As of yesterday, I'm a free man. And a free-living organism (classified myself as a temporary parasite during exam season). And everything went well too. Alhamdulillah! The cherry on top of the icing of the cake: my scholarship money has unexpectedly been banked in. Double hurrah! Now I can get to the main agenda before flying home- shopping! LOL.
Thanks Mak and Abah for your duas. And to my friends, especially those who had the unfortunate misadventure of becoming my temporary host ;)
ps: Definition of temporary parasite- A free-living organism but seeks its host from time to time for food.
pps: Collecting my visa at the academy today =)
Friday, June 30, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Numbers and facts
10 more days before returning home.
9 more days before the United States’ Independence Day (not relevant, I know).
8 more questions to be done by today.
7 more questions of my ‘favourite’ topic (Darn! That many??).
6 more hours before Portugal-Holland match (I won’t be watching, of course ;p).
5 more days before this torture ends.
4 more games before Brazil wins the World Cup.
3 more days before my traditional Panic Day.
2 more Rubles before my credit expires.
1 more paper to go!
9 more days before the United States’ Independence Day (not relevant, I know).
8 more questions to be done by today.
7 more questions of my ‘favourite’ topic (Darn! That many??).
6 more hours before Portugal-Holland match (I won’t be watching, of course ;p).
5 more days before this torture ends.
4 more games before Brazil wins the World Cup.
3 more days before my traditional Panic Day.
2 more Rubles before my credit expires.
1 more paper to go!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Bored me
I really really want to go home. No, it’s not simply the food anymore. It’s not even the World Cup.
… Ok, it is the World Cup. But it’s not just the World Cup. I miss my family and friends too. Baaadly.
Things that I miss most about home (in no particular order)
1. My family and friends
2. Malaysian food (an entry has been dedicated to this but I will spare some space for more ;p)
3. Free (well, almost… but free anyway cos my dad foots the bill. Hehe) internet
4. Television
5. Walking at the beach near my house
6. Sending my brother and sister to school (and picking them up)
7. Playing computer games (Nak go against my dad in C&C: General again- even though I lost every time)
8. Playing with our super-duper lovely cats
9. Breakfast outings around town =)
10. ‘Mapley’ outings around town =D
11. Kinokuniya
12. Cycling
13. Fighting with my brother
14. Trapped in the traffic jam whilst behind the wheels
15. Buah-buahan tempatan (Manggis, mangga, langsat… bliss defined! Yum!)
16. Curled up in bed reading a good book
17. Taman Gelora
18. Pasar malam (Yeah, I seldom went before, but now I’m missing it. Argh!)
19. Kenduri-kendara at Aki’s place (Great food! Cute cousins!)
20. My dad’s old car ;)
And I’m tired of poring my head into these textbooks. God please give me strength...
… Ok, it is the World Cup. But it’s not just the World Cup. I miss my family and friends too. Baaadly.
Things that I miss most about home (in no particular order)
1. My family and friends
2. Malaysian food (an entry has been dedicated to this but I will spare some space for more ;p)
3. Free (well, almost… but free anyway cos my dad foots the bill. Hehe) internet
4. Television
5. Walking at the beach near my house
6. Sending my brother and sister to school (and picking them up)
7. Playing computer games (Nak go against my dad in C&C: General again- even though I lost every time)
8. Playing with our super-duper lovely cats
9. Breakfast outings around town =)
10. ‘Mapley’ outings around town =D
11. Kinokuniya
12. Cycling
13. Fighting with my brother
14. Trapped in the traffic jam whilst behind the wheels
15. Buah-buahan tempatan (Manggis, mangga, langsat… bliss defined! Yum!)
16. Curled up in bed reading a good book
17. Taman Gelora
18. Pasar malam (Yeah, I seldom went before, but now I’m missing it. Argh!)
19. Kenduri-kendara at Aki’s place (Great food! Cute cousins!)
20. My dad’s old car ;)
And I’m tired of poring my head into these textbooks. God please give me strength...
Friday, June 09, 2006
I can’t watch the World Cup because…
1) I don’t have a television.
2) My friends don’t have televisions too.
3) Even if I do have one, I still have a big final exam stretching throughout the better half of this month.
4) And I couldn’t ask my family to record the whole show, as our vcr has broken down some centuries ago and a recordable dvd player would cost a small fortune. And apparently vcr is another machine of the past. Hehe.
Have fun everyone, and spare a thought or two for me when you’re busy cheering for Brazil and Germany and Italy or screaming boos for France (Hehe French fans are going to kill me), and aah… don’t forget Ukraine’s in this time (Soviet spirit. LOL)!
Probably our last meal before 'going on strike' =p
Four Malaysians lost in translation =)
2) My friends don’t have televisions too.
3) Even if I do have one, I still have a big final exam stretching throughout the better half of this month.
4) And I couldn’t ask my family to record the whole show, as our vcr has broken down some centuries ago and a recordable dvd player would cost a small fortune. And apparently vcr is another machine of the past. Hehe.
Have fun everyone, and spare a thought or two for me when you’re busy cheering for Brazil and Germany and Italy or screaming boos for France (Hehe French fans are going to kill me), and aah… don’t forget Ukraine’s in this time (Soviet spirit. LOL)!
Probably our last meal before 'going on strike' =p
Four Malaysians lost in translation =)
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Of Growing Up
I was lying on the bed, hugging my baby lion Dmitri when I suddenly thought of Sifi. My recollection then progressed to all my cats back home- I missed them so much it made my jaw clenched so hard at the thought of it. I then engaged my roommate Fatin in a conversation wherein we reminisced about Sifi and how we missed her ‘kitten days’, during which her hyperactive demeanour constantly put our lives on edge (haha). We recalled how she used to wake all three of us up in the morning the couple of times she had stayed over by paying us visits sequentially in our respective beds and tried her very best to get our attention.
Farah had related on how she would unexpectedly feel something warm and fuzzy on her tummy and find Sifi nicely curled up there when she opened her eyes. That was when all hell would break loose. Yes, Farah was terrified of cats. She would then dive into Fatin’s bed and I would scoop the confused Sifi and bring her (Sifi) back to my bed. Trust her to learn her lesson. Not. She would proceed with either Fatin or me, tugging on our clothes, feet, hair, everything. Once though, one memorable moment, I slowly opened my eyes to find Sifi cleaving to my right arm and simply stared at me with this adorable look which uncannily resembled that of Puss in Boots in Shrek 2 when he pleaded with Shrek.
This I mentioned to Fatin and we went, “ Cepat kan dia membesar…!” It seemed not a while ago that I could enfold her in my palm and now… she is already Mayo’s size and even developed that bored, almost snobbish look so characteristic of our dear ol’ Mayo. We were solemnly pondering on this undeniable face of reality when Fatin remarked, “macam ni ke mak2 fikir anak2 dorang agaknye kan…”
The sentence ended with our laughter, but on retrospection, I really wonder whether our mothers do feel that we grew up too fast and at times wished we could be the four-year-old nuisance they had to bear with once again. When Sifi stayed here some time ago, I remember having to wash her after she defaecated, as she didn’t know how to cleanse herself yet. Moreover, a few times she even did her stuff on the floor/carpet (perhaps due to the unfamiliar surroundings) - imagine the stink I had to put up with. Yet I miss those days. I didn’t want her to grow up so fast, but she did.
In a way, I don’t want to grow up too fast. I’m twenty, for goodness’ sake. Sheesh. I don’t feel twenty. When I was nine, I had this thought- by twelve I would already know how to cook. I didn’t. When I was fifteen, I thought of getting married before I reach twenty-five. Above that would be too old. Now I’m thinking, I can’t possibly get married before twenty-five! I can’t even flip over an omelet without tearing the poor thing apart, and I’d probably burn my house down before I knew it (ok, bit soap opera-ish there). Honestly, I can be either seventeen or twenty-three for all I care, and you would still see me as I am now. Yet I feel I’ve been growing up too fast. Oo-kay… aren’t I an expert in pointless, twisted entries. Leave me be.
Tukar topic- summer has come! And whoever the Geography person that assigned the climate here to be ‘mild climate’ need to conduct a new research- Russia is so not mild. Yesterday the thermometer read 38 degrees. Enough said.
Farah had related on how she would unexpectedly feel something warm and fuzzy on her tummy and find Sifi nicely curled up there when she opened her eyes. That was when all hell would break loose. Yes, Farah was terrified of cats. She would then dive into Fatin’s bed and I would scoop the confused Sifi and bring her (Sifi) back to my bed. Trust her to learn her lesson. Not. She would proceed with either Fatin or me, tugging on our clothes, feet, hair, everything. Once though, one memorable moment, I slowly opened my eyes to find Sifi cleaving to my right arm and simply stared at me with this adorable look which uncannily resembled that of Puss in Boots in Shrek 2 when he pleaded with Shrek.
This I mentioned to Fatin and we went, “ Cepat kan dia membesar…!” It seemed not a while ago that I could enfold her in my palm and now… she is already Mayo’s size and even developed that bored, almost snobbish look so characteristic of our dear ol’ Mayo. We were solemnly pondering on this undeniable face of reality when Fatin remarked, “macam ni ke mak2 fikir anak2 dorang agaknye kan…”
The sentence ended with our laughter, but on retrospection, I really wonder whether our mothers do feel that we grew up too fast and at times wished we could be the four-year-old nuisance they had to bear with once again. When Sifi stayed here some time ago, I remember having to wash her after she defaecated, as she didn’t know how to cleanse herself yet. Moreover, a few times she even did her stuff on the floor/carpet (perhaps due to the unfamiliar surroundings) - imagine the stink I had to put up with. Yet I miss those days. I didn’t want her to grow up so fast, but she did.
In a way, I don’t want to grow up too fast. I’m twenty, for goodness’ sake. Sheesh. I don’t feel twenty. When I was nine, I had this thought- by twelve I would already know how to cook. I didn’t. When I was fifteen, I thought of getting married before I reach twenty-five. Above that would be too old. Now I’m thinking, I can’t possibly get married before twenty-five! I can’t even flip over an omelet without tearing the poor thing apart, and I’d probably burn my house down before I knew it (ok, bit soap opera-ish there). Honestly, I can be either seventeen or twenty-three for all I care, and you would still see me as I am now. Yet I feel I’ve been growing up too fast. Oo-kay… aren’t I an expert in pointless, twisted entries. Leave me be.
Tukar topic- summer has come! And whoever the Geography person that assigned the climate here to be ‘mild climate’ need to conduct a new research- Russia is so not mild. Yesterday the thermometer read 38 degrees. Enough said.
Remembering Death
The intense emotion I experienced last night prompted me to put up the lyrics to this Arabic song that I find to be poignantly reflective. I retrieved it some time ago through the wonders of file sharing, and the melancholic tune and meaningful lyrics complemented by the evocative vocals just got to me. Having gone through 5 years of Arabic more or less enabled me to appreciate the beauty of the poetic lines, which are much more refined than the translated English version. This song serves as a good remembrance of who we are- of where we came from and to whom we will return. To those who put their trust in Allah, death is but another transient phase en route to a greater pursuit- Al-Akhirah.
If you wish to watch the video, click here.
"Now, if they turn away (O Muhammad) say: Allah sufficeth me. There is no God save Him. In Him have I put my trust, and He is Lord of the Tremendous Throne.” - At-Taubah: 129
Dust is My Bed
Performed & Composed by:
Meshary Alaradah
Lyrcis by:
Ahmad Alkandiry
Dust is my bed, embracing me, and is my cover
The sands are around me, engulfing me from all directions
And the grave recounts (the story of) the darkness of my calamity
And the light has destined that my pleasure is in meeting (Allah)
Where is the kindness of kin? They relinquished fidelity (sold my loyalty)
Where are the scores of friends? They left my brotherhood
Where is the bliss of money? I left it behind
And where is the glory of fame and compliments?
That’s my end; dust is my bed
The beloved bade farewell to his love, and cried my elegy
The tears flow dried out, after crying
The vast universe shrank, narrowing my space
The grave to my corpse became both my land and my sky
That’s my end; dust is my bed
Fear overwhelms my estrangement and sadness is my ailment
Hoping for steadfastness, which is – I swear – my remedy
Sincerely supplicating to the Lord; You are my hope
Hoping- O Allaah – for a paradise, in which my bliss shall be attained
If you wish to watch the video, click here.
"Now, if they turn away (O Muhammad) say: Allah sufficeth me. There is no God save Him. In Him have I put my trust, and He is Lord of the Tremendous Throne.” - At-Taubah: 129
Dust is My Bed
Performed & Composed by:
Meshary Alaradah
Lyrcis by:
Ahmad Alkandiry
Dust is my bed, embracing me, and is my cover
The sands are around me, engulfing me from all directions
And the grave recounts (the story of) the darkness of my calamity
And the light has destined that my pleasure is in meeting (Allah)
Where is the kindness of kin? They relinquished fidelity (sold my loyalty)
Where are the scores of friends? They left my brotherhood
Where is the bliss of money? I left it behind
And where is the glory of fame and compliments?
That’s my end; dust is my bed
The beloved bade farewell to his love, and cried my elegy
The tears flow dried out, after crying
The vast universe shrank, narrowing my space
The grave to my corpse became both my land and my sky
That’s my end; dust is my bed
Fear overwhelms my estrangement and sadness is my ailment
Hoping for steadfastness, which is – I swear – my remedy
Sincerely supplicating to the Lord; You are my hope
Hoping- O Allaah – for a paradise, in which my bliss shall be attained
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