Who would have thought? It seems just like yesterday i blogged and lamented about the coming days of october. And surprise surprise, the month has passed by without me really realising the days are gone. And hello november!

I never meant to make it as though im updating this space on a monthly basis, for one thing, life has been just work work and more (boring) work. And yes october is not much difference. However, i can say, it had been an exciting month.

I have been madly busy due to the registration period. With having to recheck every single frustrating name because there could either be double entries of the same name or the student wasnt listed at all. And there are about 800 names i have to look through! And now i am in the process of transferring all these details into the school system, another tedious tedious job. Have i told you my eyesight is getting worst with all these staring games im having with my pc at work? I have resorted to reading books because i think my eyesights is going to scream at me if i have to keep on looking at screens. But wordpress on the ipad…there isnt any other way is it? And i cant use my specs for too long while looking at the screens because i will get this splitting headaches. I have now increase the view on word docs to about 200%. Really, work hazard betullah.

But anyway, the battle for registrations is not done yet, i had to push aside other pending works to give a bit of focus on edufest. Its a love hate relationship la this one. I dont look forward to it but i enjoyed the meetings at other mosques because the journey to these places allow me to either think or read a book. I hate that i have to sacrifice time and energy because my work here at my own mosque is demanding at its peak, but i fully realise the reason for having this programme. It took a lot out of me. Tiring nonetheless but trying to give our best. I guess the timing for the programme is not suitable, moreover the people taking up this task are administrators and heads of education unit. It is a period where we are busy with logbooks, graduations, parent teachers meeting, tests ongoing, fieldtrips and supplementaries and yes, the most hectic process, registration. And this year, it was back to back with eiduladha. And mosques are busy busy busy with the preparations.

It came and passed. Not exactly how we imagined it, but the battle was faced together and friendships were created, hardships and exhaustion and frustration was handled together. I guess that matters a lot more.

Now to share about korban, another challenging period for mosques. We had to be audited, and my mosque combined with another in the cluster. It was bittersweet because less work and preparation for my mosque, but it felt so much quiet without the hustle and bustle of korban. It will never be the same doing korban at another mosque. Different ways of doing things. But i am proud that our volunteers worked so hard at the other giving time and energy as much as doing at our place. Everyone worked so hard and i meant everyone. It was more pressurising knowing this year’s korban will determine whether the animals will be imported from australia.

But i believe, australian laws are not the determining factor of whether we will be able to carry out korban next year. Korban is a work of ibadah and no matter what happens, the world is Allah’s, not australian, not singapore not arab owned. Allah ordered this ibadah and He will make sure His servants are able to do it. This world is abundant with His rezeki. Who are the australians to say whether we can or cannot do korban? Ini hukum Allah. Syiar Islam. It will never die. And i know we will work hard for it. Seeing my chairman day in day out working to make sure we get to do korban, you have to admire his way of work. Really. It was not easy. Definitely an eye opener and a wake up call for most, but i cant help but say that some country “perangai y.a.h.u.d.i”, i know its harsh but sesuatu ibadah yang senang dijadikan sukar, dan merendahkan agama Islam. Tak dinafikan orang Islam pun ada salah dan silapnya. These are all learning experience for the Muslims.

What saddens me though, was the ‘participants’ of korban. They bought, yes, with hard earned money i must say. But expecting things to move at the flick of a finger. No sense of patience or good will at all! Im not generalising because there are people who are very patient. But majority of the people who came acted as though we are stupid. It irritated me that they came with this all and mighty air and shouting swearing at us because minor issues. And that here we are working so hard to bl£€><5 serve them had to be the calming factor? I mean really, you are coming here to do korban for God's sake but you cant even show an atom of patience. Nabi ibrahim disuruh korbankan anaknya tapi masih mampu bersabar dengan semaha sabar, kita yang baru nak korban seekor kambing gurun yang kecil, perangai melebihi bisikan syaitan.

There was this man who made a big issue because of a number and even sweared at us with bad words, at a mosque mind you. And swearing to the ladies nonetheless, hitting the table in front of everyone. Just because of a stupid number? My hands were shaking with anger at this stupid man and luckily the head of korban operations of the mosque came up and handled him. Because if no one came i would have given him a piece of my mind and stuttered more bad words at him than i should. I still remember that man's face and may Allah forgives him. Me? I do not know him but i can never forgive what he said and did. Because all of us are working hard here and he had no right to be angry at us. No right at all. Im revengeful like that. Nak buat korban tapi hati masih jauh dan tidak memahami erti korban. Baru korban masa sikit dah merungut macam salah kita tiada esoknya. Nanti di akhirat kena tunggu lagi lama untuk dihitung amalan, cubalah merungut nanti! Wajah satu2 yang datang nak buat korban, tak ada satu pun yang senyum. Tak tahulah kalau ada yang ucapkan terima kasih pada ustaz2 yang bertukar menjadi penyembelih, anak2 muda yang jadi pengembala kambing untuk sehari, sukarelawan yang bekerja satu hari tanpa bayaran, sampai ada juga yang mengungkit bila kita simpankan sedikit daging untuk sukarelawan. Kita yang satu hari macam tak sempat nak duduk masih lagi menghulurkan senyuman dan ucapan terima kasih pada jemaah.

Seriously i dont know what has become of us people. Nanti yang menjatuhkan syiar ini bukan masjid2, jangan salahkan masjid2 sebab mereka dah cuba sedaya upaya untuk terus jalankan korban, kita sebagai umat ni, masyarakat Islam, langsung tak ada perasaan kasih antara satu sama lain! Tidak ada sifat menghargai usaha satu sama lain.

Just the other day someone posted in fb-the deadly viral space, about the monthly contribution they made to a certain organization and not happy about it because he was denied assistance due to his race. Hello, pernah dengar perkataan sedeqah tak? Its just a $3-$5 contribution per month, despite the confusing policy of the organization, which i agree has to be clarified by the organization, but i think, it is a chance for sadaqah. Bersihkan niat tukarkan contribution tu into a niat of sedaqah. And the stupid thing about fb is that all these people started to “Like” and posted some comments and mengapikan lagi the actually small matter which this person is trying to bring up. And everyone started to act smart and think they know better than the other. Jangan berkira sangat boleh? Makes me wonder whether the monthly ciput salary im receiving is out of the angers of people such as him. Kalau ramai lagi org mcm ni, takpelah, saya tak bergaji pun tak apa dari makan duit org2 yang tak ikhlas. takut tahu tak! and people always think kita yang kerja di masjid ni mcm kuli tau. tak ada hormat langsung. But insya Allah, i know there are many more who donated out of pure heart. May Allah bless these kind and generous people. Cuba belajar dari sejarah, apa jadi dalam perang uhud? Semua mula mengungkit dan kekalahan berlaku, pada zaman Nabi tu. Nabi Muhammad s.a.w masih hidup lagi tu.

Ok i better stop because im getting really agitated just typing this out. And i will go on and on and start to bring up all kinds of silly stories and experience. I better stop.

It really saddens me. May Allah give us all the strength and patience, patience, patience and make us ikhlas in our daily job. Please Allah. Forgive us for trying too hard and still not doing much. So help us Lord.

There you go. My oktoberfest which have nothing to do with art or drinking.

Oh speaking of which. After so many years loving iced lemon tea, i realised that its this love which is giving me my terrible almost eczema attacks on my legs. Yes, i have did self research on my….yes, self…when i stop drinking sweet drinks and consume clear plain water, i was free of itchiness. But when i start drinking it back, my itch attack came back. I only realised this during the recent fasting month. And tried to confirm it again after that. And now, its true. I can drink iced lemon tea, but only once in awhile, not everyday.

Oklah, blogging diarrhea already.

Good night and till the next…month? 😉