This is waaay outdated, but I just paid a visit to my uncle's fotopage, and found this awesome piece of photojournalism. And another awesome piece by another uncle. Being far away from home, I did get my dose of news from Malaysian mainstream media, amongst others. Reminding myself that any form of media were entitled to chunks of bias, it wasn't until a friend who took part in the rally related his version of events that I came close to knowing the whole story. And thanks to these brilliant works too. Like what Acu said, and I quote, Malaysia' political theatre is about to change.
And I pray hard for that.
Kudos, uncles! Hehe.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Bottleneck part of life
Last week of the semester- I can't believe it's finally here. Caught in the maelstrom of concluding tests as per norm (four to be exact), I should be at about the end of my tether now from nonstop slogging, right? Unfortunately, life's not that simple. Hehe. What am I babbling... Anyway. The talk about town (read: my circle of friends. hence very small town. lol) lately seemed to revolve around that bottleneck part of life: adulthood. It sorta stings to admit that we’ve now reached the status of adults… for my part at least.
Looking back, I did go through the phase of eagerly wanting to grow up and dismissing warnings from certain adults at the time about the burdens of adulthood that came with the freedom, especially when they kept telling us to enjoy our teenage years whilst they lasted. My juvenile thought then- these people had probably forgotten what it was like to be a teenager- the most difficult job in the world. Haha. Not quite, but almost. Now I'm thinking, how selfish and immature I was back then. Yet I wonder: is it simply because of the experience that makes us reconsider our position, or that our thinking process has completely evolved over the years and changed us so? For whenever I was misunderstood as a teenager, my first thought would be- why couldn't they understand? Weren’t they teenagers once? On the other hand, I've found myself starting to laugh off some of my younger sister's thoughts and complaints as 'those angst-y moments'; she probably thinks I'm sounding more and more like a mak cik too (hopefully not).
I actually fear that- the thought that I might forget what it's really like to be a teenager. I'd like to think that I've only become more mature and wiser as I grow older, but it's just a whole different system of thoughts really, between teenagers and adults. Experience does warrant for some of an adult’s altered outlooks, which may be better, but at times it comes down to the fact that we interpret things with different eyes, both of which may be right and sound in their own respect. And appreciating both entities of cognition will help adults to identify with younger generation better and develop mutual understanding between the two. Teenagers can't possibly stand in adults' shoes as they've never been one themselves, thus I hope not to forget the essence of my teenage years- so I can probably fill in some blanks during any run-in with my younger contemporaries in the future.
I realise I'm sounding rather cryptic and probably not making a lot of sense to most people. And further, I'm only 21. I may be allowed to vote, but adulthood calls for more than casting a ballot, or making lists of groceries to buy. I constantly worry about everything there is, yet I make silly mistakes all the time. When I finally thought I might have figured things out, something outrageous would come up to wash any notions away. I’ve a long way to go. And a belated birthday card a few days ago with the words “Welcome to adulthood love!” added considerably to the pressure. Haha. Thank you for the vote of confidence, but for now, and I suspect a good more while to come, I’m still a teenager.
On another unrelated matter- since I won’t have a camera for at least the next seven months or so, I’m going to post old, never-before-published pictures. Hehe. Just to kill some time browsing through my folders, as I’ve got nothing better to do other than studying for the aforesaid tests (Mak and Abah, please don’t kill me for saying this). =)
The closest thing to a surau we could get in the academy. 8th December 2005.
Farah waiting for prayer time. 8th December 2005.
23rd October 2005. These days she could practically hide the laptop underneath her furry body.
What could be so funny about Latin, eh? 17th March 2006.
At Mamayev Kurgan; Mother Russia in far background (I forgot the name of the other statue). 26th May 2006.
To be continued... :)
Looking back, I did go through the phase of eagerly wanting to grow up and dismissing warnings from certain adults at the time about the burdens of adulthood that came with the freedom, especially when they kept telling us to enjoy our teenage years whilst they lasted. My juvenile thought then- these people had probably forgotten what it was like to be a teenager- the most difficult job in the world. Haha. Not quite, but almost. Now I'm thinking, how selfish and immature I was back then. Yet I wonder: is it simply because of the experience that makes us reconsider our position, or that our thinking process has completely evolved over the years and changed us so? For whenever I was misunderstood as a teenager, my first thought would be- why couldn't they understand? Weren’t they teenagers once? On the other hand, I've found myself starting to laugh off some of my younger sister's thoughts and complaints as 'those angst-y moments'; she probably thinks I'm sounding more and more like a mak cik too (hopefully not).
I actually fear that- the thought that I might forget what it's really like to be a teenager. I'd like to think that I've only become more mature and wiser as I grow older, but it's just a whole different system of thoughts really, between teenagers and adults. Experience does warrant for some of an adult’s altered outlooks, which may be better, but at times it comes down to the fact that we interpret things with different eyes, both of which may be right and sound in their own respect. And appreciating both entities of cognition will help adults to identify with younger generation better and develop mutual understanding between the two. Teenagers can't possibly stand in adults' shoes as they've never been one themselves, thus I hope not to forget the essence of my teenage years- so I can probably fill in some blanks during any run-in with my younger contemporaries in the future.
I realise I'm sounding rather cryptic and probably not making a lot of sense to most people. And further, I'm only 21. I may be allowed to vote, but adulthood calls for more than casting a ballot, or making lists of groceries to buy. I constantly worry about everything there is, yet I make silly mistakes all the time. When I finally thought I might have figured things out, something outrageous would come up to wash any notions away. I’ve a long way to go. And a belated birthday card a few days ago with the words “Welcome to adulthood love!” added considerably to the pressure. Haha. Thank you for the vote of confidence, but for now, and I suspect a good more while to come, I’m still a teenager.
On another unrelated matter- since I won’t have a camera for at least the next seven months or so, I’m going to post old, never-before-published pictures. Hehe. Just to kill some time browsing through my folders, as I’ve got nothing better to do other than studying for the aforesaid tests (Mak and Abah, please don’t kill me for saying this). =)
The closest thing to a surau we could get in the academy. 8th December 2005.
Farah waiting for prayer time. 8th December 2005.
23rd October 2005. These days she could practically hide the laptop underneath her furry body.
What could be so funny about Latin, eh? 17th March 2006.
At Mamayev Kurgan; Mother Russia in far background (I forgot the name of the other statue). 26th May 2006.
To be continued... :)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Hari Arafah
KEUTAMAAN 10 HARI PERTAMA BULAN DZULHIJJAH DAN AMALAN YANG DISYARIATKAN
Oleh
Syaikh Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Al-Jibrin
Segala puji bagi Allah semata, shalawat dan salam semoga tercurah kepada Rasulullah, Nabi kita Muhammad, kepada keluarga dan segenap sahabatnya.
KEUTAMAAN 10 HARI YANG PERTAMA BULAN DZULHIJJAH.
Diriwayatkan oleh Al-Bukhari, Rahimahullah, dari Ibnu 'Abbas Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma bahwa Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidak ada hari dimana amal shalih pada saat itu lebih dicintai oleh Allah daripada hari-hari ini, yaitu : Sepuluh hari dari bulan DzulHijjah. Mereka bertanya : Ya Rasulullah, tidak juga jihad fi sabilillah ?. Beliau menjawab : Tidak juga jihad fi sabilillah, kecuali orang yang keluar (berjihad) dengan jiwa dan hartanya, kemudian tidak kembali dengan sesuatu apapun".
Imam Ahmad, Rahimahullah, meriwayatkan dari Umar Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma, bahwa Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidak ada hari yang paling agung dan amat dicintai Allah untuk berbuat kebajikan di dalamnya daripada sepuluh hari (DzulHijjah) ini. Maka perbanyaklah pada saat itu tahlil, takbir dan tahmid ".
MACAM-MACAM AMALAN YANG DISYARIATKAN
[1]. Melaksanakan Ibadah Haji Dan Umrah
Amal ini adalah amal yang paling utama, berdasarkan berbagai hadits shahih yang menunjukkan keutamaannya, antara lain : sabda Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam:
"Artinya : Dari umrah ke umrah adalah tebusan (dosa-dosa yang dikerjakan) di antara keduanya, dan haji yang mabrur balasannya tiada lain adalah Surga".
[2]. Berpuasa Selama Hari-Hari Tersebut, Atau Pada Sebagiannya, Terutama Pada Hari Arafah.
Tidak disangsikan lagi bahwa puasa adalah jenis amalan yang paling utama, dan yang dipilih Allah untuk diri-Nya. Disebutkan dalam hadist Qudsi :
"Artinya : Puasa ini adalah untuk-Ku, dan Aku lah yang akan membalasnya. Sungguh dia telah meninggalkan syahwat, makanan dan minumannya semata-mata karena Aku".
Diriwayatkan dari Abu Said Al-Khudri, Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidaklah seorang hamba berpuasa sehari di jalan Allah melainkan Allah pasti menjauhkan dirinya dengan puasanya itu dari api neraka selama tujuh puluh tahun". [Hadits Muttafaq 'Alaih].
Diriwayatkan oleh Imam Muslim dari Abu Qatadah Rahimahullah bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Berpuasa pada hari Arafah karena mengharap pahala dari Allah melebur dosa-dosa setahun sebelum dan sesudahnya".
[3]. Takbir Dan Dzikir Pada Hari-Hari Tersebut.
Sebagaimana firman Allah Ta'ala.
"Artinya : .... dan supaya mereka menyebut nama Allah pada hari-hari yang telah ditentukan ..". [Al-Hajj : 28].
Para ahli tafsir menafsirkannya dengan sepuluh hari dari bulan Dzul Hijjah. Karena itu, para ulama menganjurkan untuk memperbanyak dzikir pada hari-hari tersebut, berdasarkan hadits dari Ibnu Umar Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma.
"Artinya : Maka perbanyaklah pada hari-hari itu tahlil, takbir dan tahmid ". [Hadits Riwayat Ahmad].
Imam Bukhari Rahimahullah menuturkan bahwa Ibnu Umar dan Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhum keluar ke pasar pada sepuluh hari tersebut seraya mengumandangkan takbir lalu orang-orangpun mengikuti takbirnya. Dan Ishaq, Rahimahullah, meriwayatkan dari fuqaha', tabiin bahwa pada hari-hari ini mengucapkan :
"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa Ilaha Ilallah, wa-Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa Lillahil Hamdu"
"Artinya : Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar, Tidak ada Ilah (Sembahan) Yang Haq selain Allah. Dan Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar, segala puji hanya bagi Allah".
Dianjurkan untuk mengeraskan suara dalam bertakbir ketika berada di pasar, rumah, jalan, masjid dan lain-lainnya. Sebagaimana firman Allah.
"Artinya : Dan hendaklah kamu mengagungkan Allah atas petunjuk-Nya yang diberikan kepadamu ..". [Al-Baqarah : 185].
Dan diperbolehkan berdzikir dengan yang mudah-mudah. Seperti : takbir, tasbih dan do'a-do'a lainnya yang disyariatkan.
[4]. Taubat Serta Meninggalkan Segala Maksiat Dan Dosa.
Sehingga akan mendapatkan ampunan dan rahmat. Maksiat adalah penyebab terjauhkan dan terusirnya hamba dari Allah, dan keta'atan adalah penyebab dekat dan cinta kasih Allah kepadanya.
Disebutkan dalam hadits dari Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, bahwasanya Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda.
"Artinya : Sesungguhnya Allah itu cemburu, dan kecemburuan Allah itu manakala seorang hamba melakukan apa yang diharamkan Allah terhadapnya" [Hadits Muttafaq 'Alaihi].
[5]. Banyak Beramal Shalih.
Berupa ibadah sunat seperti : shalat, sedekah, jihad, membaca Al-Qur'an, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar dan lain sebagainya. Sebab amalan-amalan tersebut pada hari itu dilipat gandakan pahalanya. Bahkan amal ibadah yang tidak utama bila dilakukan pada hari itu akan menjadi lebih utama dan dicintai Allah daripada amal ibadah pada hari lainnya meskipun merupakan amal ibadah yang utama, sekalipun jihad yang merupakan amal ibadah yang amat utama, kecuali jihad orang yang tidak kembali dengan harta dan jiwanya.
[6]. Disyariatkan Pada Hari-Hari Itu Takbir Muthlaq
Yaitu pada setiap saat, siang ataupun malam sampai shalat Ied. Dan disyariatkan pula takbir muqayyad, yaitu yang dilakukan setiap selesai shalat fardhu yang dilaksanakan dengan berjama'ah ; bagi selain jama'ah haji dimulai dari sejak Zhuhur hari raya Qurban terus berlangsung hingga shalat Ashar pada hari Tasyriq.
[7]. Berkurban Pada Hari Raya Qurban Dan Hari-Hari Tasyriq.
Hal ini adalah sunnah Nabi Ibrahim 'Alaihissalam, yakni ketika Allah Ta'ala menebus putranya dengan sembelihan yang agung. Diriwayatkan bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
"Artinya : Berkurban dengan menyembelih dua ekor domba jantan berwarna putih dan bertanduk. Beliau sendiri yang menyembelihnya dengan menyebut nama Allah dan bertakbir, serta meletakkan kaki beliau di sisi tubuh domba itu". [Muttafaq 'Alaihi]
[8]. Dilarang Mencabut atau Memotong Rambut dan Kuku bagi orang yang hendak Berkurban.
Diriwayatkan oleh Muslim dan lainnya, dari Ummu Salamah Radhiyallhu 'Anha bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda.
"Artinya : Jika kamu melihat hilal bulan Dzul Hijjah dan salah seorang di antara kamu ingin berkurban, maka hendaklah ia menahan diri dari (memotong) rambut dan kukunya".
Dalam riwayat lain : "Maka janganlah ia mengambil sesuatu dari rambut atau kukunya sehingga ia berkurban".
Hal ini, mungkin, untuk menyerupai orang yang menunaikan ibadah haji yang menuntun hewan kurbannya. Firman Allah.
"Artinya : ..... dan jangan kamu mencukur (rambut) kepalamu, sebelum kurban sampai di tempat penyembelihan...". [Al-Baqarah : 196].
Larangan ini, menurut zhahirnya, hanya dikhususkan bagi orang yang berkurban saja, tidak termasuk istri dan anak-anaknya, kecuali jika masing-masing dari mereka berkurban. Dan diperbolehkan membasahi rambut serta menggosoknya, meskipun terdapat beberapa rambutnya yang rontok.
[9]. Melaksanakan Shalat Iedul Adha Dan Mendengarkan Khutbahnya.
Setiap muslim hendaknya memahami hikmah disyariatkannya hari raya ini. Hari ini adalah hari bersyukur dan beramal kebajikan. Maka janganlah dijadikan sebagai hari keangkuhan dan kesombongan ; janganlah dijadikan kesempatan bermaksiat dan bergelimang dalam kemungkaran seperti ; nyanyi-nyanyian, main judi, mabuk-mabukan dan sejenisnya. Hal mana akan menyebabkan terhapusnya amal kebajikan yang dilakukan selama sepuluh hari.
[10]. Selain Hal-Hal Yang Telah Disebutkan Diatas.
Hendaknya setiap muslim dan muslimah mengisi hari-hari ini dengan melakukan ketaatan, dzikir dan syukur kepada Allah, melaksanakan segala kewajiban dan menjauhi segala larangan ; memanfaatkan kesempatan ini dan berusaha memperoleh kemurahan Allah agar mendapat ridha-Nya.
Semoga Allah melimpahkan taufik-Nya dan menunjuki kita kepada jalan yang lurus. Dan shalawat serta salam semoga tetap tercurah kepada Nabi Muhammad, kepada keluarga dan para sahabatnya.
Selamat Hari Raya Eid-ul Adha to all Muslims... may our deeds be accepted and we are placed amongst the believers, inshaallah. :)
Oleh
Syaikh Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Al-Jibrin
Segala puji bagi Allah semata, shalawat dan salam semoga tercurah kepada Rasulullah, Nabi kita Muhammad, kepada keluarga dan segenap sahabatnya.
KEUTAMAAN 10 HARI YANG PERTAMA BULAN DZULHIJJAH.
Diriwayatkan oleh Al-Bukhari, Rahimahullah, dari Ibnu 'Abbas Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma bahwa Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidak ada hari dimana amal shalih pada saat itu lebih dicintai oleh Allah daripada hari-hari ini, yaitu : Sepuluh hari dari bulan DzulHijjah. Mereka bertanya : Ya Rasulullah, tidak juga jihad fi sabilillah ?. Beliau menjawab : Tidak juga jihad fi sabilillah, kecuali orang yang keluar (berjihad) dengan jiwa dan hartanya, kemudian tidak kembali dengan sesuatu apapun".
Imam Ahmad, Rahimahullah, meriwayatkan dari Umar Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma, bahwa Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidak ada hari yang paling agung dan amat dicintai Allah untuk berbuat kebajikan di dalamnya daripada sepuluh hari (DzulHijjah) ini. Maka perbanyaklah pada saat itu tahlil, takbir dan tahmid ".
MACAM-MACAM AMALAN YANG DISYARIATKAN
[1]. Melaksanakan Ibadah Haji Dan Umrah
Amal ini adalah amal yang paling utama, berdasarkan berbagai hadits shahih yang menunjukkan keutamaannya, antara lain : sabda Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam:
"Artinya : Dari umrah ke umrah adalah tebusan (dosa-dosa yang dikerjakan) di antara keduanya, dan haji yang mabrur balasannya tiada lain adalah Surga".
[2]. Berpuasa Selama Hari-Hari Tersebut, Atau Pada Sebagiannya, Terutama Pada Hari Arafah.
Tidak disangsikan lagi bahwa puasa adalah jenis amalan yang paling utama, dan yang dipilih Allah untuk diri-Nya. Disebutkan dalam hadist Qudsi :
"Artinya : Puasa ini adalah untuk-Ku, dan Aku lah yang akan membalasnya. Sungguh dia telah meninggalkan syahwat, makanan dan minumannya semata-mata karena Aku".
Diriwayatkan dari Abu Said Al-Khudri, Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Tidaklah seorang hamba berpuasa sehari di jalan Allah melainkan Allah pasti menjauhkan dirinya dengan puasanya itu dari api neraka selama tujuh puluh tahun". [Hadits Muttafaq 'Alaih].
Diriwayatkan oleh Imam Muslim dari Abu Qatadah Rahimahullah bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda :
"Artinya : Berpuasa pada hari Arafah karena mengharap pahala dari Allah melebur dosa-dosa setahun sebelum dan sesudahnya".
[3]. Takbir Dan Dzikir Pada Hari-Hari Tersebut.
Sebagaimana firman Allah Ta'ala.
"Artinya : .... dan supaya mereka menyebut nama Allah pada hari-hari yang telah ditentukan ..". [Al-Hajj : 28].
Para ahli tafsir menafsirkannya dengan sepuluh hari dari bulan Dzul Hijjah. Karena itu, para ulama menganjurkan untuk memperbanyak dzikir pada hari-hari tersebut, berdasarkan hadits dari Ibnu Umar Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma.
"Artinya : Maka perbanyaklah pada hari-hari itu tahlil, takbir dan tahmid ". [Hadits Riwayat Ahmad].
Imam Bukhari Rahimahullah menuturkan bahwa Ibnu Umar dan Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhum keluar ke pasar pada sepuluh hari tersebut seraya mengumandangkan takbir lalu orang-orangpun mengikuti takbirnya. Dan Ishaq, Rahimahullah, meriwayatkan dari fuqaha', tabiin bahwa pada hari-hari ini mengucapkan :
"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa Ilaha Ilallah, wa-Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa Lillahil Hamdu"
"Artinya : Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar, Tidak ada Ilah (Sembahan) Yang Haq selain Allah. Dan Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar, segala puji hanya bagi Allah".
Dianjurkan untuk mengeraskan suara dalam bertakbir ketika berada di pasar, rumah, jalan, masjid dan lain-lainnya. Sebagaimana firman Allah.
"Artinya : Dan hendaklah kamu mengagungkan Allah atas petunjuk-Nya yang diberikan kepadamu ..". [Al-Baqarah : 185].
Dan diperbolehkan berdzikir dengan yang mudah-mudah. Seperti : takbir, tasbih dan do'a-do'a lainnya yang disyariatkan.
[4]. Taubat Serta Meninggalkan Segala Maksiat Dan Dosa.
Sehingga akan mendapatkan ampunan dan rahmat. Maksiat adalah penyebab terjauhkan dan terusirnya hamba dari Allah, dan keta'atan adalah penyebab dekat dan cinta kasih Allah kepadanya.
Disebutkan dalam hadits dari Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, bahwasanya Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda.
"Artinya : Sesungguhnya Allah itu cemburu, dan kecemburuan Allah itu manakala seorang hamba melakukan apa yang diharamkan Allah terhadapnya" [Hadits Muttafaq 'Alaihi].
[5]. Banyak Beramal Shalih.
Berupa ibadah sunat seperti : shalat, sedekah, jihad, membaca Al-Qur'an, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar dan lain sebagainya. Sebab amalan-amalan tersebut pada hari itu dilipat gandakan pahalanya. Bahkan amal ibadah yang tidak utama bila dilakukan pada hari itu akan menjadi lebih utama dan dicintai Allah daripada amal ibadah pada hari lainnya meskipun merupakan amal ibadah yang utama, sekalipun jihad yang merupakan amal ibadah yang amat utama, kecuali jihad orang yang tidak kembali dengan harta dan jiwanya.
[6]. Disyariatkan Pada Hari-Hari Itu Takbir Muthlaq
Yaitu pada setiap saat, siang ataupun malam sampai shalat Ied. Dan disyariatkan pula takbir muqayyad, yaitu yang dilakukan setiap selesai shalat fardhu yang dilaksanakan dengan berjama'ah ; bagi selain jama'ah haji dimulai dari sejak Zhuhur hari raya Qurban terus berlangsung hingga shalat Ashar pada hari Tasyriq.
[7]. Berkurban Pada Hari Raya Qurban Dan Hari-Hari Tasyriq.
Hal ini adalah sunnah Nabi Ibrahim 'Alaihissalam, yakni ketika Allah Ta'ala menebus putranya dengan sembelihan yang agung. Diriwayatkan bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
"Artinya : Berkurban dengan menyembelih dua ekor domba jantan berwarna putih dan bertanduk. Beliau sendiri yang menyembelihnya dengan menyebut nama Allah dan bertakbir, serta meletakkan kaki beliau di sisi tubuh domba itu". [Muttafaq 'Alaihi]
[8]. Dilarang Mencabut atau Memotong Rambut dan Kuku bagi orang yang hendak Berkurban.
Diriwayatkan oleh Muslim dan lainnya, dari Ummu Salamah Radhiyallhu 'Anha bahwa Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda.
"Artinya : Jika kamu melihat hilal bulan Dzul Hijjah dan salah seorang di antara kamu ingin berkurban, maka hendaklah ia menahan diri dari (memotong) rambut dan kukunya".
Dalam riwayat lain : "Maka janganlah ia mengambil sesuatu dari rambut atau kukunya sehingga ia berkurban".
Hal ini, mungkin, untuk menyerupai orang yang menunaikan ibadah haji yang menuntun hewan kurbannya. Firman Allah.
"Artinya : ..... dan jangan kamu mencukur (rambut) kepalamu, sebelum kurban sampai di tempat penyembelihan...". [Al-Baqarah : 196].
Larangan ini, menurut zhahirnya, hanya dikhususkan bagi orang yang berkurban saja, tidak termasuk istri dan anak-anaknya, kecuali jika masing-masing dari mereka berkurban. Dan diperbolehkan membasahi rambut serta menggosoknya, meskipun terdapat beberapa rambutnya yang rontok.
[9]. Melaksanakan Shalat Iedul Adha Dan Mendengarkan Khutbahnya.
Setiap muslim hendaknya memahami hikmah disyariatkannya hari raya ini. Hari ini adalah hari bersyukur dan beramal kebajikan. Maka janganlah dijadikan sebagai hari keangkuhan dan kesombongan ; janganlah dijadikan kesempatan bermaksiat dan bergelimang dalam kemungkaran seperti ; nyanyi-nyanyian, main judi, mabuk-mabukan dan sejenisnya. Hal mana akan menyebabkan terhapusnya amal kebajikan yang dilakukan selama sepuluh hari.
[10]. Selain Hal-Hal Yang Telah Disebutkan Diatas.
Hendaknya setiap muslim dan muslimah mengisi hari-hari ini dengan melakukan ketaatan, dzikir dan syukur kepada Allah, melaksanakan segala kewajiban dan menjauhi segala larangan ; memanfaatkan kesempatan ini dan berusaha memperoleh kemurahan Allah agar mendapat ridha-Nya.
Semoga Allah melimpahkan taufik-Nya dan menunjuki kita kepada jalan yang lurus. Dan shalawat serta salam semoga tetap tercurah kepada Nabi Muhammad, kepada keluarga dan para sahabatnya.
Selamat Hari Raya Eid-ul Adha to all Muslims... may our deeds be accepted and we are placed amongst the believers, inshaallah. :)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Total randomness
It seems ages since I actually did some writing that I feel rather weird doing so now. Words constantly failed me- too much kuih raya corroding my creativity. Most heartfelt thanks to my parents who sent me and my sister the now-traditional raya parcel. =D The kuihs are almost finished, by the way, Mocha Nestume being the most popular. Even the separa-hancur pineapple tarts were swiftly done with. Never contend the appetites of good-food-deprived students, I say.
As de rigueur, at least one paragraph would be reserved for snippets of my wistful thoughts embodying the keener nuance of my evolving self- otherwise known as blubbering. And today, after quietly reflecting over a cup of Earl Grey, the whole brouhaha in my conscience boiled down to one disturbing fact: my Russian’s dreadful. And to think that I’ll be sitting for Russian exam at the end of the semester. Woo-hoo. It’s hitting me quite hard, now that I’ve just started to care about its, well, pathetic state, because in truth I really like learning languages. It’s kind of my forte (besides tripping, falling, and other forms of self-humiliation). But Russian…
It’s a difficult language, Russian. Personally, in terms of complexity, I think it rivals Arabic for the various rules and cases. Still, if only I had worked harder, I could be having that desired conversation with the taxi driver back in first year now (even though, after 2 years of adapting, I’ve learned the value of money and avoid taxis as much as I could. LOL). Yeah, we had had some bad luck with our teacher being sick for a long time during first year, hampering our classes (subs teachers didn’t seem too interested in our progress). And yeah, we had had a new teacher for our second year who didn’t speak a word of English (except perhaps, “Now, listen to me”) and was a little, uh, disagreeable, making learning extra difficult, and halfway through a lot of us had become disinterested.
But. These are excuses, the allegory of my weak alter ego. If I had really wanted to, I could have put more effort to it. Practice the language; speak up. But I’m a person who is scared of making mistakes- scared of making a botch of the grammar, sentence structure and whatnots, thus ended up not speaking at all. Silly, wishy-washy wimp, you could say that. Honestly, I can't imagine myself speaking fluent Russian by the end of my studies here. The best I could hope for is probably successful bargaining with Mak ciks at the market ;p
Another wistful thought: after two years, I think it's safe to finally conclude that I actually like it here. Ok, I admit that half of the verdict (perhaps more) is due to my ridiculously optimistic, er, optimism, which tries to perceive everything coming my way as a life-shaping experience. Yes, I whine, I cry, I kick (only the door of my closet, don't worry ;p), and I do say I'm depressed a lot, but at the end of the day, I would come to realise that my state is actually much better than a lot others- even the people around me. Even the scum who stole my kolbasa (giant meat sausage <-- dunno how else to describe it! haha), mascarpone cheese, ginger, and spaghetti sauce a few days ago failed to irk me that much, compared to the others (massive 'robbery' occurred in our floor). Sometimes I do wonder why at times I sound rather angry when in truth I am not, not really. Just that there are times when I feel like there's a sudden rush of emotions running through my veins and things would just happen- things that I would regret only a second after.
I'm starting to sound like someone suffering from bipolar disorder. In conclusion, yeah, it's pretty nice to be living here, in a foreign land, learning more about what life can offer. Heck, I can even tolerate eating salads now. I kind of like them even (although they're more of a “so bad it’s good” variety. LOL).
I noticed a change in me that surprised me a bit though, one that I'm not sure is for the better or worse. Perhaps I've mentioned this before in an entry- the fact that I've taken a quieter front around people in the community. Friends not close to me may find me rather aloof and unfriendly (or shy, if they're being nice ;p), but those who are close to me, I think I'm really easy to figure out. Eh? =D In spite of it, I don't feel bad for the change, although i do wonder, where has the old me gone...
Final thought: Are Malays really hard to identify? I mean, I can understand being mistaken for an Indonesian or a Singaporean, or even a Filipino, but you won't believe the variety of races/nationalities I've been 'accused' of being for the past two years. Let's see... Vietnamese, Indian, American, Korean, Afghan, Iranian... even Brazilian. It's amusing. The peculiar thing is, most of the people would not straightly ask our origin- instead they find the fun in guessing, albeit a little unwittingly. All in all, it's good to encounter these people anytime, rather than the ones who would suddenly jump on you, babbling in angry Russian for reasons you would never comprehend.
Today's entry is really random, eh? I guess it's the post-withdrawal effect. haha. I'm calling it a day now- had a very bad case of food poisoning last night which continued right till today afternoon. Even now, my stomach is constantly making this rumbling motorcycle noise. Vrooom.
As de rigueur, at least one paragraph would be reserved for snippets of my wistful thoughts embodying the keener nuance of my evolving self- otherwise known as blubbering. And today, after quietly reflecting over a cup of Earl Grey, the whole brouhaha in my conscience boiled down to one disturbing fact: my Russian’s dreadful. And to think that I’ll be sitting for Russian exam at the end of the semester. Woo-hoo. It’s hitting me quite hard, now that I’ve just started to care about its, well, pathetic state, because in truth I really like learning languages. It’s kind of my forte (besides tripping, falling, and other forms of self-humiliation). But Russian…
It’s a difficult language, Russian. Personally, in terms of complexity, I think it rivals Arabic for the various rules and cases. Still, if only I had worked harder, I could be having that desired conversation with the taxi driver back in first year now (even though, after 2 years of adapting, I’ve learned the value of money and avoid taxis as much as I could. LOL). Yeah, we had had some bad luck with our teacher being sick for a long time during first year, hampering our classes (subs teachers didn’t seem too interested in our progress). And yeah, we had had a new teacher for our second year who didn’t speak a word of English (except perhaps, “Now, listen to me”) and was a little, uh, disagreeable, making learning extra difficult, and halfway through a lot of us had become disinterested.
But. These are excuses, the allegory of my weak alter ego. If I had really wanted to, I could have put more effort to it. Practice the language; speak up. But I’m a person who is scared of making mistakes- scared of making a botch of the grammar, sentence structure and whatnots, thus ended up not speaking at all. Silly, wishy-washy wimp, you could say that. Honestly, I can't imagine myself speaking fluent Russian by the end of my studies here. The best I could hope for is probably successful bargaining with Mak ciks at the market ;p
Another wistful thought: after two years, I think it's safe to finally conclude that I actually like it here. Ok, I admit that half of the verdict (perhaps more) is due to my ridiculously optimistic, er, optimism, which tries to perceive everything coming my way as a life-shaping experience. Yes, I whine, I cry, I kick (only the door of my closet, don't worry ;p), and I do say I'm depressed a lot, but at the end of the day, I would come to realise that my state is actually much better than a lot others- even the people around me. Even the scum who stole my kolbasa (giant meat sausage <-- dunno how else to describe it! haha), mascarpone cheese, ginger, and spaghetti sauce a few days ago failed to irk me that much, compared to the others (massive 'robbery' occurred in our floor). Sometimes I do wonder why at times I sound rather angry when in truth I am not, not really. Just that there are times when I feel like there's a sudden rush of emotions running through my veins and things would just happen- things that I would regret only a second after.
I'm starting to sound like someone suffering from bipolar disorder. In conclusion, yeah, it's pretty nice to be living here, in a foreign land, learning more about what life can offer. Heck, I can even tolerate eating salads now. I kind of like them even (although they're more of a “so bad it’s good” variety. LOL).
I noticed a change in me that surprised me a bit though, one that I'm not sure is for the better or worse. Perhaps I've mentioned this before in an entry- the fact that I've taken a quieter front around people in the community. Friends not close to me may find me rather aloof and unfriendly (or shy, if they're being nice ;p), but those who are close to me, I think I'm really easy to figure out. Eh? =D In spite of it, I don't feel bad for the change, although i do wonder, where has the old me gone...
Final thought: Are Malays really hard to identify? I mean, I can understand being mistaken for an Indonesian or a Singaporean, or even a Filipino, but you won't believe the variety of races/nationalities I've been 'accused' of being for the past two years. Let's see... Vietnamese, Indian, American, Korean, Afghan, Iranian... even Brazilian. It's amusing. The peculiar thing is, most of the people would not straightly ask our origin- instead they find the fun in guessing, albeit a little unwittingly. All in all, it's good to encounter these people anytime, rather than the ones who would suddenly jump on you, babbling in angry Russian for reasons you would never comprehend.
Today's entry is really random, eh? I guess it's the post-withdrawal effect. haha. I'm calling it a day now- had a very bad case of food poisoning last night which continued right till today afternoon. Even now, my stomach is constantly making this rumbling motorcycle noise. Vrooom.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Raya pics
Last Sunday, we had our annual Raya celebration at the hostel. As I'm having yet another camera-less year, all these pics were borrowed. No pics of the food though, I guess everybody was too hungry to care. And rightly so, because the spread was glorious- the succulent savour of the rendang kambing is still lingering in my tastebuds...
3rd year Muslim students (most of)
3rd year students + a couple of, uh, wandering seniors.
I miss lemang ;(
Performance by the freshmen
With Farah
With Fatin
Models of my baju kurung collection. Hehe.
3rd year Muslim students (most of)
3rd year students + a couple of, uh, wandering seniors.
I miss lemang ;(
Performance by the freshmen
With Farah
With Fatin
Models of my baju kurung collection. Hehe.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
New kid on the 20s block
To my dearest friend Azleen, a very happy birthday to you ;)
I first met Azleen when we were in standard five- I was the new kid in school, she was class-next-door's monitor. No, I wasn't being picked on and she the only one willing to befriend me- the story didn't go like that. ;p Anyway, I was transferred to her class halfway into the year but we didn't get really close until standard six, especially during the World Cup, when it appeared that the two us were about the only football fans in class. The bond persevered when we entered the same secondary school and became classmates for the entire five years of laughters, tears, sweats, and silliness.
Now I'm in Russia, she's in Australia. I'm studying to become a doctor, she an engineer. I was a Scout, she was a Red Crescent member. I joined Karate club, she was in Taekwondo. I was a prefect, she was a librarian (at some point).
We are very different, yet alike. We are writers. Debaters. Book lovers. Sports enthusiasts. Most importantly, we share the same values and ideals. And yeah, I still wanna travel around the world one day! You? ;)
Sorry aa, saya tak update koleksi gambar lama. ;p
ps: Whoops, I seem to be a li'l late. The birthday's on 16th October. =)
I first met Azleen when we were in standard five- I was the new kid in school, she was class-next-door's monitor. No, I wasn't being picked on and she the only one willing to befriend me- the story didn't go like that. ;p Anyway, I was transferred to her class halfway into the year but we didn't get really close until standard six, especially during the World Cup, when it appeared that the two us were about the only football fans in class. The bond persevered when we entered the same secondary school and became classmates for the entire five years of laughters, tears, sweats, and silliness.
Now I'm in Russia, she's in Australia. I'm studying to become a doctor, she an engineer. I was a Scout, she was a Red Crescent member. I joined Karate club, she was in Taekwondo. I was a prefect, she was a librarian (at some point).
We are very different, yet alike. We are writers. Debaters. Book lovers. Sports enthusiasts. Most importantly, we share the same values and ideals. And yeah, I still wanna travel around the world one day! You? ;)
Sorry aa, saya tak update koleksi gambar lama. ;p
ps: Whoops, I seem to be a li'l late. The birthday's on 16th October. =)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
A loving tribute
I went back alone after class this afternoon and had quite a time skipping around puddles of stretched memory, as I marched up the lone hill in my cruddy sneakers and purple baju kurung, getting thrown a few rude stares by jakun Russians as I went. But I’m immune to it already, so go ahead. Stare. Haha. Ok, maybe not. This is the main reason why I prefer not to wear baju kurung to classes- the inevitable prospect of being appraised with all likelihood of a murder suspect, or if you prefer, an alien with tentacles.
But that’s not the crux of my story. So I was recollecting voices from the past, being a touch nostalgic, when I sort of realised how fortunate I was to be who I was, where I was, doing what I was doing. How fortunate even, for the fact that I had been able to discern the fact itself, the fact that Allah had granted me enough conscience to really think, and see. To make mistakes and realise them. For the incomparable blessings of faith and knowledge, and awareness.
More than mere will power and self-resolution though, I attributed all the push I got into building my character and way of life to my parents, the two important persons without whom I, beyond question, wouldn’t be the person I am today. They were not the most pampering kind of parents (in fact, the very opposite), nor were they, being doctors, always available, but, relatively speaking, I couldn’t imagine any child being taken care of every detail of their upbringing better than my father and mother did. This may sound like typical every child’s my-parents-are-the-best bragging (and to some extent, yeah, it is), but I truly feel thankful to be blessed with parents like mine, all prejudices shoved aside.
My mother was the more assertive- she paid great attention to our academic progress and was constantly breathing down our necks about finishing homework and stuff. My father would at times be dragged into the picture as well (checking homework, tutoring on difficult questions) and frequently played the role of our saviour against the ‘wrath’ of mum. From my mother I developed love for English readings, from my father Malay readings which centred on stories of the prophets and believers.
The reason I am most thankful for my parents, though, is their determination to educate us with the righteous way of Islamic life, although I was too young to realise the huge significance of all this back then. We started learning the Quran very early and my parents made sure we had a Quran teacher even after we had finished our recitation and tajwid lessons (I continued having classes until right before entering college). They sent me, my younger brothers and sister to a private religious primary school, against my grandmother’s approval, until I reached standard 5, when we were transferred to a government school because they wanted us to get the chance to enter prestigious secondary boarding schools. During holidays, we would be enrolled in Islamic programs/camps, and I still remember having disliked many of them for several reasons (recently I had a talk with my dad about those stuff he made us attend back then, and the unseen necessity of it all). We were encouraged to perform sunat deeds, especially fasting 6 days in Syawal, and were given rewards for our success (my request would always be books, books, and books).
To quote everything my parents did for us would be tedious work, and no amount of gratitude could be expressed in writing for their boundless love and efforts. They were indeed busy people (the number of times and people I had to tumpang balik sekolah! And collect my report books!), but we never once felt ‘terabai’ (yes, we do get this from people. My sister gets very annoyed. Haha)- far from it. My father would gather us to perform solat jamaah whenever time permitted and we would have usrah afterwards. And my mother memorised all of my friends’ names and faces, up to recognising many of them on the streets. So how could we feel neglected... overprotected would seem like a better accusation. Heh.
That being said, I still am a young, struggling person with many, many faults and undesirable qualities, but that is due to my own weaknesses, influenced by the corrupted world and lures of inner demons I am still straining to fight. My parents, on their part, had given me the foundation I needed in getting to know my own religion, to cherish it, and not taking it for granted. There are loving parents everywhere, but my parents did more than passively love- they made us see our purpose in life, forced us to seek the truth at the time when all we cared about were good food and entertainment.
This is actually a late tribute to my parents’ 23th wedding anniversary on 9th September. I sent an email to my mum, wishing them, but she didn’t receive it, so this is sort of a belated wish. We did not forget, as you had implied. ;) I wrote this back then, but haven't published it till now. Happy anniversary, Mak and Abah..
Also, Selamat Hari Raya to my family and dear readers, maaf zahir dan batin. We celebrated 1st of Syawal on Friday and alhamdulillah, I managed to perform eid prayer at the mosque. Our traditional breakfast was brilliant- we had nasi tomato, ayam masak merah, rendang ayam, ayam masak lemak, acar, lontong, nasi himpit, kuah kacang, kek batik, and puddings.
Esok ada jemputan rumah terbuka lagi. Thank you, people!
Mid-autumn: nearby our university.
Iftar gathering for Malaysian students last Saturday: My sister with her friends.
1st Syawal: with Farah, Sakinah, and Anis.
A snap with our Microbiology teacher.
Sany's open house
Perut-perut kenyang.
ps: pictures courtesy of Fatin.
But that’s not the crux of my story. So I was recollecting voices from the past, being a touch nostalgic, when I sort of realised how fortunate I was to be who I was, where I was, doing what I was doing. How fortunate even, for the fact that I had been able to discern the fact itself, the fact that Allah had granted me enough conscience to really think, and see. To make mistakes and realise them. For the incomparable blessings of faith and knowledge, and awareness.
More than mere will power and self-resolution though, I attributed all the push I got into building my character and way of life to my parents, the two important persons without whom I, beyond question, wouldn’t be the person I am today. They were not the most pampering kind of parents (in fact, the very opposite), nor were they, being doctors, always available, but, relatively speaking, I couldn’t imagine any child being taken care of every detail of their upbringing better than my father and mother did. This may sound like typical every child’s my-parents-are-the-best bragging (and to some extent, yeah, it is), but I truly feel thankful to be blessed with parents like mine, all prejudices shoved aside.
My mother was the more assertive- she paid great attention to our academic progress and was constantly breathing down our necks about finishing homework and stuff. My father would at times be dragged into the picture as well (checking homework, tutoring on difficult questions) and frequently played the role of our saviour against the ‘wrath’ of mum. From my mother I developed love for English readings, from my father Malay readings which centred on stories of the prophets and believers.
The reason I am most thankful for my parents, though, is their determination to educate us with the righteous way of Islamic life, although I was too young to realise the huge significance of all this back then. We started learning the Quran very early and my parents made sure we had a Quran teacher even after we had finished our recitation and tajwid lessons (I continued having classes until right before entering college). They sent me, my younger brothers and sister to a private religious primary school, against my grandmother’s approval, until I reached standard 5, when we were transferred to a government school because they wanted us to get the chance to enter prestigious secondary boarding schools. During holidays, we would be enrolled in Islamic programs/camps, and I still remember having disliked many of them for several reasons (recently I had a talk with my dad about those stuff he made us attend back then, and the unseen necessity of it all). We were encouraged to perform sunat deeds, especially fasting 6 days in Syawal, and were given rewards for our success (my request would always be books, books, and books).
To quote everything my parents did for us would be tedious work, and no amount of gratitude could be expressed in writing for their boundless love and efforts. They were indeed busy people (the number of times and people I had to tumpang balik sekolah! And collect my report books!), but we never once felt ‘terabai’ (yes, we do get this from people. My sister gets very annoyed. Haha)- far from it. My father would gather us to perform solat jamaah whenever time permitted and we would have usrah afterwards. And my mother memorised all of my friends’ names and faces, up to recognising many of them on the streets. So how could we feel neglected... overprotected would seem like a better accusation. Heh.
That being said, I still am a young, struggling person with many, many faults and undesirable qualities, but that is due to my own weaknesses, influenced by the corrupted world and lures of inner demons I am still straining to fight. My parents, on their part, had given me the foundation I needed in getting to know my own religion, to cherish it, and not taking it for granted. There are loving parents everywhere, but my parents did more than passively love- they made us see our purpose in life, forced us to seek the truth at the time when all we cared about were good food and entertainment.
This is actually a late tribute to my parents’ 23th wedding anniversary on 9th September. I sent an email to my mum, wishing them, but she didn’t receive it, so this is sort of a belated wish. We did not forget, as you had implied. ;) I wrote this back then, but haven't published it till now. Happy anniversary, Mak and Abah..
Also, Selamat Hari Raya to my family and dear readers, maaf zahir dan batin. We celebrated 1st of Syawal on Friday and alhamdulillah, I managed to perform eid prayer at the mosque. Our traditional breakfast was brilliant- we had nasi tomato, ayam masak merah, rendang ayam, ayam masak lemak, acar, lontong, nasi himpit, kuah kacang, kek batik, and puddings.
Esok ada jemputan rumah terbuka lagi. Thank you, people!
Mid-autumn: nearby our university.
Iftar gathering for Malaysian students last Saturday: My sister with her friends.
1st Syawal: with Farah, Sakinah, and Anis.
A snap with our Microbiology teacher.
Sany's open house
Perut-perut kenyang.
ps: pictures courtesy of Fatin.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Cuaca dah mula sejuk...
I have been tagged by Uncle P5. So, being the obedient niece I am, here goes... (note that everything stated below are subject to rapid change)
5 menda dalam beg galas aku...
1. Buku rujukan, buku tulis, dan semua yang berkaitan dengan pelajaran (itu pun masih selalu tertinggal ini la, itu la.)
2. 'Lab coat', atau orang di sini panggil 'white gown'. Sangat berkedut-kedut.
3. Bekas pensel- penyumbang 25% daripada berat beg, sebab saya sumbat segala macam keperluan ke dalamnya.
4. Cermin mata- khas untuk penggunaan semasa kuliah (kalau tak tertidur).
5. Novel 'Great Expectations' oleh Charles Dickens, one of my favourite authors. Recommended by dad.
5 menda dalam dompet aku...
1. Duit dan resit (nisbah 1:3. Hahaha).
2. Kad ATM, kad ahli Krasniy Kub, kad ISIC, Kad diskaun travel ke Europe, Kad kumpulan darah, dan sebagainya.
3. Koleksi gambar pasport keluarga, kawan-kawan, dan haiwan peliharaan.
4. 5 butir (?) kekunci yang terpelanting dari papan kekunci laptop saya tempoh hari (termasuk kekunci 'delete'! Tsk).
5. Sim card MTS yang direject bulat-bulat oleh handphone saya yang sedang sakit (Nak rawat dan handphone ni masih under warranty, tapi dah puas cari, tak jumpa-jumpa cebisan kertas keramat tersebut).
5 menda feveret dalam bilik tido...
1. Sekarang cuaca sudah mula sejuk, maka- selimut!
2. Laptop
3. Quran dan tafseer
4. Dinding (sesiapa yang selalu lawat bilik saya akan faham) dan cermin (cermin bilik baru ni macam tipu sikit- semua orang nampak lebih kurus. I like! Haha).
5. Rak buku dan CD (tapi selalu terfikir bagaimana nak angkut balik semua ni bila dah tamat belajar nanti).
5 menda aku wish nak buat...
1. Beli sebuah televisyen. Hehe.
2. Berbasikal ke kelas.
3. Tonton perlawanan Roger Federer-Pete Sampras dan Rafael Nadal-Richard Gasquet di Kuala Lumpur bulan depan.
4. Ponteng lectures Patho. Anatomy
5. Tangkap gambar musim luruh (takde camera!!! nangis!).
5 menda aku buat skarang...
1. Check emails
2. Download manga
3. Hafal puisi 'Ya Vas Lyubil' (I Loved You Once) untuk test kelas Russian esok (tapi dah extend kepada kajian tentang kehidupan Pushkin pula. The wonders of technology).
4. Menggigil (tapi malas capai stokin; selimut masih terlipat kemas, macam sayang pula nak guna. Haha).
5. Makan waffle berintikan strawberi.
5 orang kroni yang patut kena tag sekali...
Minta maaf, saya tak ada kroni. Haa.
And below is the aforementioned poem (and translation) for tomorrow's test- simply sharing the pain. ;p (No offence, I like the poem).
Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.
I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet
To die down thoroughly within my soul;
But let it not dismay you any longer;
I have no wish to cause you any sorrow.
I loved you wordlessly, without a hope,
By shyness tortured, or by jealousy.
I loved you with such tenderness and candor
And pray God grants you to be loved that way again.
5 menda dalam beg galas aku...
1. Buku rujukan, buku tulis, dan semua yang berkaitan dengan pelajaran (itu pun masih selalu tertinggal ini la, itu la.)
2. 'Lab coat', atau orang di sini panggil 'white gown'. Sangat berkedut-kedut.
3. Bekas pensel- penyumbang 25% daripada berat beg, sebab saya sumbat segala macam keperluan ke dalamnya.
4. Cermin mata- khas untuk penggunaan semasa kuliah (kalau tak tertidur).
5. Novel 'Great Expectations' oleh Charles Dickens, one of my favourite authors. Recommended by dad.
5 menda dalam dompet aku...
1. Duit dan resit (nisbah 1:3. Hahaha).
2. Kad ATM, kad ahli Krasniy Kub, kad ISIC, Kad diskaun travel ke Europe, Kad kumpulan darah, dan sebagainya.
3. Koleksi gambar pasport keluarga, kawan-kawan, dan haiwan peliharaan.
4. 5 butir (?) kekunci yang terpelanting dari papan kekunci laptop saya tempoh hari (termasuk kekunci 'delete'! Tsk).
5. Sim card MTS yang direject bulat-bulat oleh handphone saya yang sedang sakit (Nak rawat dan handphone ni masih under warranty, tapi dah puas cari, tak jumpa-jumpa cebisan kertas keramat tersebut).
5 menda feveret dalam bilik tido...
1. Sekarang cuaca sudah mula sejuk, maka- selimut!
2. Laptop
3. Quran dan tafseer
4. Dinding (sesiapa yang selalu lawat bilik saya akan faham) dan cermin (cermin bilik baru ni macam tipu sikit- semua orang nampak lebih kurus. I like! Haha).
5. Rak buku dan CD (tapi selalu terfikir bagaimana nak angkut balik semua ni bila dah tamat belajar nanti).
5 menda aku wish nak buat...
1. Beli sebuah televisyen. Hehe.
2. Berbasikal ke kelas.
3. Tonton perlawanan Roger Federer-Pete Sampras dan Rafael Nadal-Richard Gasquet di Kuala Lumpur bulan depan.
4. Ponteng lectures Patho. Anatomy
5. Tangkap gambar musim luruh (takde camera!!! nangis!).
5 menda aku buat skarang...
1. Check emails
2. Download manga
3. Hafal puisi 'Ya Vas Lyubil' (I Loved You Once) untuk test kelas Russian esok (tapi dah extend kepada kajian tentang kehidupan Pushkin pula. The wonders of technology).
4. Menggigil (tapi malas capai stokin; selimut masih terlipat kemas, macam sayang pula nak guna. Haha).
5. Makan waffle berintikan strawberi.
5 orang kroni yang patut kena tag sekali...
Minta maaf, saya tak ada kroni. Haa.
And below is the aforementioned poem (and translation) for tomorrow's test- simply sharing the pain. ;p (No offence, I like the poem).
Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.
I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet
To die down thoroughly within my soul;
But let it not dismay you any longer;
I have no wish to cause you any sorrow.
I loved you wordlessly, without a hope,
By shyness tortured, or by jealousy.
I loved you with such tenderness and candor
And pray God grants you to be loved that way again.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
And then there were two
My brother Muhammad has jetted off to Bristol last Saturday. Good luck in adapting, badut, and make us all proud!
Aliah and Luqman, mesti korang bosan kitorang takde, kan? Ngehehe.
Abah and mak, we miss Ramadhan at home =(
ps: pictures courtesy of my dad.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Happy birthday Maman!
This past week has been personified by strings of personal problems and poor focus. I need to get my aura back. Hehe. My comfort words these days are not to sweat the small stuff, and that every cloud has a silver lining. Yeah. Except in Russia.
Today is my youngest brother Luqman's 14th birthday. Happy birthday! It's funny, the more he grew up, the more I thought of him as my baby brother. Or I'm the one who's getting very old... Either way, he is my baby bro. A very big one. Hehehe.
I'm camera-less again this year (yes, it's outrageous), because apparently spare-parts for Olympus were hard to get in Malaysia. I am so going to save money for a fabulous DSLR. Yup. *seraya mengangkat kening*
These sluggish one-liner strings of words are getting ratherish crummy. Yeah? And I'm now depressed after learning that this November Roger Federer is going to engage in an exhibition match with Pete Sampras... in Kuala Lumpur!!! Gggggrrrr... why must they do this to me (Yes, Pa, your Nadal's gonna be there, too!). I shall go search for that silver lining now.
Oh wait. It's almost midnight.
Can I look at the moon instead?
Today is my youngest brother Luqman's 14th birthday. Happy birthday! It's funny, the more he grew up, the more I thought of him as my baby brother. Or I'm the one who's getting very old... Either way, he is my baby bro. A very big one. Hehehe.
I'm camera-less again this year (yes, it's outrageous), because apparently spare-parts for Olympus were hard to get in Malaysia. I am so going to save money for a fabulous DSLR. Yup. *seraya mengangkat kening*
These sluggish one-liner strings of words are getting ratherish crummy. Yeah? And I'm now depressed after learning that this November Roger Federer is going to engage in an exhibition match with Pete Sampras... in Kuala Lumpur!!! Gggggrrrr... why must they do this to me (Yes, Pa, your Nadal's gonna be there, too!). I shall go search for that silver lining now.
Oh wait. It's almost midnight.
Can I look at the moon instead?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Selamat menyambut Ramadhan
Time is such a marvel. For it seems like bashing my foot into the bedroom door till my toenail almost came out took place only last week, driving my grandfather all the way to Gemencheh to visit my sister a bordering distance beforehand. And I can still relish the out-of-this-world dishes at two of my absolute favourite places to have lunch- my grandfather’s place and the restaurant by the riverside, both serving very ‘kampung’ food, which is my stomach’s definition of heavenly.
The unclad truth is, I’m in Russia, eating disagreeable junks (some of which I cook, so I’m partly to blame), having just moved yet again from the testosterone-laden floor (they made excellent floor mates by the way, except for their gender. Haha. Very nice, very polite.) to a girls’ floor just down the corner four days ago. I’m coping. Uh-huh.
Talking on a more general scope, I’m 21 according to the Gregorian calendar; 22 according to the Hijrian. That in itself is a marvel. Not so because I have managed to grow up to this age, becoming an adult, but for the nagging fact that I have managed to reach this minor milestone of existence feeling as wonderfully confused and moony as I had seven years back. God-willed, I did grow up a bit but being 21 now isn’t what I originally thought it would be like.
Now that Ramadhan has breathed its light once more, it gives me a lot of space to mull over my arid ocean of thoughts. The effort for the better, and the contented feeling at the end of it that I did become better. Yet when next year comes, I feel like I’m back at the beginning of it all again, quite lost and vulnerable. And I had tried to comfort my little heckler of a conscience by deeming it as normal, something that everybody should only feel. The more I try to shake it off though, the more it bugs me. When you don’t feel contented, you don’t. That’s that.
I wish to embrace timeless progress, not merely being a seasonal labourer repeating the same arduous cycle at forever's end. Man, the battle with an-nafs really is exhausting.
However ‘seasonal’ I should feel like though, having Ramadhan is always a blessing- the greatest blessing of time and space to reform, to grow. If we should choose but one time to go all-out in our endeavours, let it be this beautiful month, where every little deed is rewarded in manifolds, and the door to al-maghfirah is never closed. Let’s all work towards a fruitful Ramadhan, inshaallah.
"And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember; but is there any that remembereth?" -Al-Qamar: 17
Taking the meaning literally, my hafazan of the Quran needs a major lot of checking up and progress. I've been stagnant for a great while. *sigh*
The unclad truth is, I’m in Russia, eating disagreeable junks (some of which I cook, so I’m partly to blame), having just moved yet again from the testosterone-laden floor (they made excellent floor mates by the way, except for their gender. Haha. Very nice, very polite.) to a girls’ floor just down the corner four days ago. I’m coping. Uh-huh.
Talking on a more general scope, I’m 21 according to the Gregorian calendar; 22 according to the Hijrian. That in itself is a marvel. Not so because I have managed to grow up to this age, becoming an adult, but for the nagging fact that I have managed to reach this minor milestone of existence feeling as wonderfully confused and moony as I had seven years back. God-willed, I did grow up a bit but being 21 now isn’t what I originally thought it would be like.
Now that Ramadhan has breathed its light once more, it gives me a lot of space to mull over my arid ocean of thoughts. The effort for the better, and the contented feeling at the end of it that I did become better. Yet when next year comes, I feel like I’m back at the beginning of it all again, quite lost and vulnerable. And I had tried to comfort my little heckler of a conscience by deeming it as normal, something that everybody should only feel. The more I try to shake it off though, the more it bugs me. When you don’t feel contented, you don’t. That’s that.
I wish to embrace timeless progress, not merely being a seasonal labourer repeating the same arduous cycle at forever's end. Man, the battle with an-nafs really is exhausting.
However ‘seasonal’ I should feel like though, having Ramadhan is always a blessing- the greatest blessing of time and space to reform, to grow. If we should choose but one time to go all-out in our endeavours, let it be this beautiful month, where every little deed is rewarded in manifolds, and the door to al-maghfirah is never closed. Let’s all work towards a fruitful Ramadhan, inshaallah.
"And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember; but is there any that remembereth?" -Al-Qamar: 17
Taking the meaning literally, my hafazan of the Quran needs a major lot of checking up and progress. I've been stagnant for a great while. *sigh*
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Wake me up when September ends
I've been considerably chided by a couple of friends for the lack of words on my blog during the holiday, and decently so. How should I say this, eh- to put it in straightforward Latin- I'd got my caput inter nubile. *guffaws* And instead of carpe diem, my motto throughout the two glorious months would more aptly be carpe noctem. So in between all those unfettered busying, I'm afraid there wasn't much left for creative writing, unless I was J.K. Rowling and wouldn't give a hoot about saving up for another year of bland food and incomprehensible entertainment whilst indulging in the glorious sea of ink and quills (or keyboards, more like). For those who couldn't fathom my encrypted language, give it up. I'm blubbering. And why shouldn't I be, when I have been coolly tossed out of my room for two years into a floor full of 'testosterone-laden creatures', as my mother put it (hehe gonna reply your email very soon). I made my case to the guy-in-charge at the dean's office this afternoon who forced me to put across everything in Russian even though he understood English perfectly (probably so that I couldn't babble my heart out, very smart move), before telling me not to worry cos this whole jamboree of an affair was only temporary and would be sorted out very soon. Then he shoo-ed me before I could press further for specifics. Anyhow, it was a relief to know that I won't have to play seesaw with the male-free floor above for shower and other, er, stuff for the entire academic year. Although I'm nauseated at the prospect of packing up yet again for another move if necessary (I'm not exactly the most organised person alive, see). It isn't very helpful either that I've started my classes and the teachers so far have successfully foreshadowed a semester of everlasting fire for us small fries. Yet still, I (unintentionally) slept throughout a third of our first ever lecture today, despite my solemn vow to copy everything this time around. Well, well.
Despite my one-paragraph-madwoman yackety-yak above, I'm still sane, thank goodness. Quite a few words now, wouldn't you say, (ex)Roomie A? =D
A couple of random pictures in the CD my father made me (most pictures were in an unfamiliar format, dunno why. Abah??)
My beloved friend, Faezar and I at my grandfather's kenduri. She said the only times she eat mutton curry would be at our kenduris. Haha.
My sisters, aunt, and I. We were having breakfast at my grandfather's before heading off to Kuala Tembeling and Fraser's Hill. For further news on the latter, please ask my mum and dad.
Nabihah and Erfa, two of my dearest friends during a meeting at KLCC a day before my flight.
With Aki, the day I left for KL.
Despite my one-paragraph-madwoman yackety-yak above, I'm still sane, thank goodness. Quite a few words now, wouldn't you say, (ex)Roomie A? =D
A couple of random pictures in the CD my father made me (most pictures were in an unfamiliar format, dunno why. Abah??)
My beloved friend, Faezar and I at my grandfather's kenduri. She said the only times she eat mutton curry would be at our kenduris. Haha.
My sisters, aunt, and I. We were having breakfast at my grandfather's before heading off to Kuala Tembeling and Fraser's Hill. For further news on the latter, please ask my mum and dad.
Nabihah and Erfa, two of my dearest friends during a meeting at KLCC a day before my flight.
With Aki, the day I left for KL.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Time to say goodbye
The happiest seven weeks of the year are coming to an end, during which I chose to be the laziest writer and the keenest lazybum around. Which has been all good, except for the fact that my brain is now quarterly frozen and not particularly ideal for learning data storage, which shall begin processing in nine days. As always, I finally decided to write on the eve of my travel (leaving for KL tomorrow), when I should really be packing up every little junk littering the floor of my room. Panicking can be addictive.
There are so many things planned yet undone, but I can't say that I haven't enjoyed my holiday- immensely. Still, I wish I could be more organised. And frugal. And finish my travelogue. =p
It's a very mixed feeling I'm having- sadness, with a tinge of excitement (of going into my third year of studies) and dithers (switching from honeymoon semester to a hellish one isn't going to be a cinch). But mostly sadness. And a little surprisingly, the bad vibes this time are worse than last year- time really does fly, and getting faster.
A few days ago, after passing through my former school, this familiar feeling surged all over.
Goodbye, au revoir!
There are so many things planned yet undone, but I can't say that I haven't enjoyed my holiday- immensely. Still, I wish I could be more organised. And frugal. And finish my travelogue. =p
It's a very mixed feeling I'm having- sadness, with a tinge of excitement (of going into my third year of studies) and dithers (switching from honeymoon semester to a hellish one isn't going to be a cinch). But mostly sadness. And a little surprisingly, the bad vibes this time are worse than last year- time really does fly, and getting faster.
A few days ago, after passing through my former school, this familiar feeling surged all over.
Goodbye, au revoir!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Hong Kong: People
Alright, so the collage is more about wax figures at Madame Tussauds than live, animate people on the street. That's me being bitter. I wish I could go the extra length to photograph everything I set my heart on, not bounded by disproportionate qualms and reservation.
If there was one thing about Hong Kong that stood head and shoulders apart from the rest, it was the dynamism of the people. Everywhere you turned to, everybody was just actively on the go; business took place at the flick of a finger and trust me, you wouldn't feel scared of getting lost and having nowhere or no one to turn to- help was everywhere around you. The acts of hospitality and great competency were especially demonstrated to us at the airport, which had now become my favourite airport in the world (not that I've been to many. haha). Those guys were fast, professional and always ready to lend a hand, unlike so many officers I’d had the displeasure of encountering here and in other places.
I think I could turn people sick with another word of adoration ;p There was a snag to the delightful candy bag of a trip, sure. There always were. In fact, there were a few snags- not least was the expensive cost of expenditure, which could certainly be managed with careful and sensible planning. It would be most inconvenient, however, if you miscalculated the conversion rate of your currencies and discovered the truth only after you had finished all your last-minute shopping, which we so gullibly did. Haha. The horrors of realising you actually spent a third more than you thought you did…
Friday, August 03, 2007
Hong Kong: Towering Facade
In all simplicity, Hong Kong was the exact opposite of Istanbul. Cloud-busting skyscrapers, blinding neon lights, whooshing pedestrians on zigzagging streets... the faces of the two cities couldn't be more different. Yet they shared one common point of gravity- both were breathtakingly beautiful, in very contrasting fashions. And I was one happy traveler.
ps: All pictures were taken late evening, save the panorama in the middle- it was afternoon, after a heavy downpour.
pps: Pardon my lazy writing.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Water droplet of a thought
I have been lazy, as lazy as a blogger can get. Strings of words and images keep bobbing up in my head- about my unconcluded trip to Turkey, my short but memorable stay in Hong Kong, summary of yet another year of trying to build a nest in a foreign and uncompromising habitat... there is so much to write about. But I'm beat, mentally speaking. I'd rather be checking out on Tempang now, despite me being allergic, and at the same time looking out for the mafia cat who might be skulking around shamelessly, stealing Tempang's food, or worse, picking up unmanly fights with him or poor Nahar. Soaking him wet with hard water spray has been my perpetual fixation of late. You may think I'm way too evil to a cat, but wait till you meet Mafia. He brings evil cats to a whole new level.
Until my brain decides to function again...
Until my brain decides to function again...
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Kismet and me
Some kind of a too-technical-to-digest warning suddenly appeared on my laptop screen yesterday which could only spell t-r-o-u-b-l-e. True enough, as I restarted the whole thing, all my settings were reset- histories erased, folders missing, diddly Dell wallpaper took over (ok, a bit trivial, but it reappeared each time I switched on the laptop! Grr)... my heart nearly dropped at the thought of losing all my important documents. Eventually, I managed to retrace all my files, but I had no idea how to fix this unheralded mess. The laptop greeted me as if I was a new, foreign user. Sob. Luckily, I'm going home soon (tomorrow my journey starts) and I have the utmost confidence in my father to 'doctor' the whole caboodle. Right, Abah? Hehe.
Almost everyone in my floor has gone back home, including my roommates. Deafening silence gripped the air. Not fun.
Almost everyone in my floor has gone back home, including my roommates. Deafening silence gripped the air. Not fun.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Exam Schmexam
"It’s just a state of mind."
That’s my roomie’s catchy phrase to nix my never-ending melodramatic pool of thoughts. With final paper three days away, trip to Hong Kong seven days away, and touching foot on home soil eleven days away, can anyone possibly blame my spazzed-out sapience? I really am away with the mixer lately, my head spouting stuff of bubblegum pop songs and blah poetry, whilst leaving tiny room for some medical knowledge in between.
Ah. The exam. Gotta split. Praying for a good outcome this Thursday, in all fairness. Deo volente.
That’s my roomie’s catchy phrase to nix my never-ending melodramatic pool of thoughts. With final paper three days away, trip to Hong Kong seven days away, and touching foot on home soil eleven days away, can anyone possibly blame my spazzed-out sapience? I really am away with the mixer lately, my head spouting stuff of bubblegum pop songs and blah poetry, whilst leaving tiny room for some medical knowledge in between.
Ah. The exam. Gotta split. Praying for a good outcome this Thursday, in all fairness. Deo volente.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
The sun sets at nine
The exam epidemic's broken out in this part of the world, and people suffer from miscellanous symptoms that don't quite match up. Try this for an example. Yours truly, in between devouring strawberries+cream and daydreaming about the homecoming trip, is not doing too good. Nevertheless, trying hard to be optimistic. haa.
I’m pacing; small steps. I’m running, I’m raring to go. I stumble; I fall. I pause, reflecting. I rise. I’m catching up. I’m anxious, common sense quashed. I’m dashing to the end; I can see the light. I may not win. But I will be there. At the finish line.
About to break down, more like. Haha. This is where I stop, to leave room for some serious reflecting. And studying.
Oh yeah, besides mangoes being exotic and costing a small fortune, it really threw everything into perspective after hearing my roomie’s story regarding her therapy practical teacher, a gastroenterologist. The class were talking about weird stuff that people in different places ate, coming across examples like snakes, rats, etc. Then the teacher spoke about a television program he saw, showcasing a weird ‘cuisine’ people made. What did these people do, you ask? They fried bananas.
It took a while to have me stop laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
I’m pacing; small steps. I’m running, I’m raring to go. I stumble; I fall. I pause, reflecting. I rise. I’m catching up. I’m anxious, common sense quashed. I’m dashing to the end; I can see the light. I may not win. But I will be there. At the finish line.
About to break down, more like. Haha. This is where I stop, to leave room for some serious reflecting. And studying.
Oh yeah, besides mangoes being exotic and costing a small fortune, it really threw everything into perspective after hearing my roomie’s story regarding her therapy practical teacher, a gastroenterologist. The class were talking about weird stuff that people in different places ate, coming across examples like snakes, rats, etc. Then the teacher spoke about a television program he saw, showcasing a weird ‘cuisine’ people made. What did these people do, you ask? They fried bananas.
It took a while to have me stop laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
At the twilight
At the twilight, a moon appeared in the sky;
Then it landed on earth to look at me.
Like a hawk stealing a bird at the time of prey;
That moon stole me and rushed back into the sky.
I looked at myself, I did not see me anymore;
For in that moon, my body turned as fine as soul.
The nine spheres disappeared in that moon;
The ship of my existence drowned in that sea.
-Rumi.
Summer has arrived, surprisingly (in a pleasant way) manifested by blustering wind and cloudy atmosphere. They said it will last for a week. And as I sit here with my half-filled cup of green tea, savouring my break time (as articulated in Ops Sikap, appendix A) which has unintentionally been extended, this feeling of familiarity says hello. It's that time of year again. Every season possesses its unique peculiarities that makes its presence memorable. They may be found in the form of a song. A scenery. A favourite activity. Listening to a particular song may keenly remind you of autumn last year; listening to the train choo-chooing in the stillness of the night may bring to mind the novel feeling of just arriving here two years back. This time it's the wheezing racket of the fan's blades against the air, which is so reminiscent of summer and, inevitably, final exams. My heart flutters at the words, yet I still go about in guilty complacency. And now, I'm about to membebel pointlessly.
Life's pretty normal these days. Subuh at 2.30am, Isya' at 11.15pm. Frankly, I prefer winter's solat time. Strawberries are cheap, mangoes have been upped to about RM40 sebijik (should have taken a pic of 'em at the market), Russia and the U.S. are on the verge of another cold war, BM will be reverted to Bahasa Malaysia again (the government sure have lots of redundant topics to stress on), three more classes to go before study leave. Peachy.
ps: Happy 6th birthday to my cousin Imran (5th June)!
Rindu cycling
Then it landed on earth to look at me.
Like a hawk stealing a bird at the time of prey;
That moon stole me and rushed back into the sky.
I looked at myself, I did not see me anymore;
For in that moon, my body turned as fine as soul.
The nine spheres disappeared in that moon;
The ship of my existence drowned in that sea.
-Rumi.
Summer has arrived, surprisingly (in a pleasant way) manifested by blustering wind and cloudy atmosphere. They said it will last for a week. And as I sit here with my half-filled cup of green tea, savouring my break time (as articulated in Ops Sikap, appendix A) which has unintentionally been extended, this feeling of familiarity says hello. It's that time of year again. Every season possesses its unique peculiarities that makes its presence memorable. They may be found in the form of a song. A scenery. A favourite activity. Listening to a particular song may keenly remind you of autumn last year; listening to the train choo-chooing in the stillness of the night may bring to mind the novel feeling of just arriving here two years back. This time it's the wheezing racket of the fan's blades against the air, which is so reminiscent of summer and, inevitably, final exams. My heart flutters at the words, yet I still go about in guilty complacency. And now, I'm about to membebel pointlessly.
Life's pretty normal these days. Subuh at 2.30am, Isya' at 11.15pm. Frankly, I prefer winter's solat time. Strawberries are cheap, mangoes have been upped to about RM40 sebijik (should have taken a pic of 'em at the market), Russia and the U.S. are on the verge of another cold war, BM will be reverted to Bahasa Malaysia again (the government sure have lots of redundant topics to stress on), three more classes to go before study leave. Peachy.
ps: Happy 6th birthday to my cousin Imran (5th June)!
Rindu cycling
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Spring's almost over
Late spring in Russia teaches you something, amongst others: heat can kill people. Otherwise, it makes you excessively sweat till you tip off the scale of your gross-o-meter and feel like marching up to the dean’s office in the heat of the moment (pun not intended) and demand the lecture halls and classrooms be installed with fans. I mean, honestly, it isn’t winter all year round in Russia, okay! And some of the teachers seem to have this uncanny thought that we Asians are blinking used to the heat. Firstly, ladies and gentlemen, we don’t normally reach 40 degrees on a sunny day, and secondly, we’ve got fans to keep us cool. And yeah, we don’t normally do sunbathing, thank you. It’s pretty amazing to notice scantily-clad locals lazing on the benches in the parks, soaking in every ray of the sunlight with this unperturbed expression. And oh, don’t even think of wearing an umbrella, you’ll be laughed at by some of the nastier, cooler-looking ones. All I can say is, thank God I won’t be here for most of summer.
Mid-spring, now that’s a different story. Before the pollens began to hit town like blowing snow, there were tulips. Blossoming in wide-ranging colours, these charmers lent shades of meaning to the beauty that was spring. The weather was at its best when the tulips were around, short-lived as they were. All but a mere month, and the soil took a sombre hue once again, until the advent of the roses, come June. In the meantime, the temperature spiraled upwards, we got all sweaty and reached paragraph 1. It’s a vicious cycle, life is.
Victory Day celebration on 9th May imparted delightful memories of a lovely spring holiday. Last year I went to the banks of Volga river for a taste of the merriment, so this year Mother Russia decidedly became the choice of destination. I originally wanted to dedicate a detailed entry on the subject, but lazy writer mode has kicked in this time around so many apologies everyone. I do hope the pictures will atone for the lack of story in my part. Blame it on the weather! Tee-hee.
Sin Ye before our morning route
introducing my sister's camera- it's got some issues with the batteries and didn't even make it halfway through the trip. sob. (the radial blur- saje tweaked digitally- is kinda ironic- that's the effect my own camera would naturally produce in its current condition. haha)
Pak cik and mak cik sleeping on the bus. They looked so cute I had to snap a pic. The bus was a classic sardine can case, but we weren't prepared for the sight awaiting us upon arrival. The crowd turnout was simply amazing; it was such a pity that the weather was cloudy and thus, not ideal for good photography.
One of the many people selling balloons; I didn't buy one this year- wondered why.
These two guys were playing tag- I had fun watching their cute antics, taunting each other as they engaged in the chase.
The pool at the lower level of the memorial- flowers were laid, coins thrown for good luck into the depth of the still water.
A pretty li'l girl who had this cute distressed look on her face whilst throwing her chunk of coins.
The statue in the middle of the pool- I forgot its name. Mother Russia in the background- I didn't notice it was slightly blocked by the statue then (bad eyesight. tsk, tsk.)
Isn't this balloon cool. Couldn't find it sold anywhere though.
A girl tracing her fingers along the chiseled wall as she climbed the stairs- she scurried away the instant she saw me though. Anyway, you could see flowers placed amongst the curvatures, which depicted scenes from the war- complete with sound effects to lend the patriotic impact.
The pool at the upper level before the memorial. You could see tulips in motion, slightly blocking Mother Russia. Again. Hehe.
The unobstructed version. The flowers were beautiful.
Red-jacket guy and yellow-blue-jacket guy having a contest on coin-throwing skills. I think the latter won.
SMS-ing whilst on guarding duty. Hmm. Haha. By this time, my sister's camera had gone dead and I began to use Sin Ye's camera.
Mother Russia with wild flowers beneath her feet. Bad lighting, bad weather- could be salvaged by the Photoshop perhaps but I lacked the skill and patience.
A very photogenic boy and his sister (strictly an assumption) posing amongst the wild sea of flowers. I could have gotten a better close-up had the guard not bebel at us for stepping on the grass. Obviously the rule did not apply to children; I forgot I wasn't one anymore.
There were a number of graves of ww2 heroes along the hill leading to its highest point. At any rate, this was the first time I saw someone put soft toys in lieu of flowers on 'em.
A war veteran (look at those medals!) with his wife (again, assumption). On top of the hill.
More veterans. I realised one of my many weaknesses as a photographer- I don't have the guts to approach my subjects; especially since my favourite subjects are people. Often I would end up with banal, half-hearted shots 'cos I was too wimpy to go all out for it in order to obtain the best angle. There was this veteran early on with medals all over his suit but due to my lacking courage, I only had this tame, long-range shot of him with his body somewhat turned to the side. Nice.
Kids could get away with anything, couldn't they.
Sin Ye with a nearby Orthodox church in the background.
Visitors having picnics on the grounds near the church! They ate, sang (mostly folk songs), took pictures- basically having a good time with families. Truly a warm-hearted sight.
Brother and sister plucking flowers from the tree. They looked like twins.
I didn't really post detailed pictures of the place (like the memorial hall, the monuments/statues, etc.), the reason being this was my 7th visit to the place. I was bored of taking the same pictures again and again, so... I had lots of unpublished pics on the place, maybe I'll post 'em one day... one fine day. Hehe.
After the enjoyable excursion, we went to watch a match of our local football league championship (Malaysian students) at Lenin Square before walking all the way to another celebration by the river Volga. I think I'll put up the pictures later, this is way hogging the space. Gomen ne!
ps: I’d also like to wish my uncle, Acu aka Red a happy belated birthday (Sunday, 27th May). He’s my father’s youngest brother and had to layan us a lot when we were younger. Hehe. Amongst my clearest memories of him was teaching me and my sis algebra when I was nine, dangling me over the indoor balcony in our attempt to revive the last scene in Return of The Jedi (him Darth Vader, my brother Luke, and me, as always, dumped to the role of the Emperor), entertaining us with awesome magic tricks, and bullying us into calling him Acu Handsome or Acu Macho whenever we wanted something from him. Hehe. Happy birthday, Acu!
pps: On looking back, this entry is rather a mess, not quite what I fully intended to write. But I feel the need to post one, I've been delaying it for almost a month! Heh. And not to mention my, ehem, trip to Turkey. At this rate, I think I can only resume my travelogue when I'm back in Malaysia, a little over a month from now. Good day, everyone. ;)
Mid-spring, now that’s a different story. Before the pollens began to hit town like blowing snow, there were tulips. Blossoming in wide-ranging colours, these charmers lent shades of meaning to the beauty that was spring. The weather was at its best when the tulips were around, short-lived as they were. All but a mere month, and the soil took a sombre hue once again, until the advent of the roses, come June. In the meantime, the temperature spiraled upwards, we got all sweaty and reached paragraph 1. It’s a vicious cycle, life is.
Victory Day celebration on 9th May imparted delightful memories of a lovely spring holiday. Last year I went to the banks of Volga river for a taste of the merriment, so this year Mother Russia decidedly became the choice of destination. I originally wanted to dedicate a detailed entry on the subject, but lazy writer mode has kicked in this time around so many apologies everyone. I do hope the pictures will atone for the lack of story in my part. Blame it on the weather! Tee-hee.
Sin Ye before our morning route
introducing my sister's camera- it's got some issues with the batteries and didn't even make it halfway through the trip. sob. (the radial blur- saje tweaked digitally- is kinda ironic- that's the effect my own camera would naturally produce in its current condition. haha)
Pak cik and mak cik sleeping on the bus. They looked so cute I had to snap a pic. The bus was a classic sardine can case, but we weren't prepared for the sight awaiting us upon arrival. The crowd turnout was simply amazing; it was such a pity that the weather was cloudy and thus, not ideal for good photography.
One of the many people selling balloons; I didn't buy one this year- wondered why.
These two guys were playing tag- I had fun watching their cute antics, taunting each other as they engaged in the chase.
The pool at the lower level of the memorial- flowers were laid, coins thrown for good luck into the depth of the still water.
A pretty li'l girl who had this cute distressed look on her face whilst throwing her chunk of coins.
The statue in the middle of the pool- I forgot its name. Mother Russia in the background- I didn't notice it was slightly blocked by the statue then (bad eyesight. tsk, tsk.)
Isn't this balloon cool. Couldn't find it sold anywhere though.
A girl tracing her fingers along the chiseled wall as she climbed the stairs- she scurried away the instant she saw me though. Anyway, you could see flowers placed amongst the curvatures, which depicted scenes from the war- complete with sound effects to lend the patriotic impact.
The pool at the upper level before the memorial. You could see tulips in motion, slightly blocking Mother Russia. Again. Hehe.
The unobstructed version. The flowers were beautiful.
Red-jacket guy and yellow-blue-jacket guy having a contest on coin-throwing skills. I think the latter won.
SMS-ing whilst on guarding duty. Hmm. Haha. By this time, my sister's camera had gone dead and I began to use Sin Ye's camera.
Mother Russia with wild flowers beneath her feet. Bad lighting, bad weather- could be salvaged by the Photoshop perhaps but I lacked the skill and patience.
A very photogenic boy and his sister (strictly an assumption) posing amongst the wild sea of flowers. I could have gotten a better close-up had the guard not bebel at us for stepping on the grass. Obviously the rule did not apply to children; I forgot I wasn't one anymore.
There were a number of graves of ww2 heroes along the hill leading to its highest point. At any rate, this was the first time I saw someone put soft toys in lieu of flowers on 'em.
A war veteran (look at those medals!) with his wife (again, assumption). On top of the hill.
More veterans. I realised one of my many weaknesses as a photographer- I don't have the guts to approach my subjects; especially since my favourite subjects are people. Often I would end up with banal, half-hearted shots 'cos I was too wimpy to go all out for it in order to obtain the best angle. There was this veteran early on with medals all over his suit but due to my lacking courage, I only had this tame, long-range shot of him with his body somewhat turned to the side. Nice.
Kids could get away with anything, couldn't they.
Sin Ye with a nearby Orthodox church in the background.
Visitors having picnics on the grounds near the church! They ate, sang (mostly folk songs), took pictures- basically having a good time with families. Truly a warm-hearted sight.
Brother and sister plucking flowers from the tree. They looked like twins.
I didn't really post detailed pictures of the place (like the memorial hall, the monuments/statues, etc.), the reason being this was my 7th visit to the place. I was bored of taking the same pictures again and again, so... I had lots of unpublished pics on the place, maybe I'll post 'em one day... one fine day. Hehe.
After the enjoyable excursion, we went to watch a match of our local football league championship (Malaysian students) at Lenin Square before walking all the way to another celebration by the river Volga. I think I'll put up the pictures later, this is way hogging the space. Gomen ne!
ps: I’d also like to wish my uncle, Acu aka Red a happy belated birthday (Sunday, 27th May). He’s my father’s youngest brother and had to layan us a lot when we were younger. Hehe. Amongst my clearest memories of him was teaching me and my sis algebra when I was nine, dangling me over the indoor balcony in our attempt to revive the last scene in Return of The Jedi (him Darth Vader, my brother Luke, and me, as always, dumped to the role of the Emperor), entertaining us with awesome magic tricks, and bullying us into calling him Acu Handsome or Acu Macho whenever we wanted something from him. Hehe. Happy birthday, Acu!
pps: On looking back, this entry is rather a mess, not quite what I fully intended to write. But I feel the need to post one, I've been delaying it for almost a month! Heh. And not to mention my, ehem, trip to Turkey. At this rate, I think I can only resume my travelogue when I'm back in Malaysia, a little over a month from now. Good day, everyone. ;)
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