Rainy Days & Mondays

It is nice to hear the sounds of Pat Metheny especially doing a rendition of The Beatles... Thanks to a dear friend for sharing this video with me... it made the rainy monday even more beautiful... so am gonna share the 'love', ha!

Indeed, may Allah's blessings, just like the gift of beneficial rain, be upon us so hurry to supplicate for it is reported that rainy days are one of those moments when our supplications are answered, pronto! Truly, Allah knows best :)

Family

It was great catching up with a good 'ole friend' after so long. AlhamdulilLah, he gives good, logical advice...Yes, I admit sometimes women tend to be irrational although the degree of rationality is subjective, ha! Subhan Allah, that is the fitrah of women, different from men :)

Anyway, have a safe flight, take care and see you real soon. Hugs and kisses to mama Zehra and papa Hasan. TaqabbalLahu minna wa minkum, taqabalLahu ya Karim, minal aidin wal faizin :)

Be There

Short post today. Here's to a friendship so true. Thank you for accepting me, faults and flaws included.

Appreciation

Masya Allah, thanks for this dedication and the early birthday greetings. Indeed a nice song from a talent who can strum the guitar, play the piano and pen beautiful lyrics. All I can say is that it is not the wait that matters, if its meant to be, it will happen. Truly, we plan with the best of intentions but the fact of the matter is Allah knows what is best for His servants.

Afternote: Richard Marx, Bryan Adams are just among those evergreen musicians that I used to admire during my youth... he has a collection of beautiful songs with meaningful lyrics, some of which I can truly relate to :)

Book Exchange

[Source courtesy of NLB, Singapore]

Whew! Was on duty for half a day at the Book Exchange event at Victoria street. Approximately 73,000 books exchanged hands between 6,000 library patrons. To those who supported the event, thank you for your support, especially for dropping by NLB Academy's booth to say "Hi", catch up or subscribe to the promotion offered. :) 

Rottnest

Subhan Allah, this is a beautiful place. To a certain degree, I'm glad my pal is enjoying his work there at Rottnest and then back at Perth. On the other hand, the reason why mum discourages me to stay in Alanya for the long-term was because of such a surrounding. She constantly reminds me that life on earth is paradise only for the Jahiliah. May I not lose sight of the ultimate purpose of life on earth, insya Allah.

P/S: Let's all commemorate Earth Hour and switch off unwanted lights and start living green.

Divine Love

Our beloved Prophet SAW once said, "A companion whom you should stay close to is one whom when you look at him/her, you're reminded of Allah SWT, when you hear his/her words, your knowledge increases and when you observe his/her deeds, you're reminded of Hereafter."

Oh Allah, enable Your servant to see the truth, to love another whom loves You above all things such that it strengthens my love for You, Ameen.

P/S #1: Happy birthday to my lil Iqhwan. Had a blast over the weekend and thank you for paying your tired ol' aunt a visit, extending a brief but much needed respite from work work work *hugs*.

P/S #2: Thanks for the sound advice, Sis. You always have my welfare at heart :)

Appreciation

Hmm this is interesting. A long-distant friend who, out of the blue, shares music by Buckethead. On hindsight, yes, he knows that I used to be a fan of Pat Metheny during my youth... and that I have a 'thing' for talented guitarists.

Thank you, Muris, for sharing 3 files from Buckethead with me recently. I've post one of them here and here's the other one. Enjoy the great guitarwork by this mysterious talent :)

Afternote: Just realised after talking to Muris that 8 March 2010 was International Women's Day. Thanks for commemorating a day in a woman's life :)

Token of Gratitude

Reading Ayyuhal Walad strengthens my conviction that Islamic education must be taught through direct contact with teachers. This is how wisdom, not just knowledge, was acquired as one cannot gain wisdom from just reading because Islam is not a religion of self-interpretation. The guidance and support of a very knowledgeable and pious teacher is essential.

AlhamdulilLah, with the grace of Allah SWT, Syeikh Abdul Halim has helped my friends and I along the path to Allah, adopting the Islamic Worldview with greater consciousness and purpose. He's been very generous in sharing his wisdom and knowledge with us. And we look forward to future classes with him, insya Allah.

365

January came and is about to leave us. Alot has happened this month - some people are departing, some are transferring, some remain true to their conviction, some just gave up trying. Whichever camp you belong to, its your life and you have approximately 344 days to live it so take control.

I shall leave you with an interesting video about how the year, month and day were derived (subhan Allah!):

P/S: Happy birthday to dear SS, SL, YB and Azhar :)

San Jose

I was supposed to be at San Jose last week but due to certain circumstances, I could not be there. Nonetheless, I'm glad to be able to at least read what a good pal has taken away from the sessions there [thanks Maish for sharing] :)

Biker Bliss

The ride from Bugis back home was exhilirating. I did it, Regy so don't doubt my ability alright, ha! Hmm, can't remember when was the last time I rode a bike... must have been ages! You know that feeling of being free, that's how it feels riding a bike, the world is your's alone and just spend sometime for I, Me and Myself and leave the madness behind ;P

Anyway, as promised, I will fully optimise it while Regy is away in San Jose/San Francisco the next 2 weeks, heavenly bliss!

P/S: Dear Regy, read this. Have a safe flight! ;)

Conscious Marriage

I finally finished Dance of Love. Verdict: I agree with the ending in finding your other half who shares your belief or spirituality because it is much easier to raise a family when both parents have similar core values and belief system - "The mind seeks an easy relationship; the heart seeks a spiritual partner. The more a relationship supports each person in awakening to a spiritual aspect, the more expansive, spontaneous, wonderful and passionate it will be."

The next book I'm reading has a similar ring to it "Conscious Marriage: A New Model for Making Marriage Work". Stay tuned.

P/S #1: I will definitely read Unconventional, recommended by the author himself, J.J [thanks for adding me to your Shelfari contact list and for your word of encouragement!]

P/S #2: Happy birthday to dear Luke :)

Approval & Blessings

The prudence of the best heads is often defeated by the tenderness of the best of hearts - Henry Fielding (1707 - 1754)

When I saw this nice quote, it immediately brought me back to the discussion I had with a dear old friend over the weekend. No matter how obstinate a stubborn parent is, once tended with constant tenderness by the best intentions, things will fall into place. I wish him all the best :)

It was nice spending a quiet evening with mum. Hope you love the specs!

An Open Letter of Comfort

Friendship is a sheltering tree.

The protective streak in me was on high gear tonight. I felt immense pain yet great pride almost simultaneously. Contradicting? When you have a long history with someone you care loads for, you tend to wanna shield the person from impending danger. But I guess life, with its hard knocks and bumps, makes a person stronger and ultimately better.

My dear, be strong. In an enduring relationship, it takes two to make a genuine effort to commit unconditionally, communicate openly and honestly without taking each other for granted. Its easier said than done but once indifference sets in, its literally a battle lost. Without a doubt, letting go is the right decision... you owe it to yourself to be happy.

With time, that special someone will come knocking when your heart is truly ready. I'm here for you as you take the time to heal.

The past weeks have been...

2 April 2008:
My follow-up with my specialist concluded that I will have to wait another year to monitor the 3 Fiffetes and 1 Cystie (yup she popped up out of nowhere this year). The irony was when my specialist asked, "How are you feeling today?", I told her with great honesty that I was feeling great (the regular pilates/yogas/aerobics did some good to my body) .

1 April 2008:
Speaking about re-thinking my position, I received an email from Dubai with a letter of offer. Now I'm really in a dilemma between work, family and studies...

31 March 2008:
My good old friend is back so that means its time to catch up real soon! Meanwhile, I just came back from Carousel at Royal Scotts on the Plaza... It was actually a sad occasion as we bid farewell to a dedicated HOD (she was a tad emotional prior to the dinner)... She would be missed. That means I need to re-think my position as I have a rather bad feeling about the near future...

29 March 2008:
I completed my test and interview for the MSc Information Studies and received a verbal confirmation about the recommendation to enrol me... During the interview, I realised that there was a total of 1500 applications of which 350 were shortlisted for the test and interview and ultimately only 150 would be enrolled * cross my fingers and toes*

21 March 2008:
In the morning of Good Friday, Muhammad Hairil Iqhwan was born without his father by his side... Stay tuned for further details about the second son of Norhisham Isnin.

20 March 2008:
Just came back from my corporate group networking night... Its been awhile since I played pool (was tempted to participate in the Karaoke session but my sensibility got the better of me, thank GOD!) .

14 March 2008:
After the cost-benefit analysis of the divisional retreat, I concluded that the lunch buffet at Kintamani was excellent and thought nothing much about the rest of the day... so you go figure that one out ;P

Hellos & Goodbyes

Its been an interesting few months...

I've got to work with M again on our elearning project (he's the best!) and am enjoying myself at work again... its always exciting working with such great talent and insights to elearning, social networks, IA, etc... I learnt alot from this great man.

From one great man to another - bumped into my ex-NIE mate and we have since kept in touch... nice to know he's ready to settle down; thanks for sharing... the info will come in handy when my turn comes, Insya Allah!

My colleagues and my dive pals celebrated my birthday just last week and it was a good catch up session (its becoming a yearly ritual)... Unfortunately another pal could not join us as she bid farewell to her father-in-law who passed away the same week.

Goodbye (not literally though) to two great men - Ust Dr Ade Novli and Ust Ayhan and hello to Ust Saifudeen and Ust Abdul Halim... I especially like the teaching style of Ust Saifudeen - he is soft-spoken yet assertive when needed, systematic yet flexible and versatile... in short a good educator who cares about the welfare of his class... Keep up the good work please.... Yeah, sounds like I'm becoming a fan of his, right? All I can say is credit needs to be given where appropriate *grin*

21 August was the day I said goodbye to Miss Fifi... but with that parting comes the anxious anticipation of the biopsy but I'm prepared to face it, especially with my family and close pals behind me... a follow-up is due early Sep. Wish me luck, folks!

26 August I'll get to attend seminar by Ust Dr Asri and Ust Dr Juanda, also great speakers from across the causeway.

29 August, a good friend from Bangkok will be in town and I'm looking forward to catch up with her after so long...

Come 31 August, a colleague will say goodbye to singlehood and hello to married life. I'm just glad I could be part of the celebration (and pick up tips to a great yet simple wedding).

Stay tuned for more interesting posts ahead...

What a week!

140507:
Mum informed me dad will be back in Singapore after an ordeal in Indonesia. A part of me was glad and hopeful that he had changed for the better. A part of me was sad to find out what he went through the past few years. There was a tinge of suspicion yet a voice whispered forgiveness… Perhaps this is the much needed closure on this episode a man called ‘dad’… Oh God, guide me to the straight path and protect me from hell’s fire.

150507:
The 3 hour gathering was compact with catching up on each other’s lives - V’s second baby girl is due this September (let’s go for 13th), Paul got married this year as planned; Spens to walk down the aisle next (good luck!), Y’s new job seems to bode well for her current married lifestyle. Talk of sideline business came up again… interesting conversation. Spoke to a dear friend in between dinner and dessert; glad mum is doing ok.

160507:
Went back to check on the lil tyke – Irfan…wonder if there is a way to put it tactfully across to his mum not to take food she is allergic to… looking at the eczema on poor Irfan enraged me…I know he is not my child but could you bear seeing the poor tyke itching and not knowing how to communicate the discomfort to people around him? For God’s sake, he’s a baby.

Imagine your hands being tied, your mouth gagged and itch powder poured all over your body - you have no way to scratch or yell out to someone to help you get rid of the itch. Suffering in silence is something no one condones right? I rest my case…

At the end of the day, it boils down to mindfulness… Save the debate about different living standards and definition of hygiene… Any mother would want to protect, nurture and bring up her child in the safest environment possible… that’s what we call motherly instincts.

180507:
Tender closes today and I could already envision the busy months ahead once the project kickstarts end June... So now is the time to really hang loose and de-stress as much as I can... Seeing the way things took a turn this week, all I can say is "Expect the unexpected"... Somehow that seems like an understatement... vibes, folks. Oh how I love it that God loves me so much! Amen...

190507:
NLB’s inaugural Sports Carnival in the morning. Verdict = interesting. Saw my HOD in action - she's really good with ping-pong (those smashes!)... And of course my dear Idah playing soccer with the guys...

Met up with Rye to see how he was doing over brunch. “Certainty”… what was that about? Hmm… Anyway, got to rush home to change and head to class. In between, had an interesting conversation with aunt Sophie… learnt a lot from her about 'marital bliss'. Resolved to take up course on child psychology…

PS: What a week… Grandpa is rather unwell. Stay tuned to find out what will happen in the next Episode on “The Journey back to Batu Pahat”…

A Fruitful Life...

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.

- George Washington Carve

231006:
Can I not go to work? So much spring-cleaning to do and to complete my assignment and presentation before end of module... Ok that was a vent btw... I wish I could do more for my faith but looking at the schedule, I pray that GOD forgives me for my less-than-brilliant conduct this month...sheesh.

291006:
Happy birthday to Dayat (cousin's hubby) and for making history in getting us lost in transition from Tampinese to Sembawang and for being unable to cut the frozen cheesecake ha! It was fun spending perhaps the first and last raya with the family from Kluang/Kedah as my cousin will be leaving for Australia National University to pursue her 3-year PhD... I'll definitely pay you a visit @Canberra sweetie :)

301006:
NLB Academy launch went without any glitch, thank GOD! I have to thank my dear friend, Ryan for his willingness and patience in crafting the flash demo for the website's launch.

Also today marks a special day - my dive buddy got married and sadly, I missed her banquet due to the Learning Festival hustle and bustle...

311006:
Happy birthday to dear Inez who is currently busy being an entrepreneur and MIA-ing. Miss you...Also today marks a special occassion where NLBA launched its Trainer & Facilitator Community of Practice (CoP)... What a way to officially close NLB Learning Festival.

021106:
Happy birthday to dear Luke who turned 28 on this special day. May you be blessed with great things in life... and that your mum recuperates from colon cancer and your nephew is free from the terrifying illness...

031106:
Irfan just turned one month and is gaining weight and his aunt (that's me!) is looking forward to driving him around for the festive season. It'll be loads of fun.

061106 to 071106:
Looking forward to the staff orientation that is long overdue, hmm...

081106:
A bundle of nerves, awaiting in anticipation of the feedback from my boss on my PMP mid-year review... hope I did him proud...

091106:
The next eClinic is due and I hope we can finalise the content before vendor engagement. I'm looking forward to working with the vendors on the elearning project. And the satisfaction of crafting the requirements and standards in setting the precedence for the entire organisation to adopt is gratifying...

141106:
My next module will start and I'll be back in class... persevere Azzah.. just 2 more modules and you are done! Yippee... Then up one notch ... Masters then PhD, God-willing!

So stay tuned when Azzah finds time to catch her breath and Rye, I didn't forget our dinner outing, owe you one! ;P

Ka Kite Ano...

I was telling Daphnie the other day that if she decided to go NZ, take me with her and introduce me to a nice bloke so that I can settle down and live happily ever after... not! Well, I am entitled to some form of wishful thinking eh? ;P

NZ is a dream... from North Island right down to Christchurch... couldn't put it to words how I feel about the place... In retrospect, the wonders of NZ just proves that God is great! Anyway, all I instinctively knew was I wanna live there some day... some say being a tourist and staying there are two different experiences which is why I asked Daphnie about her days there and she said she would return to work there in a heartbeat. I rest my case :)

Although a minority, less than 1% of the total population, the Muslim population in New Zealand is young, energetic and growing. It is estimated that there are approximately 17,000 Muslims in New Zealand representing a wide range of nations including Fiji, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

An estimated 63% of New Zealand’s Muslims live in Auckland, but there are also large communities in Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin. There are currently 9 mosques and Islamic centres, 5 of which are in Auckland. Auckland’s largest mosque is in the suburb of Ranui. The first Islamic school, Al Madinah, is in the Auckland suburb of Mangere. According to a recent report, Al Madinah, which has 350 students, has the lowest school grades in New Zealand.