i was basically speechless hearing the number of people that will overcrowd the small living room. nevertheless, i called my sister (on my dad insistent), asking her to go back this weekend to help. i can imagine the sheer amount of work that we will need to do before and after the open house :

she agreed though my BIL couldn't make it, as he has a show in Jakarta end of this month that he needs to prepare. he just dropped my sis and Aqil at our house on Friday night.

anyhow, dad cooked everything, from nasi beriyani and its 2 lauks (prawn curry and lamb dalca), my dad's signature kuey teow goreng, and 8 pans of pizza, which one of them was slightly overcooked in the oven. he even made 50+ ais-krim Malaysia for the kiddos :shock: the rest of us only preps the rencah: the onions, veggies, potatoes, we prepped up the living room, cleaning the house etc...

the first car to arrive was sometime before Noon. a rather close friend of dad from PIBG came by with a car full of kids, offering help in the kitchen. i was relieved to know that the work of washing the in-coming dishes will be done by them. not that we hire them or anything, but they voluntarily sat in the kitchen, taking care of the dirty plates one after another.

so, the rest were history ;-)

we have now successfully went through the most tiresome open house in my history of organising them and all of us begged dad not to hold anymore for the rest of the year :mrgreen:

the workload was immense, especially more so after everybody has went back home.

one of the surprises today was a visit from an old friend whom i thought was still in another country :shock:

he is very close with this neighbour of mine, who lives 2 houses down the road. we got acquainted, i think, when i was in second year and we've been friends since then.

the irony thing is, i am not really close with this particular neighbour (me being an introverted person)! to think that the sole reason how i get to know him was thanks to her.

he made a remark that i think hits really close to home: i've been writing, without holding back, everything that's been going on in my life, in this blog.

i guess, i've recorded every single thing that happened in my life in my blog that i had once mentioned to my bf, whenever i need to remember when a certain occasion took place, i will just refer to my blog.

oh yeah, i didn't actually extend the invitations to any of my friends because i thought it will strictly be for Harith's only. it was a wrong judgement, since almost 20 of Boy's friends made it to our house (don't have to guess who had to be the driver today... ;-) ) and that old friend was at Taman Pelangi at the right time :mrgreen:

friends, if you're interested to come and pay me a visit, just inform me and i'll think of something. but be sure to give me a 3-days notice so that i could prepare something ;-)

The author wrote of how some of his friends were complaining how tiring Hari Raya was.  Some said they hardly had any rest entertaining guests that came to visit until the wee hours.  Another complained of how the “green packets” (packets with a sum of money to be given to children) diminished very quickly or rather not sufficient due to overwhelming number of children that came over their house.

I must say I emphasized with those who complained because they are not the only one facing such issues.

Besides highlighting the complaints, the author had also written some suggestions of how perhaps we, the Muslim community in Singapore can take a look at other cultures from countries such as Indonesia, Turkey etc. and perhaps adopt one that will make our celebration less tiring, less of time wasting and help to save money.

I concur with the idea that we do need to change some aspects of our celebrating culture but I am not so sure that as a whole this idea can be change just by adopting other cultures or that it can be implemented soon.

But we can start small for instance as a start, our community can start with instead of going to each relatives or friends houses, we can instead plan to have the gathering at only one house each year.  Each relatives or friends can take turn to host the gathering.  It will be fair and at the same time,

1) save time because we only need to go to fewer houses than the practice now yet all of us can meet one another to strengthen our ties and seek forgiveness from one another.   

2) save money because we spent less in preparing food for our visitors and spent less on transportations.

3) More fun as such planning will usually brings more people together and the “ukhwah” or ties among siblings, relatives and friends increase thru this effort.

Of course, it may sound easy but planning wise may not be so at first.  This I am very much aware because in every family, we have two sides that we have to consider, ours and our husbands or our father or mother’s sides.  But I am sure it can still be done. 

Even with friends, we all have different cliques or groups right?

Can still be done … insya’Allah.  At the very most, the number of houses to go visiting can be cut down to 50%.

All in all, the article was a good read. It really set me to think that cultures can be change for the better.

Insya’Allah!

'Starving men do not fart!'

Pakistan is a quite nation today, we are a starved nation, metaphorically and literally. Some are deprived of 2 proper meals a day, others are deprived of their right to justice, some (like our president) are deprived of common sense, others dont get laid enough(so they blog!) so on and so forth...

However, we're not here to talk about how our economy's constipated, or how our president wants to squeeze Sarah Palin's knockers, we're here to talk about absolutely nothing!

The Dark fuckin' knight my friends, is a work of art! Ive always found batman to be the best of the superheroes, hes cooler, and he fights the big dogs running the system rather than the everyday sandman or radioactive baldie. Even though Prince Cinema's hall has more spots of pan than a memon's intestines, and the assholes started the movie with the las ketchup song (faulty audio), that didnt stop me from enjoying the movie. Heath ledger's joker was so crazy, the poor man ended up killing himself! :S

Some fucker stole my car and ruined my eid, but i got it back (minus my CNG kit) and im feelin' nutty again... :D

"Biryani khayein..... is say pehlay kay aap ki biryani khayee jayay!

*A public service message by student's biryani*

I hope you are all doing well.  I am doing okay, just counting the days until I am home again.  right now the plans are for me to leave here on October 22 and be back in the US on October 23rd.

I got up this morning and went for a long run...it is the one day that I can take my time in the morning, so I try and get at least one long-run in every Friday.  After my run I had breakfast, cleaned-up, and headed for work.  I hope to do something at the Embassy tonight like go to a movie of have dinner at the DFAC.

The other day I was going to work and I looked over at an apartment complex lot on the other side of the bridge I drive across.  The lot used to be covered with trash and busted-up pieces of wood and piles of dirt.  It has now been cleaned-up.  As I looked I saw one of the multi-colored childrens' play sets.  It is blue, red, and yellow; with a tower and slide.  Just like ones you would see in yards in your own neighborhoods.  As I thought about it I thought it represented signs of life here.  As I drive and look around now, I see a lot of clean-up going on.  Lots, yards, and buildings are being cleaned-up and restored.  People are washing their cars. 

The Iraqis just completed a period of fasting called Ramadan.  It is one month during the year where they do not drink any fluids or eat any food between sunrise and sunset.  At the end of the month, they have a celebration called Eid, where there are feasts, gift exchanges, and family get-togethers.  This is similar to what we do during our own holidays.  Some Iraqis have told me it is like our Christmas season.  One of the senior members of the Iraqi staff told me that during this years Eid celebration, the restaurants were full, shops were packed, and there were so many people in the streets.  It is a long time since they have been able to celebrate like this because of the fear of terrorist attacks.  Again, I look at these things as being signs of life.

Although there are many good things happening here, there is still the threats of attacks, but the number and the frequency have diminished significantly.  You can really see the difference now, and the difference was made by a President Bush, General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker, the men and women of the Armed Forces, and you all back home.  I hope you all take a deep breathe and say to yourselves that although it has been and continues to be very costly; it was worth the freedom that is being given to the Iraqi people. 

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Love,
Jim

Last week also saw Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the co-incidence of significant events occurring because both religions use the lunar calendar. Contemplation of this, something that apparently doesn’t occur to many locals, definitely includes accepting the sad irony of it.

So with little hope of experiencing Eid besides the frustration of cities and towns being shut up and abandoned for four days, five of us and various others in different groups headed West in to Israel.

It is strange but I can’t help coming back to this idea of Ramallah being a front, a carefully nurtured unreality. The more I stay here the more it frustrates me; the café culture, expensive restaurants and leafy residential streets. In some circles it’s commonly accepted that cosmopolitan Ramallah is funded by misspent Palestinian Authority money, combined with a healthy sum from foreign sources with questionable motives; i.e. the divide and conquer of a people and sanitising of the Palestinian situation. So, basically those outside this peaceful enclave are being forgotten; not only having to resist occupation but fighting to be acknowledged by their compatriots, who live here avoiding political discussion and living some weirdly premature liberation.

This, along with dirt-cheap car rental rates vs. relatively expensive public transport, drove us across the partition line yet again, where more often than not, what you see is really what exists. Traveling anywhere in Israel ensures an insight into life for the majority of secular, centrist Israelis. People are frank and confident, having been helped to create a quasi-European environment which doesn’t have anything to hide. History and justifications aside, this is day-to-day reality.

Those I’ve met have been friendly, welcoming, mostly open minded about our studies in Palestine. They also usually accept that they really know very little about life in the West Bank (one couldn’t explain where it lay) and the daily consequences of occupation. Assurances that Palestinians have their own cafes, clubs and even breweries have been met with open-mouthed incredulity. The fact that over half the Birzeit student population is female also comes as a shock to most.

Granted, I’ve yet to gain an insight into more extreme elements of Israeli society and know that this remains a vital ingredient in understanding this state but I feel like I’m learning a huge amount about the society as individuals. I’ll admit I was reluctant and now more than a little confused, but without it my time spent here would be meaningless.

I was amazed to find the opinions of course.  On average most people say Eid is 3 days, no one being able to provide reference of the information though. In some countries it’s considered as a single day event, while some celebrate it for a week. A large number of people also said, it’s extended to 5 days. Their argument was supported by television advertisements that broadcast messages like “This program will be shown on the fifth day of Eid.” Another group explained, "Eid is as long as the food you cook for Eid is left." While an interesting perception was found that also states “Eid is as long as you have new clothes (bought in Ramadan) to wear, considering you wear a new one each day.” Wow!

So this still leaves me in a bit of confusion – just how long is Eid? 24 years, guess I still couldn’t figure it out.

One for the 'Salam Perantauan'

A loud rhythmic snore could be heard in the distance. A few people looked intently on where the sound came from. I had been sitting at that seat beside the window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening blurred images that pass by. Every now and then sparkled in the orange glare of the station lamps. After finally fallen asleep with one side of my face pressed against the cold windowpane, suddenly I woke up with a stutter. The station name mentioned on the loudspeaker rang a bell. I looked up at the piece of paper that I’d scribbled earlier for confirmation. This was the last in a series of train interchange that I had to make before my duly awaited destination could welcome me back. Another hour I thought. I took a seat by the windows again. It was past midnight and it all came rushing into me.

It gushed into me then that the day has arrived. The day of Eid. A day of celebration and happiness shared with family and friends alike. But here I am, sitting with my ipod humming the takbir of Eid. I looked round to find a man with his glasses askew and his mouth wide open and a girl wearing the evergreen high school uniform even though it was in the middle of the night! These are the people that I celebrated eid with.

Three years has passed since I woke up on the morning of Eid to find that my loved ones are with me. But for me, wherever you may be, whoever you’re with on that day, it doesn’t matter as much as the thought of happiness when you’re with them.

We all have our so called life journeys and make sacrifices along the way. It is how we face it is whats most important isn’t it?Happy times surely will come.

Eid Mubarak to all wherever and whoever you may be!

Reference of Eid

-yeh-

]]> http://samah007.wordpress.com/?p=503 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:49:53 +0000 samah007 http://samah007.da.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/more-eid-photos/

 woman prays at her relative's grave during Eid-al-Fitr in Algiers October 1, 2008.   REUTERS/Louafi Larbi  (ALGERIA)

  Muslim girl offers prayers on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in Jammu October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Amit Gupta (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR)

A Thai Muslim girl holds a sparkler to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in Narathiwat on October 1, 2008.  More than 3,400 people have been killed since separatist unrest erupted almost five years ago in the far southern region. Tensions have simmered since Thailand annexed the mainly ethnic Malay sultanate in 1902.   (MADAREE TOHLALA/AFP/Getty Images)

SRINAGAR, INDIA - OCTOBER 1 : A Kashmiri girl looks at children playing as thousands of women gather for the Eid-Al-Fitr prayer on October 1, 2008 in Srinagar, Kashmir in India.  (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Algerian women prays before the grave of a relative on October 1, 2008 in Algiers on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the feast held at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images

maaf atas segala kesalahan dan semoga semua bisa dimulaikembali dengan hati yang ikhlas.

cerita lebaran kemaren.

well, nuthin special actually. back to Bekasi, where things so silence and still.

hanging out with family, entertained my grandma altho since she has dementia she oftenly asking my name in the middle of conversation. so sad, wondering how would i be on my 80s? surely i wanna be around to see my children and grandchildren grow up but will it possible not to forget them?

Lebaran in Jakarta felt like another holiday... no traffic jam for sure, which is the only good thing about having the festive here.

well... so on Tuesday afternoon i packed my bag, kissed my cats goodbye ( :D ) locked my flat, and take cab back home. You know, altho the traffic is very good, the taxi fare cost me almost the same, blah... blame the distance.

the moment i get there, after chit here chat there...i almost died in bored face. i finished reading "Behaving Badly" and got nothing more to do. all the preparation is done for Eid. then i wandering around the house and decide to buy Yoghurts as an excuse to go out.

At the Alfamart nearby i found VCD "Radit ♥ Jani" been wanting to see this movie, another labour of love of Upi Avianto & Vino G Bastian.

went back home, and watched "21" the movie is interesting, althou i think "Good Will Hunting" is more thrilling. i can't really catch the genious actions of Jim Sturgess when he cheated on Black Jack table. He looks preppie and nerdie, yes. But, i need more actions on the table. overall the movie is good and entertaining. and, i love Jim Sturgess, he's hot.

after the movie, i cannot sleep on my own room, weird.

i turned off the light, and watched the fireworks from neighbours backyard flying high in night sky thru my window... beautiful.

as always... things so silence and still in this house.

The Eid morning is quite fun, bermaaf-maafan dan ngobrol2 sma seluruh keluarga, secara langsung juga telefon jarak jauh dan email-emailan.

on the afternoon, me and my sis went to Metropolitan Mall to buy groceries for home. i don't understand how everyone can live with only green sands and vegetable in fridge. i bought fresh salted fish, more vegetables, snacks and snacks and snacks. i don't want waste my gym membership fee for all those Eid food in coconut milk. No Way.

The second day, i went to my Datuk's house. it's my father side of family. Wow, almost everyone that live in Jakarta was there, i even got a chance to meet cousins i never seen in years. among them, i look so chinese, my father is Indian, all of the family married also indian. They have big eyes, tanned skin color, and full figure. sumhow, i got 2/3 of my mother. but everyone there said i looked like my father a lot. yeah, everyone in my mom's family said, i look more like my mom day by day. whatever.

after that, me and my sis escape to mall again huheuehue. we tried Bekasi Cyber Park since my childhood friend make fun of me about it. I didn't understand when he said BCP..BCP, he said it only shows how rare i went home. well...yeah...

BCP, is dissapointing... didn't found anything interesting there, and i do not want to east another fast food. so, we go back to Met Mall.

O my God, in Met Mall was very crowded. tried to wandering around but i almost got panic attack for having so much people around. No Air bo hihihihi

finally, my sis dragged me to 21, may be we can find interesting movie, she said. well, i doubt about that, but i dun't have another options.

She picked "Chika" since i already saw Laskar Pelangi the week before, and "Suami-Suami Takut Istri" is abviously not an option!

The movie is okay....well, nothing new, another teenage candy movie from Soraya Intercine Films. The cast is not special, the storyline is so-so, and Soraya Intercine Films still sold "living Indonesian Dreams" things in this movie. you know, big fancy houses, fancy cars, pretty girls meet handsome boys, the world where girls made of cotton candy, chocolate and all the sweet things.

oyea, before the movie start, i got a chance to go to AH and ordered "Mini Double Chocolate" i really missed this cake.

well, after my tongue contaminated with Bakerz-In, Gelato Bar, to be honest AH's DOuble Chocolate doesn't taste so good anymore but it brings back old memories. The restaurant is very crowded, feel uneasy, after finishing our cake, i dragged my sis to Gramedia.

Accidentally, passed the buckets where old vcd was on sale. i flipped them back and forth with no effort and guess what i found? "THE ELEPHANT" i screamed instantly. i've been looking for it everywhere! and i found it here? in a mall far-far away hidden in discounted shell? am i lucky or what?

after the movie, i remember i passed "Eaton" on my way from Gramedia to 21. well, i must say, this is the first time i eat in Eaton where it doesn't feel right at all.

The food is awful, the table smell weird and the service is so-so. we ordered Fish Pooridge, Fried Seafood Kwaytiow and Fried-oh-whatever that thing.

I remember Eaton in Taman Anggrek, not really a good comparison with this one. It's like David and Goliath.

Good thing i have chance to stop by in BRead Talk, i need a re-bound. We went home and watch Radit and Jani in my room. Luckily i charged my laptop battery while we were out. The Movie is beyond my expectation, i hve this ugly cry at the end of the movie hehehehe.

Fahrani doesn't act stunningly, but good enough, Vino Bastian well... he's quite good. The storyline is amazing! i love how they used dirty words effortlessly. However, the dark punk situation they tried to visualized, to me is a bit "out-of-nowhere".

Well, that's all the folk.

"Are you ready to become a Muslim now", my friend's husband asked me. I laughed. His wife and I had just returned from the mosque where I had listened to a talk about the days following Eid.  After prayers, my friend had showed me how to "make wudu", the ritual washing before prayers.

Some thoughts from the talk:

• Some fast for six days during the month of Shawwal following the month of Ramadan.
• Fasting should not happen during Eid, but there should be a rest between the Ramadan and any new fast.
• Scholars recommend spreading the six fast days out throughout the month, but some do it all at once to get it over with.
• Excessive worrying about whether one has been generous enough is a sign that one may be going to Jenna.
• Story about The Prophet: when he went away from his companions for a while then came back, he told them he had asked Allah that they be permitted to enter heaven and Allah granted that ⅓ would be permitted in Jenna. The Prophet then went back and prayed again and was granted an additional ⅓. Praying a third time the Prophet was granted by Allah that all of the ummah would be granted entrance into Jenna.
• There are several Zikats (charity gifts?) during Ramadan, but an obligatory one is the one at the end of Ramadan for 2% (or was it 2½ %?) of the money that has been saved during the year.
• The salat al-layl is a prayer for waking up at night.  You do two rakans or more, in groups of two. If you are not waking up for this prayer it is because you are not living a good enough life.  Try to live a better life and you will be waking up for this.

How to make wudu:

Say, "bismillah, al-rahman al-raheem" (In the name of Allah, the merciful the compassionate). Under running water: Wash right hand then left hand three times.  With right hand rinse mouth with water and wipe front upper gum with forefinger three times. Brush water into nostrils with right hand, brush water downward away from nose three times with left hand. Wipe face with water in a circular motion with right hand three times.   With both hands wet, wipe hair backwards, then rinse hands and wipe hair from underneath. Wash the ears, thumbs behind ears and forefinger in ear three times. Wash arms to the elbow. Wash feet going between each toe. Each time you wash something with a hand, rinse the hand off afterwards. Say "I testify there is no god but Allah" in Arabic. You can dry off if you want, but some like the water.  I can imagine how refreshing this must feel in a 105-degree desert heat.

The six fasting days of Shawwal are supposed to be a highly spiritual time.  So what do I make of it? Why fast? Why wash? I know Islam means submission to Allah, but I like to know why. And you can argue with Allah?--at least if you're a prophet...And unlike the tithe or the widow's mite, the proper zikat donation is based on extra money--those living hand to mouth will not be expected to donate. The beginning of Ramadan to me a very special time that I look forward to. The Eid feast is a great excuse to contact people you haven't seen in a while.  But Shawwal?  I just can't characterize it.

Note: the calligraphy graphic says "Bismillah al-rahman al-rahheem" (in the name of Allah the merciful the compassionate).

Dear friends,

I am delighted to send my best wishes to everyone celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

I am aware that Eid al-Fitr is a special time of year for Muslim communities in the UK and all across the world. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan - the month of fasting for Muslims, which is also the month of charity, family, contemplation, and recitation of the Qur’an.

I know Eid al-Fitr is a joyous occasion but also a day of gratitude for the everyday blessings we enjoy in life. It brings together friends and families, and encourages Muslims to continue the teachings from the month of Ramadan throughout the rest of the year- particularly the lessons of giving, community and charity. These shared values are reflected in the generosity that British Muslims have shown over the years in helping those less fortunate than themselves across the world.

At this special time for Muslim communities we can also reflect on the tremendous contribution of British Muslims to British life over many decades.

Eid al Fitr is a festival that we can all learn from.

My best wishes to you and your family. Eid Mubarak

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

Even some Turks are disgusted at the barbaric Eid slaughter in the streets

A bull is stoned and beaten to death after trying to escape

The public sacrifice of animals marking the first day of the festival of Eid al-Adha provoked countrywide protests in Turkey.
Read more.....

We don't want this kind of thing happening on EU streets....Oh wait! it already is!

During Eid-al-Adha, an estimated 20,000 sheep are slaughtered in Brussels, of which less than 10% in official establishments. Secretary Kir told the Brussels Parliament that the religious beliefs of the Muslims have to be taken into account. The authorities deliberately failed to interfere, even in situations such as the one on this picture, taken last Tuesday in the Brussels suburb of Neder-over-Heembeek. This is Brussels, the capital of Europe, in the year 2006. At present 14 of the 26 representatives of the Parti Socialiste, the largest party in the Brussels regional parliament, are Muslim immigrants (ten of Moroccan origin, two Turkish, one Tunisian and one from the West-African state of Guinea).

From the Brussels Journal

We expect this kind of behaviour from Muslims who don't seem to want to move beyond the 7th Century, but we expect our elected leaders to condemn it instead of lying in an effort to islamise our countries.

In England the establishment has given our country over to islam and muslims. The Prime Minister would have us believe Islam is an honourable religion while islamic clerics all over the world preach jihad.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England, has suggested that sharia law is inevitable in England.

The Lord Chief Justice (the most senior judge in England) has suggested sharia could play a role in English and UK law.

ENOUGH OF THIS!

If you are English, Scottish or Welsh then make it plain to our miserable excuse of a Prime Minister that Eid is far from a joyous occasion to the hundreds of thousands of animals barbarically slaughtered in Europe, often on public streets.

Inform the Labour Party here  The Prime Dhimmi Gordon Brown here about what you think about Eid and islamisation of Europe.

Write to national and local newspapers about the barbarism  and demand that it be banned from British life.

Contact your local mosque and let it be known how you feel about Eid “celebrations” and sharia slaughter.

Stop islamisation has become the catchphrase in Europe. NO SHARIA HERE! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Anyhow, Eid's coming soon, and somehow, I'm not looking forward to it too much. It's going to be another DULL and BORING Eid like always. We're going to be stuck in our granma's house all day long. The only good thing about going to Dadi's house on Eid is that you get yummy puff pastries, otherwise it's the most boring thing on the planet. Well well... we don't get to go to the masjid either, all thanks to my Dad who thinks women shouldn't go to the masjid, but I'm thinking of draggin my mom (can you believe she's NEVER prayed Eid salah at the masjid before, poor thing). But then, thinking of it, it's not a very good idea, because Dad is ANNOYING, and he'll just keep going on about how a strand of hair is showing and how the men and women are all mixed and it's not good and it's this and that and... EID IS RUINED!!!!!!! How exciting!

And... Eid came, and past. And it was... yeah, you guessed it. BORING. My brother got to go to the carnival all FOUR days, yes they had extra days here, and ME AND MY SISTER DIDN'T GET TO GO ANYWHERE! We're girls you see... Not like I'm interested in those baby rides, but I wanted to see my dear friends *sobs*. So we had the best Eid ever. We stayed home all day, saw my grams (boring, I don't like her for various reasons, don't ask), my aunt (don't like her either), and other aunt (not her either), and... that's it.

Oh well, next Eid, Inshallah.

]]> http://gerbies.wordpress.com/?p=306 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:37:06 +0000 ``zak =) http://gerbies.da.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/in-need-of-a-boost/ Hello you!

Let's see, I am in no mood to do much at the moment. Hee. Maybe because I am kind of numbed to the fact that I have got not much things to do at hand. I mean, immediately after the semestral exams, there's the hospital attachments, after which I began my part time teaching at the montessori, then my cousins from Aussie came for Raya after 6 years, and I got busy hosting them. Now that they have gone back, and work is over, and school has not yet start... I am dead bored.

Even the Raya 'atmosphere' fails to excite me. Unlike the olden days when I was young. Somehow rather I am beginning to see no sense in the long-winded festive period that last for so long here in Singapore. In other countries, Raya is such a simple 1 day affair. People celebrate the true meaning of Eid-ul-fitr. Here, everything just got commercialised and only a handful knew the true meaning of Eid festival, more commonly known as Raya here.

Sheesh. It's draining to have got nothing to do now. Anyway, my classmates organised a Raya visiting. I gave my word, only because I miss school and them. I do not exactly enjoy Raya visits. Like I said, the festive mood is getting a little bit long-winded, and I just want school to start asap.

Before I bore you with more mundane life stories of mine, here are some photos of my cousins from Down Under to enjoy. Goodnight, my friend =)

Last weekend, we had an Eid-filled weekend. Friday evening, the MSA hosted a picnic, at which I ate a skewer full of barbeqeued chicken kebabs which I fainlty suspected might be marinated with yogurt. On Saturday, we attended an Indonesian-hosted picnic at which I ate lontong with Sayur Lodeh in which I thought I spied some fish meat. On Sunday, we went to Cleveland to spend Eid with Auntie Sh. and Uncle T. Baby Z had some red spots on his left cheeks which I'm not sure was attributed either to the cat before and during Eid or the chicken kebab and sayur lodeh from the previous weekend. It didn't develop into full blown eczema though, but it looks somewhat reddish.

Yesterday, the kids experienced their first miniature golf game, at Kiddie Park in Cleveland. Then, Chuck E. Cheeses in Cleveland to make up (kind of) a non-Chuck E. Cheeses Eid on Eid day. We usually tell people to come over on Eid day within a certain time period thereby assigning a time during which we would go to Chuck E. Cheeses, but this year we didn't do that, and that was why we had people over throughout the whole day, alhamdulillah.

Today, Monday, our homeschooling officially starts, and our topic of study ; roundabouts. Sparked by what? Well, on Saturday, the picnic was held in Hilliard, where you can find the only roundabout in Columbus. H asked if we were going to pass by the roundabout and that led to some pondeirngs on why there are not many roundabouts in the United States. In Malaysia, roundabouts are somewhat of landmarks, in my opinion, and I began to notice that the cities in Europe are also rich with roundabouts.

"Maybe it's one of those things where United States is trying to be different from other countries," we deduced, well, I deduced.

It's rather a nuisance too, because there is the issue of wattage differences and need for adapters with regards to electronics.

So I told the kids,

"Ok, school starts Monday. We can learn about roundabouts."

So this morning, since Baby Z decided not to nap at 8 a.m. we headed to the library, just in timeto catch the storytime for Baby Z. While Baby Z and I attended the baby storytime, the three kids researched roundabouts, did their math, and got their books. And as I'm typing, they are working on their project on this topic, which includes designing a modern roundabout (one ofthe different kinds of roundabouts - which is new to me too!) with salt dough. They even figured out the traffic rules of roundabouts, mashaallah.

Meanwhile, Baby Z is napping, and I need to finish turning all the fabrics we have into dresses for the girls before we have to start packing (either for Malaysia or somewhere else in the United States or the world, wallaahu a'lam).

The kids have begun to speak more Malay, thanks to Upin and Ipin, which they watch with fervor to the point that we have to tell them,

"Enough! No more Upin and Ipin!"

So, if we are to go back to Malaysia, I guess they at least have the Malay accent to accompany whatever vocabulary and phrases they have acquired thus far. With this issue of hubby trying to get a job, the kids seem to not want to go back to Malaysia, claiming Malaysia to be full of spanking and scolding teachers (thanks to hubby's and my 'school stories'). I sense that they're all making dua that he does get a job here so we don't have to go back for good. In my limited vision of the bigger picture of my life and our life, I want to stay here too, but Allah knows best. Whatever it is, we're not giving up just yet.

Oh Allah, please place us among good company that will help us get closer to you and give hubby a job that will not distract us from perfecting our worship of You. Ameen.

Wherever that may be...

Eid Mubarak .. :-)

May Allah accept the prayers offered by the Muslim brothers and Sisters during the month and more and grant them Taqwa and strengthen their Imaan.

I cannot believe how much caught I am in the complicated and busy web of this world that I completely forgot to wish my friends .. I am sure you may forgive me but Do accept my heartfelt wishes.

I will be coming back soon inshallah with yet another Islamic post. The countdown begins ...

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Kami, segenap pengurus Keluarga Insan Tahajud Call Indonesia (KITa Call Indonesia) mengucapkan,

Taqabbalallâhu minnâ wa minkum, shiyâmanâ wa shiyâmakum. Taqabbal yâ karîm.

Selamat hari raya Idul Fitri 1429 H.

Melalui kesempatan ini kami dari pengurus KITa Call Pusat, khususnya dari Divisi Web dan IT memohon maaf sebesar-besarnya atas kesalahan dan kekurangan kami selama pengelolaan web, blog dan milis.

Semoga kita semua dipertemukan kembali dengan Ramadhan tahun depan dalam keadaan yang lebih baik. Âmîn yâ Rabbal 'âlamîn.

Wassalâmu'alaykum warahmatullâh wabarakâtuh.

The Ismaili Youth of Northern Areas (Gilgit - Baltistan) & Chitral living and working in UAE gathered at the Dubai Ismaili Center to celebrate Eid. [Photo by Karim Dad]

On saturday I was in office all time to compensate for the leave I did for Eid. The office was nearly empty, only a couple of guys came to the building that day. So, it was pretty quite; and I was able to do more work than usual because of that. There had some work piled up on my end, so luckily it all got done. Because of this day being spent in office by me, furqan and khan... so we were planning something "lighter" the next day on sunday. Because it was gonna be office week after that.

Arrival of another gaming memeber in Japan

This weekend one other memeber of my JDL Gaming Clan has arrived in Japan... Know-me (aka Affan Zaheer, brother of Fawad). On Saturday he arrived. He lives near Yoshino-cho station which is two stations behind me. So, at about 10:00 PM he wanted to meet me and Khan. Khan has pass through his station so he came on subway. While I thought it just is 2 stations back.. if I walk it would take about 30 minutes.. but if I run then I can reach him in 10 minutes. So, I gave him a margin of 15 minutes, so as to locate the station.. as I have never been to this side of town. I did get take a wrong turn on the way, but luckily soon turned back and reached the station in time. Where Khan and Know-me were waiting and then we went to see his room. which turned out to be VERY big. the building was older counstruction than ours.. but room was pretty big with big fridge and seperate kitchen cum washing area. Since he will be staying for a year in Japan. So, I think this one is better for him. Later we made plans for tomorrow... and then left

Know-me vs Karar: Fifa 09

We had plans to go for outing in second half of the day after zohar and lunch. Khan wanted to visit some of the locations we had already seen, so he went to see Yamashita park on his own. I on other hand did some house chores in morning and then ate Arbi-Shorba with rooti. and then started to play Fifa 09. Know-me arrived at around 2:10 PM, and then he played Pure on my laptop and after that we enjoyed a match of Fifa. I am accustomed to using controller for game... for back 1 year. So, it was hard to get keys right while using keyboard (Know-me was playing on controller). I took my fav team Inter Milan (I just love the game of Ibrahimovoch in that team).

While Know-me took Manchester United , whcih has many great players like Christino Ronaldo, Rooney etc. But I was able to get 1-0 lead on him.. even with my screwed up controls, not to mention he was playing fifa on computer for the first time too :P
And then while in the match we heard a knock on the door. Damn!!! it was Mr. Furqan I had originally told him that we would leave at 1:00 PM.. but now it was 2:30 PM and we were sitting in there playing Fifa :P... so we hurried up.. closed the game and then left for our day out.

P.S. Fifa 09 version rocks!!! Solid gameplay.. and even more solid graphics!!! and Inter Milan rocks too!! :D

Palestinian girls sit on a bench as children enjoy a ride behind them at an amusement park during the last day of Eid al-Fitr in the West Bank town of Nablus, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. Eid, one of the most important holidays in the Muslim world, is marked at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with family reunions and other festivities.(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

Palestinians cover their bodies with mineral-rich mud on the shores of the northern part of Dead Sea, in the West Bank, on October 2, 2008 as they enjoy the last day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

Thai Muslim woman shake hands to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in Narathiwat on October 2, 2008.  More than 3,400 people have been killed since separatist unrest erupted almost five years ago in the far southern region. Tensions have simmered since Thailand annexed the mainly ethnic Malay sultanate in 1902.  (MADAREE TOHLALA/AFP/Getty Images)

Ethnic Muslim Uighurs leave the Nuijie Mosque in Beijing after prayers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr festivities marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on October 2, 2008. (PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

A mother kisses her child while gathering with others during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Paramaribo October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Ranu Abhelakh (SURINAME)

A woman gives money to the poor during the festival of Eid-al-Fitr in Algiers October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA)

So forgive me, if you keep wondering why it changes all the time. I tested out new widgets etc, just to see what they do. I always wondered how come everybody else has a "sick" (I hate using this word, because it seems too teenage-like, even though I am still a teenager...with a beard), so yeah, I tried my best to spice it up.

Anyways, I am doing something I should not be doing...because I have a test this Tuesday and Friday in university. So I really should be concentrating on that...I am in my first year, and I have to say, I don't like studying...Calculus...ugh...and Business, ah! But insha'allah, I have to make my intentions for the sake of Allah, and study for His Sake, hoping for a halal job and being able to provide for a family in the future insha'allah...and maybe, just maybe if Allah wills study under a shaykh, if not that, then shuyookh to further my Islamic knowledge...Ok seriously, back to studying.

BTW, Taqaballahu Minna wa Minkum. Remember, Ramadan just ended, but continue on with Islam and do not leave it. Allah has honored you as a Muslim, and be proud of this honor for indeed nothing in this dunya is equal to it. Never sell your deen for the price of misguidance, so stick with it. We were able to have a good state of faith during Ramadan, why should we leave it. Whocares if that guy named Shaytan came back unchained, be a man or a woman, rather than a boy or a girl. Fight your desires insha'allah. This is obviously advice to myself firstly, and I pray not to be a hypocrite.

Was-salaamu 'Alaykum

Aboo Jadd

October 5, 2008