-kurangnya hati ibu terhibur, dan Allah akan menghiburkan hati-hati kita. Tapi jika masalah anda adalah wang berpuluh ribu ringgit untuk memiliki kereta pujaan, then solve the problem yourself.

Holidays

En suami was very busy during the weekend that Azhar and I decided to travel to Kuala Pilah. I love going to KP, a place where I can rewind. No cats to be fed, school is hundreds of miles away, only one supermarket for window shopping , no internet, no ASTRO and housework is very minimal. As usual, we chose Electric Train Service (ETS) as our mode of transport. It is very reliable, comfortable and my neighbour's daughter who works there gave us discounts on the food and drinks that we bought! We reached Seremban after the 3-hour long journey.

From Seremban, en suami drove us to KP and we reached his house after maghrib. We went shopping, cooked dinner and retired for the night.

En suami had a busy weekend.On Saturday he had to welcome the lecturers from the University who gave a talk on biotechnology. Then, there was the preparation to welcome the Menteri Besar on Monday. The students were busy rehearsing for the big day.

Most of my time was spent in front of the TV , contemplating and completing my school work. After I've completed my work, Azhar and I tidied the house.We mopped the floors, kept the old newspapers away, dusted the house and Alhamdulillah, by the time en suami was home, he was totally impressed.

Now, I am back in Ipoh. There's so much to do. Today is the last day of Hijriah. Azhar and I are going to the mosque for the Awal Muharram celebration. We are encouraged to read the end of year du'a and also the new year du'a. Ma'al Hijrah everybody and May Allah bless us.

Boiled Fruit cake

Yesterday cik tutor called. She attended a workshop over the weekend and she couldn't resist eating scones with jam and cream that they served for tea.

Personally, the memory of having scones, cheesecakes and fruit cake for a typical English tea came flooding back. When I was a student, an English lady by the name of Pat invited me and my housemates to her home in the farm once a month. She loved to cook and she made sure that she used only halal ingredients. Sometimes we had proper tea party with her friends in attendance and at other times it was a picnic in the woods. After tea, her husband, George, would bring us for a walk on the beautiful ,rolling countryside.It was indeed very serene, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

I was looking for the scone recipes this afternoon, when I came across this familiar recipe ; boiled fruit cake.Pat used to bake this cake for us and she even gave me the recipe . But then, I lost it.

I tried the recipe and alhamdulillah it turned out alright and tasted delicious. Unfortunately, there were cracks on top of the cake. Maybe the oven was a bit hot.

Boiled fruit cake
10 oz ( 250g) self-raising flour
6 oz ( 150g) light brown sugar
6 0z (150 g) butter - Pat used anchor butter
80z (200g) mixed fruit (raisins, sultanas, cherries)
10 fluid oz milk ( 1 mug) - she used plain water
2 tsp mixed spice - optional
2 eggs

gas mark 2/3 or 150/170 degree celcius
bake for 1 hour

Method :
1. Mix sugar, butter, mixed fruit and milk in saucepan. Stir and heat the mixture. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Leave the mixture to cool.
3. Add flour and beaten eggs.
4. Pour into greased and lined cake tine. Bake for 1 hour.

Love is .....

Love is holding hands in the street
Marriage is holding arguments in the street

Love is dinner for 2 in your favorite restaurant
Marriage is a take home packet.

Love is cuddling on a sofa
Marriage is one of them sleeping on a sofa.

Love is talking about having children
Marriage is talking about getting away from Children.

Love is going to bed early.
Marriage is going to sleep early.

Love is a romantic drive
Marriage is to arrive on tops curvy tarmac.

Love is loosing your appetite.
Marriage is loosing your figure.

Love is sweet nothing in the ear.
Marriage is sweet nothing in the bank.

TV has no place in love.
Marriage is a fight for the remote control.

Love is 1–drink and 2–straws.
Marriage is ‘Don’t you think you’ve had enough!’

Conclusion: Love is blind, Marriage is an eye opener.

by: mypenmypaper

Personally, if you get married for the wrong reasons and no effort is done to rekindle the love in your marriage, then the above is absolutely true.

I was 21 when a married friend arranged my marriage. I never knew my husband then. I put my trust in Allah; solat hajat,solat istikharah and carried on with my life.

Alhamdulillah, we appreciate each other until today even after 30 years of married life.There are ups and downs and we put our trust in Allah . And then there are our beloved children; the apples of our eyes , our intan payungs whom we adore very much. Of course, I miss en suami like crazy when we are apart!

Feminine Health

1. Emotional Health
- Stay in touch with your emotions and find ways to constructively express them. Talking to friends, family members, blogging or keeping a journal might help.

2. Diet
- Avoid taking excessive amount of coffee, red meat, hot and spicy foods.
-Avoid excessive consumption of dairy products.
-Avoid eating excessive amount of greasy, fried and sweet food.
- Do not consume large quantity of salt.
(For ladies who are having their monthly period)
-Do not eat cold food or drinks, raw and frozen food.
-Eat dark, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale.
-Eat fish, eggs, raisins, poultry and liver

3. Lifestyle
- Avoid excessive work.
- Maintain a regular and balanced schedule for eating, sleeping, working, exercising and resting.
-Dress appropriately for the weather.
-During period, avoid swimming, do not lift heavy items and don't engage in strenuous physical activity.
-Do not walk around barefooted on cold floors.

For painful periods, massage the lower abdominal area with warm oil or ointment. You can also mix 30 grams each of ground cloves (cengkih), cinnamon (kayu manis), and ginger(halia) in a cloth. Warm over low heat in a pan. Place the warm cloth with the mixture on your abdomen to ease the discomfort.

Excerpts from Ancient Healing for Modern Women.

New faces

Holiday class begins today and I get to know the new batch of pupils. From the tests that I gave them, there's quite a lot to be improved. Anyway, they are good, obedient and talkative pupils. So, it won't be difficult to teach and coach them to write good sentences, insyaAllah.

I got home in the afternoon and after 3 hours of class, there was nothing more relaxing than reading other people's blog. Cik Tutor seldom updates her blog due to her time constraints. If she writes, I always find it amusing and entertaining. Kerol always writes short but sweet entries such as these :

Mak selalu pesan dekat kakak,

tidur awal, bangun awal,

Saranan doktor untuk kekal sihat,

tidur kualiti yang paling utama.

Actually, my advice is for everyone especially to those who read my blogs. After more than 20 years in the teaching profession, I tend to treat other people's children like my own. I hope all of you out there will be successful in all your undertakings and be future leaders with iman in their hearts.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw a familiar name in Am's blog. Well, if it is truly me, then I would like to reassure you, I also find your blog entertaining. Writing in your own blog is one way of expressing your emotions and thus releasing tensions and making you healthier. This is the fact that I've just read in a book on Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Excessive anger harms the liver, joy harms the heart, anxiety the spleen, grief the lungs and fear the kidneys, wrote the TCM doctor. That's why in western countries they provide counselling sessions to sort out your problems.

Keep on writing and may Allah bless you all for making me happy, kekeke.

Holidays

The school holidays has begun. En suami celebrated aidil adha in Ipoh. He took 5 days leave, the longest in 3 months!
We stayed at my parent's house and I'm glad to say that I've got my parents to myself! One of my siblings is performing hajj and the others celebrated raya with their in-laws.
On the second day, we had qurban in school and I helped with the preparation of the food.

On Monday, there will be classes for 2011 UPSR candidates. The class is held for three weeks and it is hoped that the pupils are mentally prepared to face the challenges awaiting them when the school reopens.

Apart from the holiday classes and meetings in the mornings, I'll be quite free in the afternoons. I am now reading a book titled 'Ancient Healing for Modern Women' by Dr Xiaolan Zhao a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. I have finished reading the book and it gives practical suggestions to maintain health and prevent diseases for all phases of woman's life.
Last but not least, I hope I could khatam reading the holy Quran for the third time this year. I hope I could make it!

My Dear Sons

To my dear sons, En doktor, Aman, Kerol and Azhar.

I've brought you up as good muslims so I hope you'll behave well just like any other good muslims would. Observe your daily prayers, read al-Quran and once in a while offer nightly prayers.

i) Be good to everyone. If there is a damsel in distress, give her a hand. If anybody calls you for any assistance and you happen to be free, then help them. By no means should you feel as if the ladies are going to get you. The moral of the story is : Jangan perasan!

ii) Be a gentleman. Open the doors to the old, the ladies especially pregnant ladies. Offer your seat in public transport to those in need. Don't be selfish like the ones I've seen.

iii) If you happen to have some 'kakaks' who like to call you and give you tips in your studies, then accept the help with open arms. Once again I would like to remind you : Don't ever feel as if the 'kakaks' are going to woo you into marriage. No,no. Just be kind to them and appreciate their generosity. If you are still 'perasan', then I'll ask the 'kakaks' to delete you from their friends list!
And if the 'kakaks' are having some problems and sharing it with you, then lend them your ears. I am sure they don't want solutions. They just want the problems to be out of their system!
Allah give us two ears and only one mouth, so you should listen more.

Lastly, I am sure everyone including the 'kakaks' above know that everything happens by the will of Allah. Jodoh, maut di tangan Allah. Just be sincere with whatever 'amal you are doing and you'll be safe, insyaAllah.

Actually, I don't have any doubts about you, my sons. A few months back, someone mentioned this to me.
"Why can't all muslim boys that I know be like Aman!'
A compliment to me . Alhamdulillah.

UPSR 2010

Alhamdullillah the results are out. We went to PPD Kinta very early in the morning. All the headmasters and the headmistresses were looking their best in their batik attires. As for me, I reserved my best batik baju kurung for the speech day on this Saturday, insyaAllah.

Alhamdulillah, Allah's mercy is with us again. This is the summary of the UPSR results for 2010:-

Total number of pupils - 116
Bahasa Melayu (Penulisan) - 100% passes (100 pupils scored A's)
Bahasa Melayu (Pemahaman) - 100% passes ( Only A's and B's)
Science - 100% passes
Maths - 99.1% ( 80 pupils scored A's)
English - 97.4% passes

Pupils scored 5 A's - 21 pupils
Scored 4A's and 1 B - 35 pupils
Scored 3 A's - 22 pupils

My main concern is mathematics and alhamdulillah the pupils did really well. Bravo to all the teachers concerned.

As for next year, we'll be looking at English . I hope everyone will work as a team to achieve the target .

Thank you Allah for the blessings!

Thinking

I'm thinking hard. Well, don't you get too excited. I might go there to comfort you, to cook for you and to keep you company for a while. There are low-fare flights to Sydney so may be we can work something out. So, hang on and be patient. Pray hard so that we'll see each other very soon, insyaAllah.

It was an exceptionally busy day. We bought some food for dinner and plan to sleep early. Only Allah knows what's in store for us tomorrow. Come what may, I hope everything turn out well and our year-long effort is appreciated by our students.

Good luck to me!

Masak Lomak Cili api

In Kuala Pilah, en suami got used to eating Negeri Sembilan food. Masak lemak and sambal gesek are some of his favourite. At home the set lunch consists of ; Masak Lomak cili api (fish or chicken), fried fish /fried chicken, sambal gesek and lettuce.

Cik tutor requested the recipe for masak lomak. Here it is:
2 slices fish OR
4 chicken pieces (grill half-cooked)
10 cili api - blend
2 cm fresh turmeric - blend
salt
1 lemon grass (serai)- lightly pounded
2 cups coconut milk (from half coconut)


1. Combined all the ingredients in the pot.
2. Simmer on medium fire. Stir constantly.
3. After 10 minutes, put the fish or grilled chicken pieces.
4. Continue simmering until the fish/chicken is cooked.

The dish is very easy to cook. Ideas for variation:
Chicken dish - you can add potatoes or tomatoes. Kerisik can also be added (1 desert spoon). Squeeze lime juice just before serving.

Selamat mencuba!

Macam-macam

Lousy day today. There were so much frustration in the workplace. Negative aura everywhere.
I never knew I hurt somebody until we had the meeting this afternoon. I was only joking but the person took it seriously. In future, I have to be careful when I utter anything.

Well, I am glad my faith is strong enough to face the uncertainties in life. Allah knew I didn't mean what I said. I thought we were close enough to joke around, but I was wrong.

Life at home is also a disaster. We ran out of gas tonight, and it was quite late to call the supplier. I came home late this evening and the house is in a mess.

Alhamdulillah, there is a wee bit of happiness. Nia gave birth to 4 little kittens. The proud mama placed the kittens in the box under my bed. Everytime, after I perform my prayers and reciting al-Quran and the du'as, I'd take a look at the lovely kittens sleeping soundly and Nia would sit on my lap. So nice.

Then, out of the blue, I received a call from an unknown caller . He/She is flirting with me.
I text the message, 'Sori, wrong number.'
Then, the person answered, 'Bole berkenalan'
I deleted the message.
Another text,'Kalau awak tak jawab, maknanya awak sombong.'
I didn't attend to the next call since cik tutor was on the phone.
Another text,' Nama awk nasrul hakim kan'.
I've had enough! I called the number and the moment she heard my voice, she hung up!

Reminder

We were having class parties this morning. Two young ustaz also came on invitation. One of them was absent last Monday. Someone told me that he met with an accident while travelling to Terengganu but he appeared on Tuesday absolutely fine. No signs of injury at all. Not even a scratch was in sight.
" Teruk ke eksiden muallim? ' I asked him.
'Vios rosak teruk.' There was the image of misshapen Toyota Vios from his phone. He told me that the car skidded , rolled over and landed in the drain. By the mercy of Allah,the driver (his cousin) and the two passengers escaped unhurt.

'Du'a apa muallim baca?' I was really interested to know.

He recited the usual du'a for travelling. In addition he also recited the following du'a :

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِىلاَ يَضُرُّمَعَ اسْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فِى اْلأَرْضِ وَلاَفِى السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ

“Dengan nama Allah, yang dengan namaNya akan terhalanglah segala sesuatu di bumi dan di langit, untuk menimpakan bencana, dan Dia maha Mendengar dan maha Mengetahui”

This is the du'a that Rasulullah s.a.w asked us to recite in the mornings and evenings.

..................................................................................................................................................................

Wipe away your tears, think well of Allah. and chase away your worries and doubts by remembering Allah and the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.

م

Nak percaya ke?

Yesterday, while I was watching TV at mom's house, my 15 year old niece asked me.
'Kak Dijah balik bulan doblas, ya Mak Yong?'
"Isy, tak tau pulak.'
"Kan ke feveret artis Korea dia nak datang Malaysia.'

'Ooooo, jangan percaya! Kak dijah main-main je tu. Mamat tu muda sangat la, Tikah! Tak padan. Lagi pun mesti artis tu ramai peminat. Nanti merana badan kena share dengan semua fans dia.'

This is the effect of 'meroyan' in facebook. I wonder how many of her facebook friends believe that she is really in love with Jay Park. Hehehe.

Creative

Every morning, during the assembly before the lessons begin, Muallim Razman teaches the students the prayers that we read while performing solat. How does he manage to get the pupils' attention? We pray at least 5 times daily so we might think the pupils would be bored to death with the program.
As the senior assistant in school, I am busy with administrative work so I seldom join the morning assembly. Time and again I hear the pupils enjoying themselves SINGING the du'a with the translation! Once I heard the pupils recited Al-Fatihah with its meaning and at other times it was the du'a during ruku' and sujud. Everyone sang at the top of their voices. It was indeed a beautiful sound.
Yesterday he came with a new proposal. He has planned a new program for the new session. I hope everybody will support him and pray that it will succeed.

Jom Berubah!

Salam.

Lately this has been the hottest topic in our beloved country.

Malaysia is facing a severe Human Capital Flight with large-scale emigration of intellectuals seeking greener pastures in more advanced society like in Singapore who is estimated to have 45 % of the best brains from Malaysia and 25 % to other Asian countries with the balance of 30 % to Europe and the USA out of the total estimated one million Malaysian working overseas.

I am not racial because I am also a 'pendatang'. My late great-great-grandfather and his family came to Perak from Sumatra to make a living here. My grandmother was still a baby then. They worked hard, clearing land in remote areas. Alhamdulillah, with sheer hard work and blessings from Allah, they lived a comfortable life.

My late father-in-law came to Malaysia from India to seek a better future. He worked hard and his Japanese employer would call on him when they needed his services.

I am not surprised if the non-bumi students worked extra hard and are outstanding in every examinations that they take . The formula is simple : The harder you work, the more successful you will be.

I am more concerned with the Malays, the previleged group, who are not aware how previleged they are. At school, I try to instill the students' worthiness and talk about their responsibilities so that they became dedicated future leaders.

I try to instill the importance of time-management, good behaviour, tolerant with one another, working hard, respect to the elders and be the best in whatever they do. We can do it, but we are just too lazy to bother. We become slaves to 'kedai kopi talk' and our never-ending need to 'hiburan'! Wherever you go, the sight of people gossiping is always there.

Back to the news excerpts. If I were the government, I would just let them migrate in peace. In replacement, I want you, you, you and you to work really hard and be the best in your field of study, pray hard as if there is no tomorrow and be grateful with whatever Allah has given to you.
Yes, Malaysia needs the best brains with IMAN.

Adik Sayang

Last weekend, my mother ,azhar and me took a journey to Kuala Pilah. Our main aim was to visit my sister, Roslili, who is going to perform Hajj in November. Her house is in Taman Bukit Rambai. En suami drove us to Melaka from Pilah on Saturday morning. We stayed overnight at my sister's house.

My brother-in-law (En Azman) is the youngest is his family. Two weeks after their Hajj, they are going to move to Durban, South Africa. The feast was supposed to be a small get-together, but each of his sisters brought along a lot of food and everybody seem to enjoy the food that it ended quite late in the evening. I took the opportunity to get to know them better. We got along fine, and in the end they shared delicious Negeri Sembilan recipes that I could try at home.

At last I met Bibik Sri. We hugged when we saw each other. It has been two years since we last met. She also sent her regards to Cik Tutor. I am glad that she looks happy and fine.

'Suami bibik sudah buat rumah baru, hasil kerjaan bibik,' she said when we were left alone.

'Alhamdulillah, kerja baik-baik bik.' I know I don't have to tell her that because she was the best indonesian maid I've ever met. When she stayed with my mother, she worked from dawn till late at night. She even handwashed all our baju kurungs! Sometimes I wondered where she got all the energy from!
Now she stayed in Air Keroh, Melaka to look after my sister's mother in law who is paralysed. Everybody loves her in Melaka, alhamdulillah.

Wanita Istimewa

Last Sunday, I attended a talk by Ustazah Zainab with the above title. I usually heard complaints from cik tutor,on how her housemate, an Australian, sympathised the muslim women around the world. Almost all non-muslims think that women in Islam are second class and the media takes the opportunity to downgrade Islam further.

Next time, if they raise the issue again, then here are some facts and figure for you to defend Islam.

1. Allah creates man and he also creates women. It is unthinkable if Allah as the most compassionate would create women as a lesser being.

2. Allah in his power has made Sayyidatina Khadijah as the first believer, Siti Hajar wife of prophet Ibrahim as the first occupant of Mecca and Sumayya as the first syaheed in Islam.

3. In surah Qashas, Allah told the story of two women who helped save the life of Moses( Nabi Musa a.s.), Asiah and Moses's mother. Please read the tafseer of Ibn Kathir for this surah.

4. As for the single ladies, the example that they can look up to is, Maryam daughter of Imran. How she lived the life of chastity, away from worldly gain. She was unmarried and served to worship Allah for the rest of her life. (Ustazah cerita, ketika Maryam dalam kandungan, ibunya bernazar bahawa anak yang bakal dilahirkan, akan diserahkan untuk beribadah sepenuhnya kepada Allah. Bila lahir bayi perempuan(Maryam) , ibunya terpaksa menunaikan nazarnya. Maryam adalah perempuan yang sangat mulia dan sentiasa beribadah. Bila dia mengandungkan nabi Isa tanpa ayah, maka timbullah fitnah dan tohmahan dari masyarakat sekeliling .)

Advice for Men

"They ask your legal instruction concerning women, say: Allah instructs you about them..." [Qur'an 4:127]

The Prophet said:

"The best among you is the one who is the best towards his wife"

5. From the quranic verse and hadith above, Allah would elevate the position of men if they treat their wife kindly. That means, the muslim men are encouraged to be gentlemen to their wives!

I think most muslim men are good. Maybe they are just too shy to open the doors, to help their wives and to show their love openly in public.

Happy Birthday...

Happy nineteenth birthday kerol. I started teaching in Sek Rendah Al-Hidayah when Kerol was 45 days old. In the beginning, I brought him to school because it was difficult to find a good day-care at that time. A few months later, a good friend of mine agreed to take care of him while I was away at work.

At school I wasn't popular because the students said I was 'garang'. Well, I have to. If I talk softly to them and just let them do whatever that pleases them, then they hardly do any work! I gave them loud and clear instructions, my e-mail address and even my phone number so that they could contact me if they have any problems. Alhamdulillah, every year it works. Last year more than 75% scored A's with 97% passes in Mathematics. I just hope this year the students did better insyaAllah.

You win some and you lose some. Most of the time I got carried away at home and use the same method to discipline my children. So, they became not the soft-spoken type. That's why cik Tutor joined USM debating team because we were always talking at the top of our voices . After all these years, I decided it was time to change.

Cik Tutor is alone in Armidale so she calls everyday, usually around 7 pm.A few weeks back, I decided to answer the phone in my sweetest, sexiest voice. Actually, it was not fun because I was trying to be other people. But I persevere because only Allah knows, how good the intention is .

One day, the phone rang and I answered it with my 'tak cukup makan suara'.
'Hey, gedik kat saper tu?' said the voice on the other side. It was my husband's.

'Sori, sori. I thought it was Khadijah,' and we laughed our hearts out.

I wasn't put off. I still answered the phone with the sweetest voice I could mutter.

Uwais al-Qarni

Seorang sahabat saya telah dianugerahkan Allah seorang cucu yang diberi nama Uwais bin Miqdad. Uwais sempena kisah yang dicatat oleh serban hijau ......

Sebenarnya Nabi dah tahu yang Aisyah itu akan masuk syurga ertinya dosanya telah diampunkan oleh Allah tetapi kenapa Nabi masih menyuruh Aisyah untuk memohon kepada Allah agar diampunkan dosa?. Sedangkan Aisyah memang layak untuk tidak dimasukkan ke dalam neraka, hanya layak ke syurga. Soal dosa dan pahala dia dah tak kisah sangat tapi nabi masih menyuruhnya berdoa supaya Allah ampunkan dosa.

Saya nak kaitkan dengan satu kisah iaitu bila Allah bagi tahu kepada nabi Muhammad s.a.w. iaitu ada insan yang akan lahir dikalangan Tabiin (Tabiin maknanya satu kumpulan insan yang tidak sempat berjumpa dengan nabi tetapi hanya sempat berjumpa dengan sahabat nabi sahaja. Kalau orang yang sempat berjumpa dengan nabi, itu dipanggil Sahabat. Kalau orang yang lahir kedunia ini setelah nabi wafat tetapi sempat berjumpa dengan Sahabat ia dipanggil Tabiin).

Nabi berpesan kepada Umar dan Ali, 'Akan lahir dikalangan Tabiin seorang insan yang doa dia sangat makbul nama dia Uwais al-Qarni dan dia akan lahir dizaman kamu'.

Kita telah mengenali siapa dia Sayyidina Umar dan Sayyidina Ali iaitu orang-orang yang telah disenaraikan sebagai al-Mubasyirun bil Jannah, iaitu mereka dah dijamin masuk syurga.

Nabi seterusnya berkata kepada Umar dan Ali, 'Dizaman kamu nanti akan lahir seorang insan yang doa dia sangat makbul. Kamu berdua pergilah cari dia. Dia akan datang dari arah Yaman, dia dibesarkan di Yaman. Dia akan muncul dizaman kamu, carilah dia. Kalau berjumpa dengan dia minta tolong dia berdoa untuk kamu berdua.'

Sama juga macam kisah Siti Aisyah tadi, Umar dan Ali bertanya kepada nabi soalan yang sama iaitu ,'Apakah yang patut saya minta daripada Uwais al-Qarni, Ya Rasulullah? Nabi menjawab ,'Kamu minta kepadanya supaya dia berdoa kepada Allah agar Allah ampunkan dosa-dosa kalian'.

Banyak peristiwa sahabat yang berjumpa dengan nabi, minta sesuatu yang baik kepada mereka, nabi menjawab 'Pohonlah al-Maghfirah daripada Allah swt.' Jadi topik al-Maghfirah (keampunan) ini menjadi topik yang begitu dicari yang begitu relevan, hatta kepada orang yang telah disenaraikan sebagai ahli syurga. Kalau logiknya ahli syurga macam dah tak perlu kepada ampun dosa kerana mereka dah dijamin masuk syurga, tetapi tidak, nabi masih tekankan supaya minta Allah ampunkan dosa.

Siti Aisyah telah bertemu dengan malam Qadar, dia telah berdoa sepanjang malam sampai ke subuh dengan doa yang nabi ajarkan iaitu 'Allah humma innaka 'afuu 'un karimun tuhib bul 'af wa fa' fu 'anni' (maknanya Ya Allah, Kamulah Tuhan yang sangat suka mengampun, ampunkanlah dosa-dosa saya).

Memang benarlah firasat seorang nabi, Uwais al-Qarni telah muncul di zaman Sayyidina Umar dan Sayyidina Ali. Memang mereka tunggu dan cari kabilah-kabilah yang datang dari Yaman ke Madinah, akhirnya bertemu mereka dengan Uwais al-Qarni.

Dengan pandangan mata luar, tidak mungkin dia orang yang nabi maksudkan. Kerana orang itu pada pandangan insan-insan biasa atau orang-orang yang datang bersama dengannya bersama kabilah menganggapkan dia seorang yang akal tidak sempurna , sesuatu yang macam tidak betul pada pandangan orang. Tetapi dia ada sesuatu..

Asal usul Uwais al-Qarni

Dia asalnya berpenyakit sopak, badannya putih, putih penyakit yang tidak digemari. Walaupun dia sopak tetapi dia seorang yang soleh, terlalu mengambil berat tentang ibunya yang uzur dan lumpuh. Dia telah begitu tekun untuk mendapatkan keredhaan ibunya. Bapa dia meninggal dunia ketika dia masih kecil lagi. Dia sopak sejak dilahirkan dan ibunya menjaga dia sampai dia dewasa.

Satu hari ibunya memberitahu kepada Uwais bahawa dia ingin sangat untuk pergi mengerjakan haji. Dia menyuruh Uwais supaya mengikhtiarkan dan mengusahakan agar dia dapat dibawa ke Mekah untuk menunaikan haji.

Sebagai seorang yang miskin, Uwais tidak berdaya untuk mencari perbelanjaan untuk ibunya kerana pada zaman itu kebanyakan orang untuk pergi haji dari Yaman ke Mekah mereka menyediakan beberapa ekor unta yang dipasang diatasnya 'Haudat'. Haudat ini seperti rumah kecil yang diletakkan di atas unta untuk melindungi panas matahari dan hujan, selesa dan perbelanjaannya mahal. Uwais tidak mampu untuk menyediakan yang demikian, unta pun dia tidak ada, nak sewa pun tidak mampu.

Ibu Uwais semakin uzur maka ibunya mendesak dan berkata kepada anaknya ,'Anakku mungkin ibu dah tak lama lagi akan bersama dengan kamu, ikhtiarkanlah agar ibu dapat mengerjakan haji'.

Uwais mendapat suatu ilham, dia terfikir apa nak dibuat. Dia membeli seekor anak lembu yang baru lahir dan dah habis menyusu. Dia membuat sebuah rumah kecil (pondok) di atas sebuah 'Tilal', iaitu sebuah tanah tinggi (Dia buat rumah untuk lembu itu di atas bukit).

Apa yang dia lakukan, pada petang hari dia dukung anak lembu untuk naik ke atas 'Tilal'. Pagi esoknya dia dukung lembu itu turun dari 'Tilal' untuk diberi makan. Itulah yang dilakukannya setiap hari. Ada ketikanya dia mendukung lembu itu mengelilingi bukit tempat dia beri lembu itu makan.

Perbuatan yang dilakukannya ini menyebabkan orang kata dia ini gila. Memang pelik, buatkan rumah untuk lembu diatas bukit, kemudian setiap hari usung lembu, petang bawa naik, pagi bawa turun bukit.

Tetapi sebenarnya niatnya baik. Kalau lembu kita buat begitu pagi sekali petang sekali daripada lembu yang beratnya 20kg, selepas enam bulan lembu itu sudah menjadi 100kg. Otot-otot (muscle) tangan dan badan Uwais menjadi kuat hinggakan dengan mudah mengangkat lembu seberat 100kg turun dan naik bukit.

Selepas lapan bulan dia buat demikian telah sampai musim haji, rupa-rupanya perbuatannya itu adalah satu persediaan untuk dia membawa ibunya mengerjakan haji. Dia telah memangku ibunya dari Yaman sampai ke Mekkah dengan kedua tangannya. Dibelakangnya dia meletakkan barang-barang keperluan seperti air, roti dan sebagainya. Lembu yang beratnya 100kg boleh didukung dan dipangku, inikan pula ibunya yang berat sekitar 50kg. Dia membawa (mendukung dan memangku) ibunya dengan kedua tangannya dari Yaman ke Mekah, mengerjakan Tawaf, Saie dan di Padang Arafah dengan senang sahaja. Dan dia juga memangku ibunya dengan kedua tangannya pulang semula ke Yaman dari Mekah.

Setelah pulang semula ke rumah dia di Yaman, Ibu dia berkata kepada dia ,' Uwais, apa yang kamu berdoa sepanjang kamu berada di Mekah?'. Uwais menjawab ,'Saya berdoa minta supaya Allah mengampunkan semua dosa-dosa ibu'. Ibunya bertanya lagi ,'Bagaiman pula dengan dosa kamu'. Uwais menjawab ,'Dengan terampun dosa ibu, ibu akan masuk syurga, cukuplah ibu redha dengan saya maka saya juga masuk syurga'.

Ibunya berkata lagi ,'Ibu nak supaya engkau berdoa agar Allah hilangkan sakit putih (sopak) kamu ini'. Uwais kata ,'Saya keberatan untuk berdoa kerana ini Allah yang jadikan. Kalau tidak redha dengan kejadian Allah, macam saya tidak bersyukur dengan Allah ta'ala'. Ibunya menambah ,'Kalau nak masuk syurga, kena taat kepada perintah ibu, Ibu perintahkan engkau berdoa'.

Akhirnya Uwais tidak ada pilihan melainkan mengangkat tangan dan berdoa. Uwais berdoa seperti yang ibu dia minta supaya Allah sembuhkan putih yang luar biasa (sopak) yang dihidapinya itu. Tetapi kerana dia takut masih ada dosa pada dirinya dia berdoa ,'Tolonglah Ya Allah kerana ibu aku suruh aku berdoa hilangkan yang putih pada badanku ini melainkan tinggalkan sedikit'.

Allah swt. sembuhkan serta merta, hilang putih sopak diseluruh badannya kecuali tinggal satu tompok sebesar duit syiling ditengkuknya. (Kalau bagi nabi, baginda ada Khatam Nubuwah iaitu tanda kenabian, tanda pada nabi bersinar) Tanda tompok putih pada Uwais sebab dia minta agar jangan dibuang kesemuanya, kerana ini (sopak) adalah anugerah, maka nabi sebut kepada Umar dan Ali akan tanda ini. Tandanya kamu nampak dibelakang dia ada satu bulatan putih, bulatan sopak. Kalau berjumpa dengan tanda itu dialah Uwais al-Qarni.

Selepas tidak lama Uwais berdoa yang demikian, ibunya telah meninggal dunia. Dia telah menunaikan kesemua permintaan ibunya. Selepas itu dia telah menjadi orang yang paling tinggi martabatnya disisi Allah. Doa dia cukup makbul hatta penyakit sopak pun boleh sembuh. Mengikut al-Quran, Nabi Isa Alaihisalam yang pernah berdoa untuk kesembuhan penyakit sopak dizamannya.

Berbalik kita kepada point asal, Sayidina Umar dan Sayidina Ali dapat berjumpa dengan Uwais ini minta satu sahaja iaitu minta supaya doakan supaya Allah swt. mengampun semua dosa-dosa mereka.

Ketika Uwais al-Qarni berjumpa Umar dan Ali, dia berkata ,'Aku datang ini dari Yaman ke Madinah kerana aku nak tunaikan wasiat nabi kepada kamu iaitu supaya kamu berdua berjumpa dengan aku. Aku datang ini nak tunaikan wasiat itulah'. Maka Uwais pun telah mendoakan untuk mereka berdua.

Sympathy

There was a commotion in Year 1 Isa this morning. A student refused to answer Bahasa Inggeris paper. Reason? He said he doesn't understand a single word. When the teacher coaxed him to write, he went into a tantrum. In order to restore peace in the classroom, he was sent to the staff room.

I saw him arguing with a senior teacher. I sat next to him and he asked me,
' Muallimah kenal ayah saya tak.'
'Kenal. Dulu ayah Hanan ajar anak Muallimah kat St Michael.'
Then he complained.
'Saya tak tahu Bahasa Inggeris. Apa yang dia tulis kat atas ni. Saya tak faham.'

I looked through his papers. All the objective questions were answered. Actually he refused to write the words and the phrases. There were only 3 pages to be completed.

'Bagus! Banyak dah siap.'

I guided him with the exercises and with a little help he managed to finish it in time.

The next paper was pendidikan seni. He didn't bring along his colour pencils so Puan Khalimah lent him a box. I asked him to behave well and send him back to class.

Sometimes when he misbehaved, we wondered whether he was missing his late mother.

1 Malaysia?

Same title as Cik Tutor's but the contents are from my own perspectives.

Cik Tutor remembered correctly. En Suami was posted to St Michael Institution when Cik Tutor was 4 years old. We stayed with our parents in Tambun until En Doktor began schooling. Then we moved to Rapat Setia.

En suami taught biology to Form 6 students in St Michael. Most of them became doctors. I still remember the Chinese students, about dozens of them, came for Hari Raya to my parent's house and we served them food. Their favourite was ayam masak merah. We didn't serve rendang because Buddhists cannot take beef. What I saw was, an atmosphere of cheerfulness and respect between them. When en suami was transferred to Kolej Matrikulasi Perak in Gopeng, his ex-students who graduated from medical school took an effort to meet him just to express their gratitude. One student actually named en Saad as his favourite teacher and the college sent en suami a certificate! En suami was on cloud nine.

En doktor studied in St Michael for 2 years. When the SPM drew nearer, his indian classmates came over to my house to study biology with en suami. They still get in touch with one another.

The teachers that I remembered most when I was in lower secondary school were Mrs Radha, Mr Yeoh and Mrs Yeoh. They were very dedicated, hardworking and had great expectations on their students.

Yes, those were the days. I wish that Malaysia will be forever peaceful and all the races can live in harmony.

Catatan hati .....

Yesterday I tried my best to retire early. At 10 pm I was already in bed, reading a book written by an Indonesian writer titled 'Catatan Hati Seorang Istri'. It was laden with heartbreaking true stories and it made me think how fragile life is. In the end, I made a conclusion that everyone should have only one true love, Allah and his Messenger, Rasulullah peace be upon him.

The writer wrote:

Harapan saya Catatan Hati seorang Istri, bisa membawa pembaca pada kesiapan lebih baik, ketika kita mendapat ujian serupa. Bukankah ujian itu Allah pergilirkan pada tiap-tiap hamba?

Cinta yang lepas dari genggaman?

Mengingat hidup selalu memiliki warna berbeda, saya mengajak kepada semua perempuan untuk mulai menulis. Catat tidak hanya kenangan indah, tetapi juga semua pikiran, beban perasaan, kesedihan, ketakutan, apa saja sebelum terlambat untuk menuliskannya.

Sungguh batin saya seperti dikoyak melihat semua tragedi melibatkan perempuan. Kerananya saya ingin kita sama-sama berjanji. Berjanji untuk menjadi teman bicara. Berjanji untuk menjadikan tulisan itu cermin dan renungan, sebab mungkin itu akan membawa kita pada jalan keluar, yang sebelumnya terasa amat buntu.


Kini waktunya berdoa dan meminta kepadaNya lebih sering. Sebab semakin hari, saya menyadari kebutuhan dan ketergantungan kepada Allah sedemikian besarnya. Semoga Allah memberi kekuatan bagi semua hambaNya, khususnya para perempuan.

Amin

Asma Nadia

New schedule.

It seems that Azhar and I are back with our old routine. With one new adjustment. Last week we replaced the strymix line with wireless and guess what happen. Azhar is very hardworking nowadays, 'studying' in the comfort of his room with the laptop by his side! To all my other sons and daughter who are concerned with Azhar's welfare, don't worry too much. I will check on him every now and then. I will make sure that he does all the exercises in the workbooks that en suami bought for him.

This week I have started on a new routine. I hope I can improve myself as time goes by. Pray that Allah will guide me to be a much better and healthier person.

4.45 am - Wake up
5.50 am - Subuh prayer
7.15 am - Off to school
5.00 pm - Cook dinner and other household chores.
7.00 pm - Dinner
7.15 pm - maghrib prayer
8.45 pm - Isya' prayer
9.30 pm - Sleep

Monday evenings - Off to parent's house in Tambun for breaking fast with them.

On Tuesdays, I have the luxury of having an afternoon nap since I come home at 2 o'clock. On other days, it is at 5 o'clock.

Wednesdays - Pasar malam and usrah with friends.

Thursdays - Spring clean

Fridays - Laundry

Weekends - Family outings and shopping groceries.

I hope I can do it and persevere, insyaAllah.

Make du'a

Salam.
Recently, while on our way back to Ipoh from Kuala Pilah, we listened to the radio interview. Everybody went gaga over this young Islamic singer from Sweden. Yes, it was an interview session with Maher Zain. Surprisingly, en suami was quite a fan too, so I can listen to the one hour long interview with no interruption! Alhamdullillah.

One thing that I like about him is, after each question and answer session, he would ask the listeners to make du'a. He would end his sentence with, please make du'a. That was exactly what he said. Usually, we pray when we face calamities, hardship or sickness. It is true that in hardships, we have no refuge except Allah alone. But as our Creator , Allah will not let us down and neglect the people who call on Him, however trivial the matter is because He is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim.

The best and easiest prescription for happiness and to calm the nerves is thanking Allah, the All-Merciful. When we thank Allah, we appreciate the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.
Look at how Allah has blessed us with hearing, sight, reason, religious commitment, provision and a good life. We have so much to thank Allah.

'Check your past and your present, for life is a sequence of experiences from which one should emerge victorious'

KLIA

Di KLIA sekarang.

This morning I met cikgu Z, who happened to be en suami's colleague ten years ago. His wife passed away 3 weeks ago leaving behind 5 small children. He looked tired.

I told him to call us if he needs any help.

' Just pamper my children with lots of love. That's what they need at the moment'
'I knew the sign since first of Ramadan. She told me to let Hidayah take care of the children if she passed away.'

It was indeed a great trust and honour when cikgu Z mentioned his wife's last wishes. I feel a great responsibility and I hope the Hidayah teachers and I can fulfill their wish.

Two months ago we met cikgu Z and his late wife to discuss about the problem his seven year old son faced in class. There was a great improvement in his son's behaviour after the meeting. I was glad we took the initiative to contact them when the problem arose. Alhamdulillah, the problem was settled.

May Allah bless his family.

Short update

Aman is going back to Alex this Friday. Hope he'll study hard and be a good, dedicated doctor when he finishes his studies. Good doctors are difficult to come by. So he must focus on his studies and get as much knowledge as he can from the lecturers that teach him.

Once again we'll take the trip to KLIA by bus from Ipoh. En suami will join us in KLIA to send Aman off on Friday morning and drive to Kuala Pilah afterwards. InsyaAllah, on Friday evening , we'll go home to Ipoh.

School is busy with UPKK exams and final year exams. The enrolment for next year is already full and there is a few in the waiting list.

That's all for today.

Rendang Tok

One of the common food served during Hari Raya is lemang and rendang. For Perakians, we usually cook rendang pedas or rendang tok. A few days ago, I tried cooking rendang tok. Got the recipe from Puan Ros. My mum said that the elders usually slice the ingredients thinly but I followed Ros's method. I use the blender to grind the ingredients.

Here is the recipe for Rendang Tok.

I kg beef - cut into 4 cm pieces
1 kg shallots *
5 garlics*
5 cm ginger*
4 cm galangal (lengkuas)*
gula nira
5 lemon grass*
40 dried chillies*
2 kg coconut milk (I used only 1 kg)
kerisik
cinnamon, cardamon, star anise
2 asam keping
salt

Method :

1. Blend the ingredients marked *
2. Put all the ingredients (except the beef) inside the wok. Cook for 30 minutes .
3. Put the beef and turn down the heat. Simmer until the rendang thickens. Keep stirring.


Not yet done. When it is ready, it will turn dark brown.

Selamat mencuba semua!

Quick updates

Cik Tutor missed the cats so much. Kerol took their photos just for her.

Kuning



Putih

Celak a.k.a CK
Nia
The look that said it all.
Souvenier from melbourne. Aman anticipating his dad's reaction.
Thank you kerol for the pictures. Study hard and make us proud.

Niat Ikhlas

Good cook, happy marriage? Wallahualam.

When I got married about 30 years ago, I only cook to avoid starvation. I cook simple dishes such as fried chicken, soup and stir-fry veges. En suami taught me how to cook spaghetti with sardines. Alhamdulillah we survived.

Why? I studied in boarding school all through form 1 to Lower 6. When I went home during the school holidays, I only spent my time sleeping and watching TV.

When my family grew bigger, I polished my skills in cooking. I bought many cookbooks but they were not a great help. I befriended the late mak cik Sofi and she would gave me recipes whenever I complimented the dishes that she cooked. Ayam merah, daging hitam, ayam coklat are among my family favourites. My good friend, Puan Muhaini taught me how to cook Chicken rice and 'mee kari'. Another good friend of mine, who is from Terengganu , taught me how to cook nasi kerabu and baulu kukus. She uses natural colouring from the flowers to colour the rice. Other friends taught me nasi dagang, ikan tiga rasa, ayam tandoori and the list goes on and on.

My late in-laws were really the ones who sincerely taught me how to be a good cook. They would ask me to peel the onions, garlic and prepare all the ingredients needed. Then they would ask me to stir while they throw the ingredients inside the pot! See, I only became a good cook after I had 2 children!

Well not all cookbooks are lousy. I used Chef Wan's step by step recipe when I baked my first pizza. The chocolate cake that I served azhar's friends during hari raya is from a booklet published by TESCO and everybody just loved it.

Learning is a lifelong process. Do not hesitate to ask for the recipes whenever you come across a lovely dish. To all the good cooks that happen to read my blog, share your secrets with us. You'll never know that you are doing good deeds to others , strengthening family ties through the recipes that you shared.

Well, if you happen to marry someone who is not keen to cook, then be patient. Praise her when there is a slight improvement. Give her encouragement. Praise her on her effort. InsyaAllah, she'll be a good cook someday.

Bye-bye Year 6

Alhamdulillah the exam is almost over. I am glad that the students did quite well. At least in the subject that I taught them. I taught Mathematics to two Year 6 classes. 6 Hud and 6 Adam. Before Hari Raya, I invited my students to come over to my house to study Maths. At first only 3 students responded. After Hari Raya, a group of students from Year 6 Hud came and I helped them to correct their maths mistakes. Since, it was still Hari Raya, I served them nasi lemak and the usual kuih raya. When I went through the students' paper 1 just now, I was quite surprised that 6 Hud fared better in the exams. At the beginning of the year, they were the underdog!
So the moral of the story, we can get good results if we are close to our students, being informal to them once in a while, but the respect is still there.

Aman is away at the moment, visiting his sister in Armidale. Kerol is going back to Jordan on 28th Sept. If all goes well, we might be busy cooking, baking and packing goodies for Kerol. He came home with a really huge suitcase, with souveniers for everybody. He even brought home air zamzam, dates and sweet delicacies from Jordan! It is appropriate that we fill his suitcase with something in return.

This year, the hari raya was a memorable one. There was a steady flow of visitors and I was really happy that they informed me beforehand. Then I could prepare some home-cooked food for them.

It was quite funny that one day Azhar told me this.
"Mak, kawan azhar nak chocolate cake. Dia sanggup bayar."

"Suruh dia buat sendiri, resepi kat blog mak,( Actually I don't mean it , so I said) Just joking, nanti kita buat sama-sama."

May be tonight I'll bake the cake. Gotta go now.

Alhamdulillah

The guests have gone home. With the help of kerol and Aman, I was able to entertain my ex-students who called on me. Alhamdulillah everybody was having a good time. Azhar also brought along his classmates.

I am glad that all my students are successful in their studies. One of them secured a good job in a gas and oil company and she is only 22 years old! The others are still studying. When I taught them English in primary school long time ago, I made it a habit, to ask each individual students, their personal particulars; their names, parents' occupations, hobbies and their ambitions. It seems their dreams have come true. They are going to be dentist, engineers, lecturer,doctors , teacher and chef . The would-be chef told us that most head chefs in five star hotels are foreigners and they usually use wine to add flavour to their dishes !

One of the favourite food that they ate is chocolate cake. You can make it in a jiffy. Here is the recipe :

Ingredients (A):
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup oil / melted butter
1 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk

Ingredients (B):
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
1 tsp baking powder

Ingredients (c)
3 eggs

Chocolate frosting:
250g cooking chocolate
1 tabspoon butter
150ml double cream

Method :
i) Heat ingredients A in a saucepan until sugar dissolve. Cool the mixture.

ii) Beat eggs until white and fluffy. Add to (i)

iii) Sift flour, soda and baking powder. Add to the above mixture.

iv) Pour into lined and greased baking tin. Steam for 1 hour. Lined with aluminium foil .

v) Use double boiler method to melt the chocolate for the frosting.

16th September

Aman's 22nd birthday. Hari Malaysia and holidays again.

There will be extra class for year 6 from 8 until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Then, in the afternoon my ex-students and Aman's friends will visit me. I haven't decided what to cook for them yet.

Kerol bought a book titled 'You Can Be the Happiest Woman in the World' by Dr 'A'id al-Qarni and translated by Huda Khattab. I would like to share these with you....

The Keys to Victory

The key to glory : Obedience to Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w)
The key to provision : Striving hard whilst praying for forgiveness and fearing
Allah, the Exalted
The key to Paradise : Tawhid
The key to faith : Pondering the signs and creation of Allah
The key to righteousness : Sincerity
The key to spiritual life : Studying the Quran, beseeching Allah in the hours before dawn and giving up sin
The key to knowledge : Asking the right questions and listening attentively
The key to victory : Patience
The key to success : Piety (fearing Allah)
The key to getting more : Gratitude
The key to longing for the Hereafter : Disinterest in worldly gains.
The key to a response : Doa (supplication)

Raya 2010

To all my sisters, brother, children, nephews and nieces....


Even though you were born in Ipoh, Kluang, Portsmouth, Melaka,Bandar Baru Bangi, Bukit Mertajam,Kuala Lumpur, your root is here, in a serene little kampung, away from the hustle bustle of the city. That's why, every year, whether you like it or not, the trip to Kampung Lasah which is about 15 km from Sungei Siput, is a must. Alhamdulillah everybody looked forward to visit Mak We (my father's sister) who live with his youngest son and his family. We would bring along several chickens, a packet of rice and thosai for breakfast. Mum cooked the thosai and I prepared chicken curry.

When we were young, we spent our long school holidays in the village.We became 'orang kampung' for a while ; waiting patiently for the durians in the dusun, bathing in the little stream beside the house, playing pondok-pondok and sometimes helping the elders to grind coffee beans.

The village is neglected now. Most of my cousins' children are successful in their studies and staying in the big cities. Hari Raya is the only time when we meet and get to know each other.

En Doktor managed to get 3 days off and drove home after Hari Raya prayer.






Clearly, Ayah was the happiest person on that day.


Lunch was served. As usual we had Mak We's speciality , ' Ayam kerabu'.

Aman and Amir.

Imam Muda Daniel. He was elected to be the imam for 3 days during last Ramadan.



My nephew Mohamad and his father, Azman . En Azman is going to Durban , South Africa in October.


Grilling chicken by the riverside.

Waiting for the chicken to cook!

Selamat Bercuti.

Sekolah sudah mula bercuti. Saya dan anak-anak masih berada di Desa Perwira. Anak-anak gembira bersolat terawih di Masjid Jalan Diary. Aman pula rajin mengikuti program Qiam yang dianjurkan oleh masjid di 10 malam terakhir Ramadhan. Lagi pun beberapa orang murid Tahun 6 ada menyatakan hasrat untuk datang ke rumah minggu hadapan. Bukan untuk beraya tapi untuk buat latihan Matematik. Maklumlah peperiksaan UPSR sudah semakin hampir.

Seronok berinteraksi dengan budak-budak kecil yang bersih dari dosa dan noda. Satu hari, ketika melintasi blok Tahun 1 menuju ke kelas Tahun 6, sekumpulan murid Tahun 1 berlari-lari anak menuju ke arah saya. Kerisauan jelas kelihatan di wajah mereka.
'Muallimah!' seorang daripada mereka berbicara.
'Kalau menangis batal tak puasa kita?'

'Tidak,' jawab saya sambil cuba menahan gelak.

Murid-murid ini juga boleh tahan pintarnya. Ketika menggantikan guru yang sedang cuti sakit, seorang murid Tahun 1 mengadu kawannya suka sorokkan alat tulisnya. Jadi saya pun mulalah memberi ceramah sempena bulan Ramadhan. Saya tegaskan kepada mereka bahawa di bulan Ramadhan semua orang jadi baik sebab syaitan telah diikat. Belum sempat saya sambung ceramah saya, mereka beramai-ramai kata,
'Tapi nafsu ada lagikan Muallimah!'
Memang kenyataan itu tidak dapat di sangkal. Di bulan yang barakah ini, kejadian pecah rumah, ragut, dan perbuatan jenayah lain semakin menjadi-jadi. Setiap individu bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan diri mereka bersih daripada anasir yang dibenci oleh Allah.

Perlu berehat sebentar sebelum memulakan tugas di dapur. InsyaAllah bertemu kembali.

One World

Adakah segala yang berlaku kebelakangan ini, di bulan Ramadhan yang barakah ,merupakan satu ujian dari Allah yang Maha Esa?
Ujian untuk menguji sejauh mana keimanan dan kesabaran kita. Kita dihimpit dengan berbagai masalah di dalam negara dan juga dengan negara jiran. Umum tahu, melakukan kebaikan (amar maaruf) sangat mudah tetapi untuk mencegah kemungkaran (nahi munkar) memerlukan iman yang sejati.

'Do unto others what you want people to do unto you'

Nuzul Quran

Hari ini cuti. Just coming home from the wet market, and the cats had a lovely fresh fish breakfast. We plan to do a bit of gotong-royong around the house today, in preparation for Hari Raya.

Nuzul Quran is always special to us. Cik Tutor was born on Nuzul Quran. Being old-fashioned, we did not plan any names for her and a friend suggested 'Khadijah'. We were delighted and my family always call her in full even at home. Not dijah, dijay, dij, jah or DJ. I'm glad that she had dropped 'Park' at the end of her name and retain her maiden name.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the non-muslims. I only wish that my next 'menantu' is blessed with taufik and hidayah from the al-Mighty. Fluent in reading the Quran, so that he'll take the responsibility to teach his children reading the holy book after every maghrib prayers, try his best to solat jemaah at the mosque or surau and get along fine with his family and his in-laws. Yes, I don't ask for much. If there are a few shortcomings here and there, things such as 'panas baran', 'cranky', 'suka laser', 'kuat tidur', I would just ignore it. After all, we are human and human are not perfect. Normally good husbands will let their hair down at home, so the wives have to tolerate the misbehaviour sometimes!

Another thing, I did a lot of cooking lately and Aman insisted me to post the recipes in the blog! InsyaAllah, I hope I have the time.

Well, it's time for gotong-royong. See you soon, insyaAllah.

As I was Passing .....

If by the end of this year, nothing happens, then please find me someone...

Dia tak kisah, saya pun tak kisah. Berat ni....

InsyaAllah, there's still hope. This is the month of Ramadhan. Allah listens to our prayers...

Tahniah

Salam Ramadan..

Saya sangat bangga dengan kejayaan anak-anak murid saya. Especially the late bloomers.
Slowly, silently, they made it.

Last Wednesday, I met one of my student's mother.
'Apa kabo syamsul? Dah keje ke?' To my surprise he is now a tutor in one of the public universities.
He was one of my favourite students. Mild mannered and very respectful to the elders. Imagine the long winded journey that he had to endure. After getting a certificate in engineering, he continued his study in KUiTTHO for his degree.
We were in Poliklinik Taqwa when I saw a glimpse of him , registering for a medical check-up. He smiled broadly when he saw me and stopped for a chat. Another teacher, muallim razman , joined in the conversation. Syamsul thanked both of us, for teaching him. Then he asked the ustaz.
'Muallim, sekarang ni ada tak budak yang nakal lagi dari saya kat hidayah?'
' Ada' kata muallim Razman.
'Mualim jangan putus asa. Muallim didik mereka sebagaimana muallim didik saya.'

When asked, when would he visit us in Hidayah, he said he was quite shy to go and meet his former teachers because he had nothing to show us yet. He promised to study hard , get his degree and aimed to be a lecturer.

For me, this is a true success. Perseverence, hard work, full commitment in whatever you do and not forgetting your parents' doa paid off in the long run. Congratulations and I pray that your future will be bright, as bright as the morning sun. Ameen.

Kepulangan

Salam. Aman telah selamat pulang untuk bercuti selama 2 bulan. It took quite a careful planning to welcome him home. En suami drove from Kuala Pilah. En doktor took a flight from KB the day before to be with his wife. Azhar and I took an 11 o'clock bus from Ipoh. From KLIA we went straight to Kuala Pilah. En suami had not unpacked the boxes from Labuan so we took the opportunity to tidy the house, bought a portable stove and prepared the meals for berbuka.

The next day, en doktor and cik hanim decided to go home to Ipoh with us. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for their grandparents! Imagine the amount of cooking I had to do! Spaghetti carbonara, apple crumble with custard sauce, daging masak merah, sambal udang, curries and more curries. Luckily, Aman was always willing to help in the kitchen. So, Aman and I did all the cooking and Azhar helped to wash the dishes.

Now, the three of us are off to Tambun for berbuka. InsyaAllah, see you soon.

First Time

Salam. There is always a 'first time' for everything. Today, is the first time I do it with confidence in this holy month of Ramadan. If mom didn't suggest it, then I think I would not bother to try it at all.

Sebenarnya bendanya biasa-biasa saje. Tapi memandangkan ia dilakukan di bulan puasa, jadi ia menjadi agak rumit dan mungkin agak mencabar buat diri saya. Setiap tahun, (for as long as I can remember), ayah akan pilih 1 ramadan untuk buat more (jamuan berbuka puasa di surau) . Ayah akan brief caterer, belikan bahan-bahan untuk dimasak dan kami (anak-anak ayah dan menantu-menantu) hanya tunggu makanan sampai untuk diagih-agihkan kepada jiran tetangga, surau dan saudara-mara.

Tapi tahun ini, mak mencadangkan supaya kami masak sendiri! Menu sama seperti tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Yang lucunya, ayah pasang standby tukang masak, just in case kami tarik diri di saat akhir! Tukang masak siap cadangkan buat menu lain yang mudah.

Tapi kami persevere. Sebaik balik dari pasar, bermulalah sesi potong memotong. Dalam kesibukan itu, mak sempat lagi pergi tadarrus al-Quran di surau. Ayah pula yang sibuk menolong di dapur. Cu pun ada pulang ke Ipoh dan memberi bantuan yang berharga. Lepas zuhur, barulah kami mula sesi masak-memasak. Not bad for a first-timer. Saya pulang awal ke Rapat Setia, jadi tak dapatlah mendengar komen dari food critic (my dad).

Personally, jika dipanjangkan umur, aktiviti ini boleh diteruskan lagi tahun hadapan.
InsyaAllah.

Bertemu kembali

Ramadan bakal menjelang. Mohon Allah kurniakan kesihatan yang baik agar kita dapat tingkatkan amalan di bulan yang barakah ini.

As born muslims, we always take our religion for granted. Semalam saya layan YouTube dengan Azhar. Kami sama-sama tengok video beberapa orang new converts (or reverts) yang bercakap dengan penuh yakin tentang Islam. Betapa mereka mencemburui kita yang dilahirkan Muslim, 'living a structured life as ordained by our Creator' with the guidance of our parents or guardians, sedangkan mereka tercari-tercari jalan yang lurus itu. But the moment they grasp the TRUTH, there was no turning back. Bayangkan baru beberapa tahun masuk Islam, mereka boleh membaca al-Quran dengan baik. Malah boleh mengeluarkan hujah bersandarkan firman Allah dalam bahasa Al-Quran! Saya setakat boleh baca al-Quran dan membaca terjemahan ayat untuk memahaminya.

Learning is a life-long process. There is still a lot to learn. Semoga Allah mencampakkan taufik dan hidayahnya kepada kita sepanjang bulan yang barakah ini dan menjadikan kita muslim yang lebih baik.

Untuk anak-anak semua, rebutlah peluang di bulan Ramadan untuk :-

i) Memohon pertolongan dari Allah dengan berdoa sesungguh hati dan YAKIN bahawa Allah akan mengabulkan permintaan kita.

ii) Tingkatkan amalan solat sunat, tarawih, hajat, taubat, dhuha dan lain-lain.

iii) Banyakkan membaca al-Quran, kalau boleh cuba khatam sekali sepanjang bulan Ramadan.

iv) Make your parents happy. If you have parents-in-law, then make them happier! Allah will bless your life.

v) Always be kind and charitable. Be generous with your siblings.

vi) Jangan buang masa. Keep yourself busy with good deeds.

Best of luck. I love you so much. Muahs.

Inspirasi...

Seorang sahabat bertanya. Ikhlas. Kenapa letak nama dan gambar orang lain? Laman tu untuk orang yang kita kenal.

'Saje tak nak promote diri.'

Naper gambar DIA? Rasanya semua bertanya tanpa ada jawapan yang pasti.
Mungkin ada juga yang bertanya, kenapa saya biarkan dirinya hanyut dengan labu-labunya....

Sepatutnya gunakanlah peluang dan ruang yang ada untuk merealisasikan angan-angan dan impian. Sudah pasti bukan angan Mat Jenin.

Benar, sudah 16 purnama. Quite a long time, and time is moving fast.

Secara jujurnya, saya nyatakan, di situlah satu-satu tempatnya si DIA bermaharajalela. Tiada poster besar DIA menghiasi bilik. Tiada gambar DIA di dalam beg duit. Tiada lagu DIA berkumandang. Sebabnya jelas. Mungkin ada la sedikit sebanyak perasaan kesian dan kagum. Jika benar DIA dapat mengubati gundah di hati, maka tidak perlulah talian hayat yang dibuat setiap hari....


Saya faham dan sering memberi dokongan dan sokongan. Kenapa tak nak promote? We are nobody di alam yang fana ini. Untuk meminta dan memohon kepada yang Maha Esa pun rasa tak layak. Malu dengan amalan kita yang tidak seberapa. Tapi saya mengharap dan berharap agar sinar bahagia akhirnya menjelma. Hanya Allah sahaja yang mengetahui segala yang tersirat dan tersurat.

She is good and she is doing good although a bit busy nowadays. I know, because I am her source of inspiration! Not Jay Park. LOL

wajah kesayangan...

Ini wajah-wajah kesayangan anak-anak saya.....

Sentiasa diingatkan.....

Alhamdulillah. Selamat pergi dan selamat kembali. Program perkhemahan Guru dan staff Kompleks Pendidikan Al-Hidayah telah berlangsung dengan jayanya. Antara objektif program adalah untuk menguatkan silaturrahim di antara staff, pemantapan aqidah, meningkatkan amalan (ibadah) dan 'release tension'. Di akhir program 1 hari semalam itu, semua objektif telah tercapai!

1. Seramai 80 orang yang terdiri dari pengurus, staff sokongan dan guru-guru (SMAH, SRAH dan SRAHSI) diagihkan kepada 2 kumpulan lelaki dan 5 kumpulan wanita. Setiap kumpulan akan bermalam dalam chalet yang sama, menyiapkan tugasan, jungle trekking dan menyediakan lunch. Walaupun setiap kumpulan mempunyai ahli-ahli dari pelbagai institusi, akhirnya mereka menjadi rapat dan semua tugasan dilaksanakan dengan jayanya.

2. Ceramah-ceramah pula berkait dengan kepercayaan kepada Allah dan memupuk rasa sayang dan rindu kepada Rasulullah. Sikap segelintir orang Islam yang tidak mengamalkan Islam secara menyeluruh membuatkan Islam terpinggir dan tercicir. Ciri-ciri seperti menepati waktu, komitmen kerja seolah Allah melihat apa yang sedang kita lakukan, menghargai budaya ilmu sepatutnya menjadi amalan setiap muslim. Malang sekali ketika ini, non-muslim yang mengamalkan ciri-ciri tersebut pula yang menjadi gah di persada dunia.

3. Setiap kumpulan dikehendaki menghabiskan 1 juz bacaan al-Quran dalam kumpulan, mengumpul biodata 10 peserta secara terperinci, menulis kisah seorang sahabat Rasulullah dan menjawab 5 soalan di checkpoint ketika jungle trekking. Semua beres. Di akhir perjalanan (sampai di waterfall), semua kumpulan menyediakan lunch dan makan beramai-ramai.

4. Lokasi perkhemahan (di Kuala Kangsar) yang dilengkapi dengan 10 fully furnished chalets dan 5 dorms memang selesa dan jauh dari hiruk pikuk kota.

Helpless

Ipoh..Puchong...Kuala Pilah..Armidale...KB..Irbid..Alex
Hati bagai disiat-siat bila terasa kita hanyalah makhluk Allah yang tidak berdaya. Terutamanya bila orang-orang yang kita sayang sangat-sangat memerlukan kita. Just a big hug may be. Ramai sangat yang saya sayang... ayah dan mak walaupun di Ipoh, waktu bersama hanyalah di hujung minggu. En suami di Kuala Pilah ditemani sahabat-sahabat yang dipercayai. Yang sedang kesunyian, En doktor , Cik Hanim dan Cik tutor . Sekali sekala, kerol ada menelefon bertanyakan khabar dan menyatakan rindu kepada saya sekeluarga. Ah syahdunya bila ungkapan rindu itu dilafazkan. Berbunga-bunga hati ini. Aman rajin online...a bit macho.. so kurang sikit rasa sayu di hati.

Frankly speaking, saya hanya mengharapkan bantuan dan redha Ilahi. Hanya Allah sahaja yang dapat memberi perlindungan kepada insan-insan yang saya sayang di mana jua mereka berada. Pesanan kepada semua : Be strong, have faith in Allah and everything will be alright. Face the tribulations in life with patience and you'll be rewarded accordingly.

Don't you ever worry about me.I drowned my helplessness with work and more work, hoping that Allah would be pleased with everything that I do.

Thinking...

Of course, I'd be happy to visit armidale. How I wish I were a self-centered mother who only think about her own children and shun others'! Unfortunately, I am not like that. InsyaAllah, financially we are alright. Time is very precious at the moment and I have to make sure that my students are well-prepared for their coming exams. I strongly believe that if we take care of other people's children then Allah will take care of mine, whereever they are. I really hope that everything is fine. Forget Jay laaa. He is so famous now that he hardly had time to call, hahahaha. He is not the only KUMBANG around!

Be happy and take care of yourself really well. Cook and eat nutritious food. Make sure fruits and vegetables are included in the diet. Exercise. Get together with your girlfriends and plan some activities. I am sure you'll be ready to face all the hard work if you are healthy and happy.

Ramadhan is just round the corner. Make sure you read the Quran every day and try to khatam in the holy month.

It would be nice if we could visit you in Armidale. Nantila mak bincang dengan ayah. Till then, take care.

Blessed

Secara rasminya en suami telah berpindah ke semenanjung. Everybody was in denial. 'You just go there for a long meeting. So, there'll be no good byes!' At the airport, he hesitated to hug a guy who had helped him a lot during his 3 year stay in Labuan for fear of tearful departure.
So, tomorrow, we're going to have a look at en suami's new house in Kuala Pilah. En doktor and our daughter-in-law would join us.
Alhamdulillah, we live life to the fullest. There are short-comings, dramas , trials and tribulations but we survive with the help of the almighty. Once my friend surprised me by saying, ' Oh we have almost the same problem, but you managed to hide it with your laughter'.
Prinsip saya mudah. Ujian Allah adalah asam garam kehidupan. Cry your hearts out when you are alone, performing your prayers or reciting the quran, the Kalamullah, as if you are confiding your sorrows with the Most Beneficient and the Most Merciful. After that, you are ready to face the world. Work diligently as if there is no tomorrow and always be kind and respect others. Think before you talk. Perform sujud syukur whenever glad tidings come your way.
Be happy because happiness is contagious. Make people laugh and laugh with them.

Enough

Salam. I've had enough. Recent test showed that the pupils were not learning anything. More failures and fewer A's. So, no more playing around. I mean business. I had given them a long lecture and some warnings too.

After the wedding reception, I've become lazier. I hardly cook and just caught up with the mundane household chores. Luckily, there are only the two of us. So, now I know the feeling of hopelessness when you didn't get any work done. I had a long nap yesterday and today I am enthusiastic enough to do the chores, Alhamdulillah.

I've heard from friends that 'walimatulurus' is a lot of hard work. After the big day was over, my whole body ached and I was sleepy most of the time. It took me 3 weeks to fully recover.

'When you set out a plan in life and it doesn't go quite right, it's because Allah has a better plan for you. Always remember that.' - Yusuf Islam



Gotta go to bed early tonight. See you soon, insyaAllah.

Checklist

Salam. Getting busier and busier since the UPSR exam is getting nearer. Mujurlah ada back-up dari kawan-kawan yang sedia membantu.

Important dates:
1 Julai - Bacaan Yassin di sekolah
2 Julai - Jemputan makan malam di rumah MB
5, 6, 7 dan 8 Julai - Peperiksaan Agama anjuran MUSLEH.
9 Julai - Bengkel teknik menjawab soalan UPSR
13 Julai - Percubaan UPSR JPN Perak.
20 Julai hingga September - Kelas tambahan UPSR
23 - 24 Julai - Perkhemahan Guru di Kuala Kangsar

Demam world cup melanda murid-murid di sekolah. Tiap-tiap hari beberapa orang murid tidur dengan nyenyaknya di ruang rehat dalam bilik guru. Sebelum itu mereka komplen sakit kepala atau tidak sedap badan.

Sebelum memulakan pelajaran, saya dengan selamba akan bertanya, pasukan negara mana yang menang. Riuhlah kelas dengan segala update, siap menuduh pengadil kena rasuah sebab membatalkan gol! Jadi, sekarang saya menyedari ,nasihat yang saya berikan supaya tidur awal dan mengikuti perkembangan WC dengan hanya menonton 'highlights' tidak diendahkan oleh murid-murid saya yang bakal periksa tidak lama lagi. Sigh!

It's ok. UPSR is not really a big exam. WC habis 11 Julai, so ada lagi 2 bulan untuk catch up, insyaAllah. Let them enjoy the fiesta!