life according to andria

What's happening ..... ?

2012-01-16T20:46:00.003+08:00

My son , Amin came home from school last friday evening looking very upset. He looked like he was about to cry as he pushed his bike. True enough, the second I asked him how was school, he shed a tear. He was beaten up by three form 2 boys. I was shocked.... Beaten up? On his 8th day of school? What surprised me more was that the boy who started the whole thing, kicked him from behind when he was on his way to perform his 'Asar prayer. He was surprised, so he turned & kicked the boy back. The boy then punched his face & when he wanted to punch the boy back, the other form 1 boys stopped Amin from doing so & adviced him to inform the teacher. He then went to look for a teacher & little did he know that the bully followed him with two of his buddies and punch his neck & head from the back. Again Amin was hit & the boys fled. Amin didn't even know the boys. He had never seen or met the boys before that Friday. He told his form teacher but she didn't do anything as Amin didn't know the boys' names. The teacher, instead of actually doing something about it, told Amin to inform her the next time Amin sees the boys. What....? I was upset when Amin told me this. To me, as a teacher, she should've acted on it immeadiately. I guess she assumed it was nothing. Assumptions..... Amin had a very bad headache that night and his head was a bit swollen. My husband lodge a report & went to school today to see the Principal. The boy was identified by Amin, a malay boy, & got his punishment. The sad part was, when asked why did he beat Amin? He answered "no particular reason, my friends asked me to". What is happening to our younger generation? Beating up people for fun?

Last Saturday while I was picking up my daughter from school, I saw few malay boys in school uniform smoking right in front of the school gate. Again, i pose the question.... What is happening to our people? I see the malay teens being swept away by what may seem like 'THE' 'in thing'. Smoking, doing drugs, making out, the girls dressed in short skirts, and some even wearing hot pants, some even look like as if they are not wearing anything, only covering the necessary 'parts'. Sad to see.... They are malays...Islam. What is happening actually? Scary is it not...?

New year

2012-01-12T20:27:00.002+08:00

Salam. I think it's not too late for me to wish everyone 'happy new year!'. It's already approaching to the third week of January. My youngest daughter, aina, is in standard 1 this year. She was very excited when i took her to her orientation day on the 31st of dec '11. It was me who was a bit emotional. I felt, and still feeling it now, that my daughter is growing up too fast. Not just aina, the other three too. My second son Amin, is already in form 1. On his first day of school i almost shed a tear.... He's all grown up. He's now a young man who is almost as tall as me and he has pimples too... My third son, Safwan is now in std 4 but we still call him 'adik'. He's a bit more sensitive now. I guess it's part of growing up, but he's still chubby and still has his babyface, and he's still manja to a certain extent. My eldest, Amirah, is now in form 2 & she's more cautious of her appearance. She can fit my shoes now. A young lady indeed. It does make me feel rather old.... Oppss... Old is not the right word i believe... It makes me feel more matured ;)

No matter how 'grown up' they get, they will always be my babies who would always make me feel at peace. Children are indeed the greatest gift from Allah swt. Alhamdulillah, thank you Allah for this wonderful gift.

students' poems part 6

2011-10-05T14:38:00.002+08:00

poems by group J (surina & nurhuda)

Now & Then

we learn
we hear
listening to lectures
facing pop quizzes!!!

Now,
keep folowing rules
join discussion groups
do calculus
playing with plus and minus

now
going to class
study really hard
sleeping like a log
exam... SCORE!!!

then
having nice grade
facing different level of life
an engineer we are to be
right....?

Things People Do

Things people do
when they in love
their love story
just as perfect as Romeo & Juliet

things people do
when they are in trouble
the hospital is now full
with sick and tense people

things people do
when they are in traffic jam
the only perfect music played
is just a honk song

and yet after all
people just have to face it
and make it right

students' poems part 5

2011-10-05T13:59:00.002+08:00

Poems by group I (Azlyn, Hafizah & Norayuni)

Things people Do

Nowadays, people want to do a lot of things
Technology change human behaviour
everyone come out with brilliant ideas
to improve their lives

Kids...
so many things to do
from kindergarten to playgrounds
always...have curious about something
their acts always make we laugh...hahaha

teenagers?
stage which consists of a lot of challenges
always want to try something new
social problems are familiar with them
but, not all teeangers like that

adult?
they think more about responsibilities
care about family
like they care about themselves
give 100% commitment to their work and career
try to be a good listener as a friend

Now & Then

Ice cream soda, pepsi cola
the silly little songs we jumped to those days
now all i can see
are kids playing around
on their ipads and iphones

love letters on scented papers
i love you, you love me
hehehe
now replaced by *ping* from BBM messages

books and paper
away with you
now the trees weep with joy
as power point become a teaching tool

now and then
past and present
things are different
moving forward ever changing
nothing is static

students' poems part 4

2011-10-04T15:17:00.002+08:00

Poem by group F (syafeeqa, rahimah & amalina)

Things People Do

Social, bullying, independent thinker, depression
huh.. normally we are getting bored to hear
about the bad issues according to teenagers

smoking??? teenagers included...
why should this happen
lack of education and moral maybe
influencing by people of surronding

we should follow the right on what people do
positive attitude
that's the best way of real life

students' poems part 3

2011-10-04T15:16:00.000+08:00

Poems by group D (afiq, asyraf, nasarudin)

Things People Do

Why are some people cruel and rude?
So mean and crude
They walk all over others
And why? I ask

Why have they grown so heartless?
Why are they bitter and cold?
What reason do they have to do that?
It is because they've never been told?
Maybe someone should tell them
That no one truly likes their action

Why do some people act
As if they've so much better that others?
They are no different than anyone else
Not a bit different at all
God made them with some mold
He saw the same love within everyone one of them
He made each and every person with equality

So when will they realize what they're doing?
That their life has gone all wrong?
That instead of living a good, nice life
They're off by miles long
Maybe someday they'll see
That they are no better than you or me

Now & Then

Now… we are happy
But then… can we still be happy?
Now… we may be rich of money
But then… can the money give us happiness?
Now… we enjoy the life
But then… what kind of life should we enjoy with?
Now… we have efforts to do anything
But then… we don’t know are we still strong to do it?
Now… we can laugh loudly…
Hahahaha
But then…. Where should we put our tears?
Now… we can eat as much as we want
But then… should we keep continue to do it?
Now and then it just the matter of time
The time cannot be changed
But the one who should change is YOU!!
What we want to do now?
What we want to do then?
All these things will keep questioning us unless…..
We stay with Him the One and Almighty Allah s.w.t.
Now, then and forever
We will find the way

students' poems part 2

2011-10-04T13:17:00.000+08:00

Poems by group C (aisyah, syairah & suhailah)

Things People Do

I wake up in the morning
I brush my teeth
I take a shower
I wear clothes
I ride the bus
Pit pit pit
Rapid card
I go to class
Study study study
Back to college
Eat eat eat
Sleep sleep sleep

Now & Then

When I was young
It's seem the light was wonderful
Miracle, beautiful and magical
My mom teach me
It's like this
It's like that
I got know
I got your love

Now
I know how to be sensible
Logical, responsible and practical
And I know when you show me
A road that I can be
Intellectual, cynical and fluctual

Then
When you were leaving me alone
Leaving me to live half alive
Deep took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back
The light in my eyes

I really miss
The first time you teach me
Cause you will never let me go astray

Mom
Even now and then
I will always put you
Deep in my heart and soul
Forever
Lot's love to you Mom

students' poems part 1

2011-10-04T13:15:00.001+08:00

Recently I've assigned my students in the Engineering Faculty to use their creativity to come up with something interesting for the first 2 units of their textbook (unit 1- 'now & then', unit 2 - 'things people do'. This morning all ten groups presented in class and I was pleasantly surprised that they were all very creative and they came up with beautiful poems and some of them sang, as well as acted. I truly enjoyed their presentations and I would like to share with all of you some of the poems that my students have written. No changes or corrections are made to the poems. These are their original work.

Poems by group A (Azam, Haziq & Adam)

Now & Then

Your pictures are in frames
Hanging on my walls
Life is hard without you by my side
To have you here again
I would give them all
A picture cannot capture
The beauty of your skin
Or the radiating glow I'd feel when you grin

So I look at you, my soul mate
A picture in a frame
I cry my tears of sorrow, cause I feel God's to blame
God came and took the one
Who made my life complete
People cannot talk or sing to me
The way you used to do
I'll never love another
The way that I loved you

Things People Do

I observed the people around me
Some people are desperate
To find love, money and power
I can see it in their eyes
Their fearness to fight and win fairly
Instead they would do anything
To tear people apart
To only find satisfaction within their heart

Be grateful, don't complain

2011-08-18T13:17:00.004+08:00

Sometimes in life we feel that what's happening to us is not fair. We feel that people are not being fair and good to us. We feel betrayed. Sometimes we feel that we do not know whom to trust, we feel that we've given and done our best, yet, our best is not enough for others. At times we question, why some people have all the luck in the world and we don't. we feel as if we are always on the losing side. Sometimes we wonder do other people actually go through what we have gone through, do they feel the sadness, the disappointment, the frustration that we have felt. We wonder and we question. When we keep wondering and questioning, we tend to come up with our own answers; we complain. We complain on each and every issue that we could find. We try to make others feel miserable just because we are not happy. We envy of others' happiness. Little do we realise that everyone in this world would have gone through and will eventually go through what we've gone through. Allah is fair. So, be grateful in life. Be happy for others and we will always be happy. Treat others like how we want to be treated. Hatred should be demolished in our heart and mind. Always believe that whatever Allah has installed for us, it is for the best. Allah is Almighty, He loves us and He is always there for us. So, when you are faced with any challenges in life, be grateful, don't complain. Remember Allah is there for those who believe.

A year has passed

2011-08-18T12:47:00.003+08:00

It has been a year or maybe more since my last blog. A lot has happened. For starters, I am no longer a lecturer in JAD, I am now happily lecturing in UiTM Shah Alam. I must admit, it was pretty difficult for me to adapt to the new surroundings and environment at first, but, a year has passed and I think I am adapting to things here rather well. Although I do miss being in JAD and miss teaching the students, I find that being a part of UiTM is interesting. I meet new students every semester, this is certainly a plus point seeing new faces every semester, but I have to figure out a way on how to overcome my weakness though - my failure of remembering students' names. It can be rather frustrating at times. Perhaps my long-term memory is getting shorter by the day, hm.... My colleagues here are nice and very helpful. Two things that I find myself still trying to tune to are the 18 hours of teaching and also working in a big group. I was the only English lecturer in JAD for about 7 years, so the transition does take time. I'm still juggling with teaching classes and my PhD research which is, by the way, moving like a turtle. Wonder when it's going to transform to the speed of a horse (at least). I have a feeling that maybe my supervisor is regretting taking me as her supervisee coz I am super slow, hahaha. Alhamdulillah, I have a wonderful hubby who is always there and also my good friends. Whatever it is, don't give up, they say. Alrighty then, I will not give up!

babies

2010-04-28T09:19:00.007+08:00

Recently there have been many cases of people 'throwing away' their babies...no, 'throwing away' sounds so mean. But, then again, it IS an extremely mean thing to do. The government has launched many campaigns to educate the society of this issue. They are encouraging the spirit of love and awareness. Even the celebrities are taking part in the campaigns. However, what I want to share with you today, is not about the campaigns, it's more of my personal views on this horrific matter.

What has been playing in the society's minds is 'who is to be blamed?' Some would blame the parents, some would blame the girls / young ladies and the boys / young men involved, others would blame the government. I say all of them are to be blamed, even the society (including me). Why? There are a few rationales;

Firstly, education starts at home. It is the parents' responsibility to nurture their children and provide them with food and shelter. The children are supposed to be loved and cared for. Parents need to spend quality time with their children and communicate with them. Trust is something that is sometimes lacking between the children, who have already become teenagers, and their parents. Somehow parents are now considered as enemies in their eyes. Why is it so? Perhaps parents today are too busy chasing material wealth and claiming that the 'so called' wealth is for their children's future. Due to their hectic life, they forget the most important factor... their children. Time for the children is very limited and sometimes it is spent on scolding instead of communicating. As a form of escapism, the teenagers resort to other means like friends and the 'special person' whom they feel could give them what they lack from their parents....love and attention (maybe).

Secondly, since as young as 1 year old, children are to be exposed to religion, be it formally or informally. As they grow, they are supposed to be equipped with religious and also moral education. With strong religious belief and practice, InsyaAllah, these kinds of mishaps could be avoided.

The government and the society are also partly to be blamed as we never learned from mistakes and past experiences. If you notice, actions are only taken when bad things had happened. This issue has occured for many years and yet it remains to be unresolved. The media is also another contributing factor with the amount of movies, dramas, magazines, etc, that are sometimes portraying that free sex is OK and the 'in' thing now. Religious programs on TV and radio are very limited and when they are being aired, it's only for a short limited time. Compare this... an hour religious program such as Al-Kuliyah (it's about 40-45 min actually, minus the advert) and a two-hour movie. I'm not saying let's not have movies, but we should have a balance in everything that we do.

Wow... this is long. I better stop.

This issue is an issue that is bound to happen again unless serious action is taken. Awareness of this issue should be given to children starting from standard 1 because lets face it... standard 1 pupils today are not like before. They are more advanced with the aid of modern technology.

Assalammualaikum

2010-01-11T10:09:00.004+08:00

Salam. Happy New Year to all (i hope it's not too late). I haven't been writing for quite some time. Why...? Actually, there were a lot of things that I wanted to share, but too many things that I had to do last year. So, now, as part of my new year resolution, I will try to update my blog as often as I can, or I will at least try :) Hm... 11 days in this new year, a lot of things had happened... to me, my family and also the world. So many stories and views to share. Don't know where to begin. Hm...

Let's start with the bombing of the three churches in Malaysia. When I heard the news and read about it, I was...'Woo... this kind of thing could actually happened here? In Malaysia?' To me, it was a very stupid thing to do. Even if the people responsible were trying to show their protest on the use of 'Allah', what they did will not portray what Islam really is. Islam does not teach us to be terrorists. Islam does not condone act of violence. Islam teaches us patience, tolerance and we should show to the world that Muslims are good and well mannered people. I believe Rasulullah did not bomb any religious places in the name of Islam for no apparent reasons. I believe that Rasullullah would negotiate first and war would be the last resort. We should show the non-muslims how beautiful Islam is and bombing is not the way of showing it. I pray that they would find a way to resolve this issue. A question keeps popping in my head though.... why do the Christians want to use 'Allah' in their magazine? Hm....

Micheal Jackson

2009-07-09T11:24:00.002+08:00

On wednesday was Micheal Jackson's memorial in LA. When i first heard the news of his death over the radio, i thought it was just a hoax. You know, peole over there they like to come up with stories of celebrities being dead when they actually not. So, i thought it was one of those stories. Only when i saw it on the news did i believe that he's actually dead. A lot of his fans, die hard fans were and still are (as far as i can see) trying to accept the fact that he's dead. They cried, gathered to mourn his death by singing his songs and doing his dance moves. Me... no effect actually. Not that i wasn't a fan... I still am a fan of his songs, to me...yeah he's no longer with us, but his songs still are. But i do want to share some of my views on the King of Pop.

Firstly, i actually pity him. He was famous at the age of 5, that means he had had no life at the age of 5. He didn't have a normal childhood... he grew up to fast. I guess being in the entertainment business, he had no choice but to mature faster than his age. I guess that was why he built Neverland Ranch...to live out his childhood that he missed. I also pity him because he could not live a normal life. The media was always after him. He didn't have any privacy... whatever he did he was constantly being watched. I don't want a life like that.

Secondly, i wonder if he was actually grateful being born as an African-american (black) because he changed a lot over the years. He was no longer dark skinned. It was like he wanted to be white. It is my opinion that because of the massive 'overhaul' that he did on his body he got sick. So, looking at this situation, it makes me realize that we should always be grateful with what Allah has given us.

Lastly on the issue of whether or not he has become a Muslim. This is still not clear. To me, whatever he was...a Christian or a Muslim, it is between him & Allah. If he was a Muslim, Alhamdulillah...if not... but it is sad to know that they have yet to bury him. If he was indeed a Muslim...kesian jenazah.

Whatever it is, let us pray that Allah will always give us the strength to be on the right path and for us to be among the ummah who will be in heaven.

What's wrong?

2009-05-22T12:26:00.007+08:00

What's wrong with the world today?Influenza A is the latest fear. It seems like we are being 'attacked' by many deseases lately, one after the other. I wonder why. The weather also is not really 'normal'. It's really, really, extremely hot in one minute, then it'll rain heavily in another. Something is definitely wrong. What's wrong? I believe i can come out with a few logical theories or explanations behind this phenomena (at least to my view point).

Religion is my first point. Lately i feel that people are 'playing' with religion. We can see that today it's difficult to actually differentiate between the malays and the non-malays; Muslims and the non-Muslims. Just look at the way people dress nowadays...need i say more? Some claim that they are Muslims but they do not act like Muslims... drinking, free sex, drugs, killing new born babies, murder,...the list the goes on. There are even those who do not fall under 'male' or 'female'. Why is that? I've never actually come across any forms whereby they actually state 'male', 'female', and 'others;please specify'. It has always been and should only be 'male' and 'female'. It is such a waste when one decide to change their sex just because they believe that they are confused and they are born that way. Islam and also in any other religion, i believe, do not state that GOD's purpose to create humans is to make some of them confused with their gender. There's always a solution to everything and do not blame GOD for everything that goes wrong in your life.

Politics is another point that i believe contributes to this phenomena. Politicians today do not really fight for the people. They are actually fighting among themselves over power. Just look at what happened in Perak recently. What an embarrassment to the country. It was like kids fighting over a big lollipop. They have forgotten one of the first things that parents will teach their children...the beauty of sharing. I teach my children that if you've won something, such as a big lollipop, it is rather impossible for you to finish all of it on your own because it's big. It will be better if you share. Everyone will get a taste of it. If you fight over the lollipop, it might just fall and break into pieces and you might just lose everything. Politicians have forgotten this. They have forgotten the meaning of sharing. Instead, they find it most appealing to fight over power by actually degrading others, humiliating the other party and not to mention by blowing tons of money.

Last but certainly not least on my list is war. It's frustrating and disappointing to see that a Muslim country is about to disappear because of war and the other strong and rich Muslim countries just sit and watch. They have all the means to actually help but they choose not to. Just plain selfish!

Finally (actually i do have more on my list), most people today forget to actually say thank you to ALLAH and they forget, or maybe choose to not to pray. They forget that say ALHAMDULILLAH, thank you ALLLAH, for everything good that happens in their life. It's funny to see people will always blame GOD for the wrong things that happen in their life, and when good things actually happen, they forget to thank GOD. Many Muslims today also forget the importance of praying. ALLAH only asks very little from us...pray 5 times a day, yet we're not able to perform it. We ask a lot from HIM everyday, yet, it's so difficult for us to spend about 10 minutes to pray to HIM.

wow...i've rambled quite long this time. I'll stop here and let you, my readers, to actually sit and ponder about this. Peace!

2009-05-14T08:13:00.003+08:00

People always come to me and ask why do i do what i do, i.e. teaching. My answer is very simple... i love to teach. i have always known that teaching is my 'thing' since primary school. i'm not the 'office material'. i can't picture myself sitting in an office 9-5 and do office 'thing' (whatever it may be). Why do i love to teach? Hm.... there are thousands of reasons for me to give, but most importantly is because i love sharing my knowledge with others. i love to share my experiences with others with the hope that they would get something from it. I love it when i go somewhere and i would always bump into some one who knows me and he / she turns out to be one of my students whom i used to teach. i love the feeling inside me when i know that i have touched someone else's life and contributed in some ways in their quest to achieve their dream.

Well... those are some of the many reasons on why i love to teach. One important lesson that i learn in my job is that when i teach my students, in some unique ways i also learn from them. so it is actually a reciprocal process. In short... why do i do it? I JUST LOVE IT, that's why :)

January '09

2009-02-03T17:59:00.004+08:00

It's February 2009 already...how time flies. What have happened so far? A lot actually. Let me share with all of you.

Me & family:
1. Safwan enrolled in school this year...yup! Std 1. He's pretty excited about it :).

2. I've gone back to being a student:). Doing my PhD in Language. Now I have 4 roles in my life; a wife, a mother, a lecturer and a student...woo... that's a lot of role switching...tiring but worth it:).

3. I'm coordinating the Japanese & English Language course for English subject this year...rather interesting actually. This year, for the last batch, we have 190 students and 90 out that we'll be chosen to join the ever prestigious JAD.

4. A tragic and traumatic incident happened to me on Saturday,31st January 2009 at about 3pm. I was on my way to Sunway Pyramid from Shah Alam with my daughter, Amirah, and as i was navigating my Avanza up the curve to enter Subang, my car skidded and i lost control of the car. My car hit the left divider, then it was spinning as i tried to control it, and hit the right brick divider. Luckily the cars behind were not driving fast and managed not to hit my car. Alhamdulillah, Amirah is ok. Me... on the other hand, i'm still trying to get the courage to drive again and to get the accident out of my head. My husband and mom are giving me endless support and encouragement. My car is in bad condition, the front part. It is now in the workshop and would probably be there in about a month. Fortunately, Amirah is really fine...no trauma or whatever. I made sure that I didn't cry in front of her after the accident and at home I do not show her or tell her that I actually haven't gottn through it yet. I'm not hurt physically but my body is aching on the right sight...effect from the impact of hitting the divider. Alhamdulillah no broken bones or internal injuries. Doctor gave me a few days to rest at home.

Other parts of the world:
1. I feel very upset and angry with what's going on between Palestine & Israel. I'm more frustrated and disappointed that the Arab countries are not really doing anything about it. I hope Allah will turunkan bala to Israel.

2. I'm looking forward to seeing my students again (JAD 3, 1st batch). They are coming home for their semester break. It would be great to see them and listen to them 'merapu' again:).

3. I'm happy and proud the my students (batch 2) will be graduating soon. Yeah...:) You did it!

Ok. I guess that's it. For now that is...

Peace to the world!

Pindah

2008-12-12T09:38:00.004+08:00

November was a rather hectic month for me. I had to pack the whole house because we were moving to a new house. Unfortunately, my dearest hubby was away on work most of the time so I had to do the packing myself. However, on the actual moving day, Alhamdulillah, hubby was around. Moving is no easy task. A lot of things that one has to do... packing, loading, unloading, unpacking, clean up old house, cleaning up new house, decorating new house... and the list goes on.

I was very fortunate that on that moving day, some of my students (JAD U1 boys) came to my aid :). I was very touched and happy with their presence. They help meant a lot to me (and still do). So I'm now settled in my new home. My kids are happy with the new place, so does my maid, Dewi. More spacious i guess. I do, however, miss my old house. Even though it's 'petite' in size, it carries a lot of memories. It was the first house that we bought after we got married. I believe new memories will be created in our new home :).

safwan's first gig

2008-12-12T09:15:00.008+08:00

I've been wanting to share this for quite some time, but i've been rather busy lately.

Last November, Safwan had his first 'gig'. His first concert. Every year, towards the end of the school term, Safwan's school (pre-school), holds a 'Majlis graduasi & Penyampaian Hadiah'(graduation n priz giving ceremony). So, this year, though he didn't get any prize, he was selected to perform a nasyid and he was the lead singer :) He was very excited about it. WE were excited about it. Our son's first concert. Ha ha ha. Everyday he would practice at home. The nasyid was in English, one of the nasyids that Yusof Islam's composed. Fortunately for Safwan, he has been listening to the nasyid before he was seleted to perform. So, he was very familiar to it.

So, the day finally came. His performance was the first performance for the day. My hubby even recorded it. I was nervous for him. I was afraid that he might experience stage fright and forget his lyrics. When he went up the stage, he looked so handsome with his baju melayu and a jubah (i think). He looked very relaxed, so I was relaxed. Then he sang. He was singing confidently. I had tears in my eyes. I was a proud mother :). Though my son was not the first in his class, he's up there singing confidently and fluently in English :). It was one of those 'mother's proud momen't'.

Here are some pictures that i would like to share with you.

My precious little bumblebees

2008-11-07T10:00:00.001+08:00

I've been married for 11 years and i am blessed with four beautiful children and each of them is unique in their own way.

Amirah Syafiah Saiful Amin. My first born :). She's 10 this year, in standard four and a prefect. She's rather competitive in everything that she does and she likes to try out new things, new food. She would drag me to whatever audition that she could get herself into. I sometimes call her 'drama queen' as she could be very dramatic at times. She's rather sensitive but very caring. She loves making cards for me and my husband. She would write letters to us apologising of the wrong things that she had done. I treasure every single card, letter and drawing that she has 'produced', and i'm sure there are more to come :).

Amin Ridwan Saiful Amin, 9 years old. My second child. He's bigger and taller than Amirah. Unlike Amirah, he's not very competitive. He's content with what he has and he's very Compassionate . He will try out new things or food, but not as aggressive as his elder sister. He's not interested in auditioning for anything, he doesn't want to be on TV or appear in a magazine, he said. He also doesn't want to be a prefect like his sister. He said he treasures his time... he would rather play during recess than doing prefect duties. Ha ha ha... good reasoning. He's also very passionate about his collection of Hotwheels cars and he really concentrates when he watches TV or movies. He's into drawing now...so, we are expecting a lot of drawings in future :).

My third son, who is six, is Amir Safwan Saiful Amin. He has a colourful character. He's cheeky, he's active... runnning and climbing here and there, he's bold and very talkative. He can get on his brother's and sister's nerves easily. He likes to make his own conclusions on things. He has limited choices of food as he doesn't take meat, fish or chicken. He only eats bread, roti canai, rice or macaroni with soup, plain spaghetti and biscuits. Like his eldest sister, he likes to write letters to us too :).

Aina Zakiyah Saiful Amin, 3, the baby in the family. She's the combination of all three. She takes over her sister on the 'drama' side. She watches TV like Amin and she moves like Safwan. Now that she can speak, she takes control of the TV at home, and CD in the car. Her siblings are sometimes annoyed with her, but they have to give in as she's the youngest. But my hubby and I do not let her get her way every time. In terms of food.... she doesn't take rice at all. But for a kid who doesn't take rice, she's quite chubby:).

Well, though they are different in some ways, they are special in every way. They are my precious little bumblebees and I love them with all my heart:)

my bestfriend

2008-10-29T14:53:00.003+08:00

Lately Í've been thinking about my friends. My primary school friends, secondary school friends, university friends, etc. I have / had (?) a best friend. We've been best friends since we were 14. That's long huh... However, lately, these past few years, we've grown apart. We hardly see each other, or even call each other. I guess as you grow older and have your own family, you tend to have less time to entertain your friends. However, no matter how busy both of us are with our lives, we have never missed to wish each other 'happy birthday'every year, even only via sms. The last time we met was almost 3 years ago. The last time we actually spoke to each other on the phone was about a year ago.

I guess through the years, studying and working at different places, we tend to make other friends, who eventually grew closer to us. Now, I find that sometimes I could not talk to her like before, her too. Before... we used to be able to tell each other everything, we shared each other's secrets. Not anymore. I talk to other closer friends now, and i believe the same goes to her too.

It's sad though. We've been each other's best friends for so long, today... we hardly even talk to each other. I hope that we're able to be like the way we were, but i know, it's quite impossible.
Nevertheless, i promised myself that i will make the effort to call her once a month, beginning this month. One of us will have to do it right... so i guess that person will have to be ME.

Hari Raya

2008-10-22T07:46:00.011+08:00

I believe it's still not too late for me to wish everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. I've not been blogging for quite a while..... been busy with kids, me being sick, classes, etc. Nevertheless, i had a wonderful Raya. This year we celebrated our first Raya at my hubby's kampung, Gopeng :). I love spending time in Gopeng. Whenever i'm in Gopeng, i gain weight. My mother in law and my sis-in-law are wonderful cooks...mmm, sedap.

Everytime during Raya, i notice that families will have some sort of a 'colour theme' , where everyone in the family wears the same colour of baju raya, example, my brother's family (him, his wife and kids) wore silver this year. My family...he he he. We went 'rainbow', my hubby doesn't believe in colour theme... most important is kids have fun and wear whatever they want. So, this raya, my hubby and I wore purple, but our kids wore different colours. My youngest, Aina, didn't even want to wear baju kurung. She screamed when I wanted to wear her one. She wanted to wear a dress with cats' prints on it.... so we gave in. My husband and sons were the only ones wearing baju melayu without sampin on pagi raya... I decided not to force them... as long as they're happy, i am too.

Anyway... i as said, it was a wonderful raya. The kids were happy with the amount of duit raya that they got. I was happy with the amount of different kinds of food that i got :). So, check out the pics.

how to release tension

2008-09-19T08:27:00.001+08:00

'Tension' is a famous word being used by human beings, especially the species called 'students':). There are many ways to overcome 'tension'.

Below were the things that i did to release my tension when i was a university student (in no particular order);
1. recited Yasin & Quran
2. ate chocolate
3. ate more chocolate
4.lepak with my close friends
5. listened to guns n roses and U2
6. read novels
7. ironing
8. watched movie

Below are the things that i do to relax now (in no particular order);
1. recite Yasin and Quran
2. watch my children play
3. indulge myself in a wonderful conversation with my hubby
4. ironing (i've always loved ironing...i find it to be very relaxing)
5. watch 'Friends'
6. listen to 'Daughtry', 'Guns n Roses'and U2
7. shopping / window shopping
8. eat (chocolate, Jco donuts, sandwich or cookies)

Everyone has their own way on how to relax and release his / her tension. Whatever it may be, as long as it doesn't hurt you and the people around you physically and mentally, i say..go for it. It is very important for us to know when to relax and how to relax in oder to keep our sanity in tact.

So.. have a wonderful life everyone! We only live once...treasure ourselves.

Ramadhan

2008-09-02T09:40:00.000+08:00

Salam. Today is the second day of Ramadhan. For Muslims, Ramadhan is very special. It is extraordinary. There are lots of things that could only be found and experienced in Ramadhan that can't be experienced in any other months. Fasting is one.... it's wajib, or a must. Though Muslims can fast in any other month, fasting in Ramadhan is very special as Ramadhan is the month which is 'wajib'for Muslims to fast. Ramadhan is the only month that one can experience solat terawikh.This solat can't be performed in other months. The experience of performing terawikh is magical.... Whenever i perform terawikh i feel touched and blessed. I'm blessed to be a Muslim, and to be given the chance to live this year so that i can experience Ramadhan again.

This Ramadhan, my 3rd son, Safwan, 6 years old is trying to fast for the first time :). The first sahur he woke up feeling excited and confident that he would be able to fast till maghrib. 1230... he came up with a proposal. He would only fast half day for the first week, fast 3/4 day second week and will fast till maghrib thereon... so... at 1230 yesterday he ate roti canai...he he he. Nevertheless, i'm proud of the fact that he woke up for sahur and tried to fast, even if it was just half day. He woke up for sahur again this morning... i don't know whether he'll have the strength and will to continue fasting till maghrib. Whatever it is, it's a good training for him.

As for me and my beloved hubby, we hope that this Ramadhan will be more special than the last. We hope that we'll be able to perform terawikh together till the end of Ramadhan.

To all... Selamat berpuasa.

My parents

2008-08-16T22:27:00.000+08:00

When i was about 11 - 12 years old, my parents got divorced. Though 'divorce' is a dreadful word, i must thank my parents for not making their divorce very messy. What i mean is, both of them were very honest to me and my brothers form the very beginning. They told us the reason behind it, and they made it clear that no matter what, they still love us. Of course at that time i felt clueless, helpless and my world was falling apart, but at that moment i grew up.

Not long after, my father remarried. Again, i thought that i would have an evil stepmother just like snow white and Cinderella, but i was wrong. My stepmom, whom i now call 'mummy', is not like the stepmom like you watch on tv or read in fairy tales. Of course, it took me... both of us i think, some time to really accept each other, but now, we have a wonderful relationship. We are able to do things together and she has always introduced me as her daughter and not step daughter. My relationship and my brothers' relationship with my dad too is still very close, and this i have our magnificent mother to thank.

My mother is the most wonderful human being. Ever since the divorce, she has never said bad things about our dad and she has always reminded us that our dad loves us very much and we should always respect him and love him. Hatred and vengeance were not in our menu. My mom made sure of that. My mom is still a single mother and she has no plan to remarry. She said her life is now complete with the presence of her grandchildren. My parents, though divorce, share a wonderful friendship. Even my mom and my stepmom can actually talk to each other whenever they meet in events like birthdays or weddings. All three of us actually went shopping together for my wedding 11 years ago. My dad has never run from responsiblity even though he has four other children with my step mom. In short, though i come from what people labelled as a 'broken family', my family is not broken at all. Instead, i couldn't have asked for a better one.

What i'm trying to say here is, even if you feel that your family or your parents are not the best people in the world, they are still your family and you are a part of them. To parents who are divorced, do not instill the feeling of hatred and vengeance in them. Do not let them feel like they are the victims. They should be loved and cared for. Always, always communicate with your children and don't just be their parents, but be their friends too. I'm very thankful and grateful that i'm loved by my parents even though they are divorced. My parents taught us the importance of communication and being honest. I thank my parents for never lying to us and for always listening to us. They are our parents and our close friends too.

For those who come from a so called 'broken family', do not use that as a reason for you to
indulge yourselves in negative social activities by giving excuses like 'tension' and 'i hate my parents'. You are what you want to be. If you choose to be in the dark side, so you will be. Choose to be smart and your life will be blessed, insyaAllah.

japan

2008-08-16T22:03:00.000+08:00

I had a great opportunity to go to Japan last March to accompany the first batch of JAD HELPIII students. It was certainly a magnificent trip, and i enjoyed every minute of the time spent there. Before going, i didn't really know what to expect. I thought i would die of boredom. Fortunately for me... it was the total opposite! I actually found myself in a wonderful adventure. I actually prayed in the open and to my surprise, i was really khusyuk and focused when i was performing my prayer in the open with no proper telekung. However, when the time finally came for me to bid farewell to my much-loved students, it certainly was a teary occassion. 3 years spent with them, they are more like my brothers and sisters than students. Nevertheless, i'm really proud of them and i believe that all of them will graduate on time :). Soon the time will come for me to watch another batch of students starting their journey in a foreign land. Like always, I pray for their success and i hope that all 86 of them will be able to set the precious little minds in the land of the rising sun.

TOEIC LUNCH

2008-08-15T15:24:00.000+08:00

Today i had a wonderful lunch my my students - the TOEIC GOLD ACHIEVERS :). We had subway sandwich n Jco Donuts...Yum Yum....sedap... :). Here are the pics.

Sayonara Anuar sensei

2008-08-15T08:25:00.000+08:00

Yesterday my colleagues and I had lunch together... all 20 of us the local lecturers and staff. First time ever.... and it was because one of us is leaving. Later, we had a farewell dinner together with the Japanese lecturers for Anuar sensei. It is rather upsetting for all of us to lose such a great, experienced lecturer. It is actually a waste for the program. Nevertheless, for Anuar sensei, it is the right thing to do for the sake of his career. He'll be in a better institution which would appreciate his skills and knowledge more. I personally would like to thank him for sharing his wisdom and giving his opinions whenever i asked for his views on certain issues.

So, sayonara Anuar sensei. May you be blessed always.

Count our blessings

2008-08-14T17:15:00.000+08:00

I've just come back from Bandung, Indonesia last week. It was not my first trip there. I enjoy going there as shopping is totally óut of rhis world'. Anyway, what i want to share with all of you is not about the world of shopping, it's more than that. I remember the first time I went to bandung about 3 years ago, i was very surprised to see a lot of small children begging on the streets. My last trip was no different. I was walking down Jalan Riau, where all the factory outlets are situated, when a small boy carrying a few 'batu lesung'on his shoulders came begging to me to buy his 'batu lesung' because he was hungry and had no money to eat. Now...what am I supposed to do with a 'batu lesung' and how am i going to carry it back to KL? Later, as i was buying some toys sold by the road side, came this cute, small little skinny girl begging for money. I think she must be not more than 5 years old. 'Kesian bu...'she said to me. The first thing that came out of my mouth was...'kenapa macam ni?'

I was really taken by the sight of the girl. She was very small and skinny, and later as i was in the car, I saw her brother (i assumed) carrying her and i think he must be at least 9 or 10 years old. I refrained myself from shedding any tear. I couldn't help but to think of my own children. How lucky and fortunate they are to have almost everything that their little hearts desire. I wish i had brought my camera so that i could take the children's picture and show it to my children so they would realize how blessed they are.

We, Malaysians, are always complaining of every single little thing. Yet, we forget that we are very fortunate to have lived in this country where our children are not out begging on the streets. We have more than enough to eat. We are able to send our children to school, and for those who can't afford to, there are always individuals, organizations and even tv stations that would come to the rescue. People always like to compare themselves to others who are better off than them, that they sometimes forget there are many out there who are less fortunate than us. We should always count our blessings. Always be grateful with what we have and never forget to pray to Allah so that He would bless us always.

Salam... Hi :)

2008-08-14T17:03:00.000+08:00

Salam. Hello everyone! For your info, i'm a first timer in this 'blogging world'. Reading blogs by the people i know n care has caused me to try out this blogging thing. I'll try to share my thoughts as much as i can. I do hope that u... my readers will enjoy sharing my stories with me. U r more than welcome to leave any comments.