What attracts me most in this video is the way Umm Darda's heart inclines towards akhirah more than anything else.
And of course, to be united with your spouse in heaven would be SO AWESOME. Allahumma ameen.
Smiling is charity! :D Smile when you're happy or feeling crappy.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Laws of Love
What attracts me most in this video is the way Umm Darda's heart inclines towards akhirah more than anything else.
And of course, to be united with your spouse in heaven would be SO AWESOME. Allahumma ameen.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Mufti Ismail Menk lecture
Alhamdulillah! Mufti Menk inshaAllah will be in town next month, after 2 years of trying to get him to come to Malaysia; due to his tight schedule and other matters.
He is one of the first English speakers that I listened to when I first started listening to Islamic lecture, and am looking forward to hear him live.
InshaAllah, February is gonna be fab.
www.muftimenk-kl2012.blogspot.com
He is one of the first English speakers that I listened to when I first started listening to Islamic lecture, and am looking forward to hear him live.
InshaAllah, February is gonna be fab.
www.muftimenk-kl2012.blogspot.com
Monday, October 31, 2011
safe & sound
I'm trying to summon up the words to describe my last 3 weeks. Hectic, tiring, scary, exciting, and perhaps crazy...somehow I felt like a caged bird! (More on this strange cage-bird syndrome later)
I am now, Alhamdulillah, slowly (catching a few breath of relief) settling down into a new nest. That's right, I'm out of the in-laws' nest! Hoorah! :D Few have asked; some more blatant than others- what did your in-laws do? I find it quite disturbing that lots of people have such negative perception of in-laws. In fact, I find it offensive. Hey, these are my parents of my beloved! And my parents too...
Truth be told, had they been the ultimate parents-in-law from hell it would have been easier to move out. huhu... I am forever grateful that they are not such people, in fact they are such warm and loving parents; who helped us a lot during our first year of marriage.
Then comes the ultimate question-then why move out?
Easy enough. Privacy. My own kitchen. My own rule as regards to living. I pondered a long time whether I was being selfish. I am. and I've come to term with this fact. Grr its a pain to admit it.Anyway.
After weighing some of the pro's and con's and getting some advice from those who've been married more than few months- I decided to tell husband my wish. And him, being Mr. Perfect agreed.
We are living in a flat now. It says apartment on the bill, but a place without a lift do not deserve to be called an apartment. And..yup. Our hut is on the fourth floor. It doesn't bother me. Its clean & airy, gated and do not have weird people trotting around without passport. huhu!
We started to gather bits and pieces to make the place looks like home. What a precious experience, to start life with someone. Everything seems fresh, there are lots of territories yet to be discovered, and we wonder a lot. How many kids we'll have, what we'll be like when we are old and cranky, who will die first, and how long it will take him to marry another if I die. The last part came from me. heheh. I wonder if other wives have thought of that too.
Anyway there are lots of things that are not quite settled yet. The drawers are there, but I haven't filled it yet. We've got the pots & pans but the stove is not working yet, and right at this moment there are two plumbers working hard to change the leaked water tank.
The water in the bathroom has not been regular in its flow, and most of times there are no water coming out at all for the last four days. Fortunately the kitchen tap is functioning and that's where get our water to shower and stuff. I have also been washing our clothes by hand the last 2 days. How nomadic! and quite tragic too since my dad bought me a very nice washing machine. What an awesome gift! I didn't feel anything when he gave me a gold bracelet, but a WASHING MACHINE where I can make my clothes smell like the laundrette is heaven! Hasben do not share my excitement. He is still besotted with his new big black fridge-lots of space to put his various favorite drinks, and lots of ice to make. He has gained 2 kg's since moving here! hah! The funny thing is we went to his friends' Aqiqah kenduri and all his schoolmates claimed dia dah kurus! He was totally basking in the compliments too ("why, thank you, I know right!") GRRR this guy memang nak kena cubit betul. I'm trying HARD to control his diet. It's not easy!
Back to the story I felt quite angry at the landlord for taking this lightly (oh, it will come soon. you'll see) and even angrier when I saw hasben patiently filling the basin with water and carrying it to the bathroom. He shouldn't be doing all this!
This morning I called the landlord and rather harshly (mind you MY harshness is never extreme) reminded her that the water is not functioning and she better do something about it today. I think she knows that I meant business (an angry wife is dangerous!!!) and made a call to the management office. They said its a problem with Indah Water and asked me to make a report. I called them; only to be received with laughter on the other end. I was supposed to call Syabas, not Indah Water. How very professional of them. I didn't see how calling the wrong place can be funny. (at this stage nothing was funny anymore-I have turned into a Godzilla). Thankfully the Syabas people were quick to respond to my report. They asked me whether the whole house is out of water or just a particular tap/area. I said just the bathroom. They kindly told me that I'll have to call a plumber; for they'll only be responsible if the whole house is short of water.
Allah is most perfect in His plans. The day before while at my in-laws I saw a plumbing ad and saved it just in case. The 'in-case' happened quicker than expected.
The plumber came (in a funky four wheel drive! I guess I was expecting a dirty guy in Pagoda? hehe. how stereotypical kan. Plumbers are rich I tell you!) and blinked at the old rusted tank (that's what it felt like anyway, he checked everything so quick)
Him: "You gotta change that filthy old tank mam!"
Me: "How do I that?"
Him: "1200."
Great.
I asked him to call my landlord, I figure it'd be easier. All I heard was foreign Chinese sound out of his mouth, and suddenly he boomed out at me. "Now you talk!" and gave me the phone. The landlord asked me if I have money to pay upfront first. Yeah, like I would have 1200 in my pocket any other day. "No..." And I let them talk further. The plumber than said, "Okay! We'll do it. I send 2 workers soon. After that we go pick money from your landlord."
Before that I made a little deal with him that if the landlord says okay with the project he'd make an extra pipe for me to use for the washing machine. He agreed. I'm happy to solve the water problem, and my landlord's happy that I'll stop bugging her on the phone.
Phew! That's one problem solved..
There are so many little incidents that's happened, I wish I can capture them all in words. All we have are sore & tired bodies to remind us of the experience...
This whole month I have not done any freelance work except for a week long research project which I decided to pull out from. I'm still trying to figure out what would work best for me. I can't be doing housework all day, I'll die of boredom.
Alhamdulillahi ala kulli hal.
Its the blessed month of Dzulhijjah, hubby will be 32 (or 27 as he claims) in a week, and its our first anniversary few days after. There are so many things to be thankful for, my marriage, my health, this new place, this religion, this way of life.
Most of all I'm just thankful that I am still alive, which means there is another chance to keep striving to improve myself.
In my head, I want to be an excellent wife.
In my head, I want to devote myself to Islam.
It's so easy typing it here.
What's on your head and heart is important; but what's more important is how you manifest that belief and want into reality.
Safe & sound, striving & hoping.
I am now, Alhamdulillah, slowly (catching a few breath of relief) settling down into a new nest. That's right, I'm out of the in-laws' nest! Hoorah! :D Few have asked; some more blatant than others- what did your in-laws do? I find it quite disturbing that lots of people have such negative perception of in-laws. In fact, I find it offensive. Hey, these are my parents of my beloved! And my parents too...
Truth be told, had they been the ultimate parents-in-law from hell it would have been easier to move out. huhu... I am forever grateful that they are not such people, in fact they are such warm and loving parents; who helped us a lot during our first year of marriage.
Then comes the ultimate question-then why move out?
Easy enough. Privacy. My own kitchen. My own rule as regards to living. I pondered a long time whether I was being selfish. I am. and I've come to term with this fact. Grr its a pain to admit it.Anyway.
After weighing some of the pro's and con's and getting some advice from those who've been married more than few months- I decided to tell husband my wish. And him, being Mr. Perfect agreed.
We are living in a flat now. It says apartment on the bill, but a place without a lift do not deserve to be called an apartment. And..yup. Our hut is on the fourth floor. It doesn't bother me. Its clean & airy, gated and do not have weird people trotting around without passport. huhu!
We started to gather bits and pieces to make the place looks like home. What a precious experience, to start life with someone. Everything seems fresh, there are lots of territories yet to be discovered, and we wonder a lot. How many kids we'll have, what we'll be like when we are old and cranky, who will die first, and how long it will take him to marry another if I die. The last part came from me. heheh. I wonder if other wives have thought of that too.
Anyway there are lots of things that are not quite settled yet. The drawers are there, but I haven't filled it yet. We've got the pots & pans but the stove is not working yet, and right at this moment there are two plumbers working hard to change the leaked water tank.
The water in the bathroom has not been regular in its flow, and most of times there are no water coming out at all for the last four days. Fortunately the kitchen tap is functioning and that's where get our water to shower and stuff. I have also been washing our clothes by hand the last 2 days. How nomadic! and quite tragic too since my dad bought me a very nice washing machine. What an awesome gift! I didn't feel anything when he gave me a gold bracelet, but a WASHING MACHINE where I can make my clothes smell like the laundrette is heaven! Hasben do not share my excitement. He is still besotted with his new big black fridge-lots of space to put his various favorite drinks, and lots of ice to make. He has gained 2 kg's since moving here! hah! The funny thing is we went to his friends' Aqiqah kenduri and all his schoolmates claimed dia dah kurus! He was totally basking in the compliments too ("why, thank you, I know right!") GRRR this guy memang nak kena cubit betul. I'm trying HARD to control his diet. It's not easy!
Back to the story I felt quite angry at the landlord for taking this lightly (oh, it will come soon. you'll see) and even angrier when I saw hasben patiently filling the basin with water and carrying it to the bathroom. He shouldn't be doing all this!
This morning I called the landlord and rather harshly (mind you MY harshness is never extreme) reminded her that the water is not functioning and she better do something about it today. I think she knows that I meant business (an angry wife is dangerous!!!) and made a call to the management office. They said its a problem with Indah Water and asked me to make a report. I called them; only to be received with laughter on the other end. I was supposed to call Syabas, not Indah Water. How very professional of them. I didn't see how calling the wrong place can be funny. (at this stage nothing was funny anymore-I have turned into a Godzilla). Thankfully the Syabas people were quick to respond to my report. They asked me whether the whole house is out of water or just a particular tap/area. I said just the bathroom. They kindly told me that I'll have to call a plumber; for they'll only be responsible if the whole house is short of water.
Allah is most perfect in His plans. The day before while at my in-laws I saw a plumbing ad and saved it just in case. The 'in-case' happened quicker than expected.
The plumber came (in a funky four wheel drive! I guess I was expecting a dirty guy in Pagoda? hehe. how stereotypical kan. Plumbers are rich I tell you!) and blinked at the old rusted tank (that's what it felt like anyway, he checked everything so quick)
Him: "You gotta change that filthy old tank mam!"
Me: "How do I that?"
Him: "1200."
Great.
I asked him to call my landlord, I figure it'd be easier. All I heard was foreign Chinese sound out of his mouth, and suddenly he boomed out at me. "Now you talk!" and gave me the phone. The landlord asked me if I have money to pay upfront first. Yeah, like I would have 1200 in my pocket any other day. "No..." And I let them talk further. The plumber than said, "Okay! We'll do it. I send 2 workers soon. After that we go pick money from your landlord."
Before that I made a little deal with him that if the landlord says okay with the project he'd make an extra pipe for me to use for the washing machine. He agreed. I'm happy to solve the water problem, and my landlord's happy that I'll stop bugging her on the phone.
Phew! That's one problem solved..
There are so many little incidents that's happened, I wish I can capture them all in words. All we have are sore & tired bodies to remind us of the experience...
This whole month I have not done any freelance work except for a week long research project which I decided to pull out from. I'm still trying to figure out what would work best for me. I can't be doing housework all day, I'll die of boredom.
Alhamdulillahi ala kulli hal.
Its the blessed month of Dzulhijjah, hubby will be 32 (or 27 as he claims) in a week, and its our first anniversary few days after. There are so many things to be thankful for, my marriage, my health, this new place, this religion, this way of life.
Most of all I'm just thankful that I am still alive, which means there is another chance to keep striving to improve myself.
In my head, I want to be an excellent wife.
In my head, I want to devote myself to Islam.
It's so easy typing it here.
What's on your head and heart is important; but what's more important is how you manifest that belief and want into reality.
Safe & sound, striving & hoping.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The procastrinator-baaaa
I just watched a short trailer to the book 'You're not so smart' and it hits me right in the nose. (though i dont get some of the stuff, in the vid)
I have been procrastinating so badly, that I began thinking about its effect on my life. To think that I could be learning new things by now, but because I have been delaying doing something that really, should have been dealt with ages ago- I'm STUCK.
It also got me thinking about how I always like my hubby to do certain things when I want it, like cleaning his things, or praying, or doing some things for me (this is worse)- and not applying the same standard to myself!
Its time to catch up with those things that I have been delaying with for ages. Yikes. You know that you are doing something right when its so difficult to start!
I wanna be like hasben, always focused in doing things! I can't even focus my camera right...but I'll get there.
I have been procrastinating so badly, that I began thinking about its effect on my life. To think that I could be learning new things by now, but because I have been delaying doing something that really, should have been dealt with ages ago- I'm STUCK.
It also got me thinking about how I always like my hubby to do certain things when I want it, like cleaning his things, or praying, or doing some things for me (this is worse)- and not applying the same standard to myself!
Its time to catch up with those things that I have been delaying with for ages. Yikes. You know that you are doing something right when its so difficult to start!
I wanna be like hasben, always focused in doing things! I can't even focus my camera right...but I'll get there.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
on cooking
The last few months my cooking progress is speeding up! There's something about home-cooked food, in its simplicity and made with LOVE that makes them great.
And so I've been trying to make lots of meal revolving chicken, chicken and more chicken. Hasben's favourite is a simple chicken sambal- that I have to somewhat reluctantly admit not to my liking! *Sigh. In the beginning of the marriage I tried to like every food he likes, which would make it easier to cook too. But I kept eating less and less, and this week I have come to term that we have totally different likings when it comes to food and its okay not to like what he likes! Like today, I made him his spicy meal, and for me, a milder version with lots of potato.
There are few meals that we both like though (hooraah!)- Below is my attempt to cook one of them, Nasi Ayam Hainan. I was quite surprised at how easy it is to make nasik ayam.
Marinate chicken with garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, honey, and sesame seed oil (minyak bijan) which will give a lovely brown color to the chicken. When I first opened the sesame seed oil bottle I thought "phwoar! this smells like nasik ayam shop!" duh!!! blonde moment again.
Pop the chicken in the oven, and meanwhile cut some onions and take out some herbs like cinnamon stick, and those you can see in the picture. I just took all the herbs I could find. As usual, some serai and halia, and chicken stock.
Wash the rice.
Fry the other babies until they smell good, mix them with the rice and add water. Press cook!
It was raining outside, and I stared at this tree for a while...
After turning them over several times, I took them out of the oven. Yum!!
Prepare some onions, black pepper, chicken and sup bunjut to make some chicken soup.
Mix them up! Put some salt until they taste you know, soupy.
I cheat the next step. Just bought some chili oil from Roast Kitchen Restaurant and its all done! I forgot to take picture of all the nasik ayam put together.
A great tip I got from an aunty is to always take a bath and get rid of your 'kitchen outfit' before hasben gets home. They wanna smell the chicken, but not on you! Cooking is easy but TIRING but you don't have to tell your guy that...when they come home just say "Oh this thing? I just throw some stuff up and they turn out..not so bad eh?"
:D Padahal dah 3 jam kat dapur kan. mwahahaaahha. Remember the intention is to please Allah so greet him with a dashing smile. smile!
And so I've been trying to make lots of meal revolving chicken, chicken and more chicken. Hasben's favourite is a simple chicken sambal- that I have to somewhat reluctantly admit not to my liking! *Sigh. In the beginning of the marriage I tried to like every food he likes, which would make it easier to cook too. But I kept eating less and less, and this week I have come to term that we have totally different likings when it comes to food and its okay not to like what he likes! Like today, I made him his spicy meal, and for me, a milder version with lots of potato.
There are few meals that we both like though (hooraah!)- Below is my attempt to cook one of them, Nasi Ayam Hainan. I was quite surprised at how easy it is to make nasik ayam.
Marinate chicken with garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, honey, and sesame seed oil (minyak bijan) which will give a lovely brown color to the chicken. When I first opened the sesame seed oil bottle I thought "phwoar! this smells like nasik ayam shop!" duh!!! blonde moment again.
Pop the chicken in the oven, and meanwhile cut some onions and take out some herbs like cinnamon stick, and those you can see in the picture. I just took all the herbs I could find. As usual, some serai and halia, and chicken stock.
Wash the rice.
Fry the other babies until they smell good, mix them with the rice and add water. Press cook!
It was raining outside, and I stared at this tree for a while...
After turning them over several times, I took them out of the oven. Yum!!
Prepare some onions, black pepper, chicken and sup bunjut to make some chicken soup.
Mix them up! Put some salt until they taste you know, soupy.
I cheat the next step. Just bought some chili oil from Roast Kitchen Restaurant and its all done! I forgot to take picture of all the nasik ayam put together.
A great tip I got from an aunty is to always take a bath and get rid of your 'kitchen outfit' before hasben gets home. They wanna smell the chicken, but not on you! Cooking is easy but TIRING but you don't have to tell your guy that...when they come home just say "Oh this thing? I just throw some stuff up and they turn out..not so bad eh?"
:D Padahal dah 3 jam kat dapur kan. mwahahaaahha. Remember the intention is to please Allah so greet him with a dashing smile. smile!
Puzzini-Swedish Italian Pizza
Hasben wants me to write about Puzzini, a Swedish Italian restaurant at Uptown Damansara. Each time I invite him to Pizza Hut or Dominos, he would always tell me that they are nothing compared to this place. So I was like, 'Well, take me there then!'. Finally, we got round to this place (he has lots of eating places that 'I should try')
I like! For everyday dating its quite pricey, but for those special days its top! Each dish has its own distinctive taste, and if you eat with my hasben you'll even get a live feed (pardon the pun) on each of the menu.
Fresh hot bun with butter as appetizer. I really should try to make this!
Beef lasagna, generous amount of meat and cheese that just melt in your mouth.
I tried this baked fish with cream sauce and cheese. Creamy, and the fish well cooked. Delicious! Oh and I so dig melted cheese, swirling them with my fork, and pulling it from the plate, and... NGAP. I told my hasben that I felt so Italian, he quickly remarked 'You are! That's why you are living with your in laws!' (It is an honour to live with the in laws in Italian culture)
The baked fish comes with mashed potato and salad. I also tried the baked potato, but I like this one better.
Hasben ordered chicken scwartvbjghu- I don't know how to say/spell it! Its basically chicken breast with melted cheese inside, and a mouth-watering mushroom sauce.
We had this Puzzini Pizza before anything else. The dough is thin and crunchy, and just enough tomato sauce and cheese, and fresh veggies. This is also the only time when my hasben can accept veggies as food.
Err...yes it was just the two of us that night.
We must have been really starving!
Hasben showing off his meal. Or should I say one of his meals!
Actually it's quite rare for us to snap a picture together. We'll be back, inshaAllah...
I like! For everyday dating its quite pricey, but for those special days its top! Each dish has its own distinctive taste, and if you eat with my hasben you'll even get a live feed (pardon the pun) on each of the menu.
Fresh hot bun with butter as appetizer. I really should try to make this!
Beef lasagna, generous amount of meat and cheese that just melt in your mouth.
I tried this baked fish with cream sauce and cheese. Creamy, and the fish well cooked. Delicious! Oh and I so dig melted cheese, swirling them with my fork, and pulling it from the plate, and... NGAP. I told my hasben that I felt so Italian, he quickly remarked 'You are! That's why you are living with your in laws!' (It is an honour to live with the in laws in Italian culture)
The baked fish comes with mashed potato and salad. I also tried the baked potato, but I like this one better.
Hasben ordered chicken scwartvbjghu- I don't know how to say/spell it! Its basically chicken breast with melted cheese inside, and a mouth-watering mushroom sauce.
We had this Puzzini Pizza before anything else. The dough is thin and crunchy, and just enough tomato sauce and cheese, and fresh veggies. This is also the only time when my hasben can accept veggies as food.
Err...yes it was just the two of us that night.
We must have been really starving!
Hasben showing off his meal. Or should I say one of his meals!
Actually it's quite rare for us to snap a picture together. We'll be back, inshaAllah...
September 11 Wedding
I is a bad reporter! All my news are old news! hahahaa
Anyway I want to write about Nawwar and Zul's wedding because...my hasben matched this two up *clap clap to hasben! I am very proud of you, hasben! May Allah make all the couples that you matched the happiest pairs of all! There are so many stories about his whole match making journey, and all these people really make our life colourful! This should be in my list of topics I should write about!
Back to the topic, remember Robert? yes!! our mysterious wedding cameraman who disappeared with our pictures for months?hehehe. Oklah..I have to burst the bubble (anyway we received the LOVELY wedding album- he gave it to us on our way to meet Nawwar's parents to tell his intention of marrying their daughter, while me and hasben were there for the shepherd's pie!)...his real name turns out to be Zul who turns out to be Nawwar hasben! It all works out perfectly in the end.
Before the akad....Nawwar with her cousin Nabila.
After the akad everyone lega!
And my hasben very happy!
Kak Siti (green lady) also very happy. She has witnessed all our love stories yang penuh drama!
Final picture before leaving home.
Not before offering to take this cute kid home though, sadly she said NO! Big mistake kid, it would be fun living with us!
Anyway I want to write about Nawwar and Zul's wedding because...my hasben matched this two up *clap clap to hasben! I am very proud of you, hasben! May Allah make all the couples that you matched the happiest pairs of all! There are so many stories about his whole match making journey, and all these people really make our life colourful! This should be in my list of topics I should write about!
Back to the topic, remember Robert? yes!! our mysterious wedding cameraman who disappeared with our pictures for months?hehehe. Oklah..I have to burst the bubble (anyway we received the LOVELY wedding album- he gave it to us on our way to meet Nawwar's parents to tell his intention of marrying their daughter, while me and hasben were there for the shepherd's pie!)...his real name turns out to be Zul who turns out to be Nawwar hasben! It all works out perfectly in the end.
Before the akad....Nawwar with her cousin Nabila.
After the akad everyone lega!
And my hasben very happy!
Kak Siti (green lady) also very happy. She has witnessed all our love stories yang penuh drama!
Final picture before leaving home.
Not before offering to take this cute kid home though, sadly she said NO! Big mistake kid, it would be fun living with us!
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