how to survive your social circle

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

Ali asked the Prophet, “What action can I take that is not totally lost and worthless?”

The Prophet answered, “Seek truth. You will find it in your self; therefore, know yourself. Seek the company of the wise, who know. Agree with what they say, for one understands only that with which one agrees. be sincere in what you say – a single tongue should not speak two different words. no deceit or fraud should enter into your thoughts. do not belittle anyone or anything, for everyone and everything in its inner being wishes for the same thing.
do not touch anything that is not yours. avoid crowded places, even in such places, try to be with yourself, for that is the place where the truth is manifested. that is where the truth is.”
-Ibn Arabi
-Essential sufism

time and heart

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

one week of ramadhan has passed and suddenly it’s all going to pass in a short while. and the challenges has been more difficult the first week. mostly with time. rushing to finish reports, rushing to do this and that, pressures from so many sides. although there are times my brain feels numbed to all work.


been somewhat exhausted with everything that is going around, sometimes i woke up with a huge headache instead of a well rested sleep. biological clock is truly truly tested this month.
still, it has been a good start. it might be one of the perks of working at a mosque. alhamdulillah.

it’s a serene joy to have the opportunity to help the volunteers preparing the meals for iftar, and day after day, the prayer hall is filled all four floors with jemaah every night. the tiredness is forgotten for a while. serving the Creator while serving the servants, insya Allah.

and my teens joined a value added programme which, at the same time, joining the camp the youth wing organized. barulah nampak ramai..but it was all in good cause, since there’s a well-known company who are conducting some teens activities, pretty much related to the theme we are doing for this term which was on relationships and sexuality. only one setback was my misunderstanding of one activity. initially thought their wonderwalk is just around the mosque, it turned out to be an amazing race around Sengkang!! kesian my teens as surprised as their trainer about this but they have been super sporting!! and joined in all the same. my heart goes to them, although the whole time they were out, i was restless and kept praying they are all ok.

they reached the mosque at around 5.30pm, and i couldn’t properly congrats them, because we were on to the next mosque programme with LPM and all. hopefully they got to have some good rest. i realized i’m caring for them just as i cared my two not-so-little siblings. 🙂 trusting them but not willing to fully let go.

but anyway, all went well…and another week to go through…

it doesnt help that you are super busy too…i miss you.

charity

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

Obligatory charity for the sake of God is due from every single part of your body, even from every root of your hair. in fact, charity is due for every instant of your life.

Charity of the eye means looking with consideration and averting your gaze from desires and things similar to them.

Charity of the ear means listening to the best of sounds, such as wisdom, the Quran, and the benefits of faith contained in warnings, and good counsel, and by avoiding lies, slander and similar things

Charity of tongue means to give good advice, to awaken those who are heedless, and to give abundant glorification and remembrance and other, similar things.

Charity of hand means spending money on others, to be generous with God’s blessing to you, to use your hand to write down knowledge and information by means which others will benefit in obedience to God, and to restrain your hand from evil.

Charity of the foot means to hasten to carry one’s duty to God by visiting virtuous people, attending assemblies of remembrance, putting things right between people, maintaining ties of kinship, engaging in jihad (inner struggle), and doing things that will make your heart sound and your faith correct.
– Al-Sadiq
Essential Sufism, James fadiman & Robert Frager

I thought i should share this, as well as a constant reminder to myself. insya Allah.

i was once here

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

Today I am in such a shape
that i can’t differentiate
the load from the donkey
i am in such shape today
that i don’t know which is the thorn
and which is the rose

My Love put me in this shape today
i don’t know who is the lover
or who is the beloved

Yesterday drunkenness led me
to the door of the Love
but today i can’t find
the door or the house

Last year i had two wings
fear and hope
today i don’t know of wings
don’t know how to fly
don’t know of my lost fears

-Rumi

Ramadhan 2.9

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

ramadhan has come knocking on our doors and i thank Lord for giving me this one more chance and more insya Allah.

i wont lay plans or resolutions this time except to do what i can possibly do this time around and come out in victor insya Allah. dont get me wrong, i’m never one to fulfill resolutions, it somehow restricts me.

and new mosque was overwhelmed with people performing tarawih on the first night i’m truly awed.

what’s different between this year and last year’s ramadhan?
1/ a good start. i pray with this good start i strive to maintain the rhythm at least.
2/ there were flaws last year. i just want to improve.
3/ heh, and yeah my status as no longer available nor single…somehow it’s a motivation to be better. 🙂

point is, barikillah humma lanaa fi syahri ramadhan. amiin.

a month has gone

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

and so a month has gone by, time flies so fast that before we know it, ramadhan has come knocking on our doors. ramadhan mubarak!! may this be my ramadhan insya Allah.. anyways, for the past weeks, i’ve indulged myself in endless work…which i’ve begin to embrace and appreciate that busy-ness is somehow healthy and giving you a sense of fulfillment. i cannot imagine work without work so let’s not fret or be stress about it ok 🙂

an opportunity to join in the very first basbeliamabims project, a gathering of four delegates from singapore, indonesia, malaysia and brunei. admittedly having not prepared mentally for the event and physically as i found out later, i think i’ve breezed through pretty well. for one thing, it’s really been quite some time since i joined a 1-week programme which involved much conversation and activities, i was wondering where my energy went, recalling that during my iiu years, i was running around like there’s no tomorrow. and so the whole trip was an enriching one with some good friends made along the way. although there’s about 8 of us ladies in the group.

2 and a half days in singapore and 5 days around selangor. pretty much the host while in singapore and two night stay at NACLI, which is a very nice place beside the Kent Ridge Park, except for the winding flight of stairs we had to go up and down from our room to the main carpark! luckily i didn’t bring the whole luggage, or else, i might just throw the luggage down the hill!

so in singapore, the delegates had a very focused schedule on new media as an outreach tool, going to mosques such as Sultan, Ghufran and Istighfar to share experiences and ways to outreach. i know the other delegates are pretty much amazed by aLive and honestly, i’ve the ambition that mwdh will be THE next centre. (need to maintain this momentum always, dont slack!)

we left for Malaysia on national day and the rest is history…hehe. A lot of visits to some interesting institutions, and am especially awed with Darul Quran and its beautiful majestic surroundings. we visited universiti sains islam malaysia, hub halal, and grand mosques such as al-azim @ melaka and masjid wilayah @ selangor. also, institut profesional baitulmal whoese director motivated us as well in his taklimat about the institute. interesting, students who get free education and become successful…from zero to hero, the tagline. if only we can have something like this back here in sg. especially in islamic education. that would be the ideal, really!

accomodation at ilim or institut latihan islam malaysia, which is a nice and comfortable place for me and roomie ustzh izzah. felt just like the mahallah days @ iiu.

apart from visits, we also had an outdoor activity of trekking a hill at Hutan Lipur, sungai Gabai, Ulu langat. i thought the many many walks i had had here must have been some form of practice for me, thank god for that!! 😉 although it was quite scary since, we’re going up a steep and slippery hill! some almost gave up but we all go through it fine and well. thought of taking pictures, but looking at the difficulty i thought i might dropped either the camera or my self, instead kept everything valuable in a friend’s bag…we eventually reached the waterfall, cuma tak dapat nak really mandi sungai~ although i wasnt planning on it anyway. You must have been proud of me, hehe.

and oh yeah, we had fruits galore at an orang asli community. a portrayal of how islamic mission there is outreaching to them people.

also the opportunity of attending the musabaqah tilawah al-quran 2009, which was a nice coincidence and two of our young singaporean qari and qariah, won 4th place at an international level. hopefully, more attention will be given to this event here back home. overall, it is a nice experience and some new friends made and being away from work, i can tolerate, but away from family, hmmmm, not so much…it worsened because i don’t really get much chance to update at real time, and only short periods for status updates and checking emails…

and i love it that i see you first thing. it’s an imagination come true. 😛

de-stress

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

in need of some ‘enlightenment’, i’ve come up with a way how not to feel so stressed with my work.

– always tell yourself you LOVE YOUR JOB. you can do this either by writing it down many times. or simply say it to the mind. i did it many times now and it did help…in a way that you somehow feel like your mind loosen the tight knots of your brain.

– recall back why you are doing this job in the first place…in my case, it’s because i like doing this..it’s supposed to be exciting and so many angles of education to explore and the job really suits me. like karmic compatibility.

– have colleagues who give out positive vibes.

– smile and smile and smile.

– and look forward to a weekend.

– watch hindustan epic movies, comedies (sometimes, lawak2 bodoh cerita melayu helps), cartoons

– if all else fails, indulge and lost yourself in a fictional or a fantastical novel.

– better still, sleep.

but for now, no sleep yet…there’s a stack of profiles i have to look through!

one happy thing: i’m doing my work on my new blue notebook! a gift from dear and that’s a comfort in itself~

not a last lecture

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

before this headache takes over and probably sleeping in earlier, let me put down a few thoughts.

i’ve been going through this course on working in a school environment and i cannot help thinking how fortunate i am to be able to attend this course! although something like a crash course on school environment and not so much on curriculum but yet it really helps me more in terms of managing a ‘school’ in its technical and administrative level. like for example the importance on safety at school, handling difficult parents and building partnerships, some behaviour management and useful tips, and just today we learnt on programme planning, focusing on the ground details like needs assessment and evaluating the programme.

it does give me more ideas on what to expect in my own job and more prepared. not to forget the trainer and a good role model to all of us. definitely enjoying her class. and applying what i’ve learnt!

finished reading The Last Lecture and i love it. inspiring heartbreaking and funny at the same time. also useful when it comes to how the author shared his experiences inspiring his own students. once you read it you cant seem to stop reading it~ (thanks to dear for the book)

i realised that really, life is short and i need to live today the best i can, fulfilling it with not just the everyday responsibilities, but especially with the people close to you. call me a romantic but i really admire everytime the author made reference to his wife, she ‘the woman of his dreams’ and how they value every minute they spent in the months after he knew of his deadly condition. really, i have to say his wife is a real one strong lady. with three small children to tend to without a husband….and the value of family…from how the author was brought up and educated by his parents should be modelled, briefly: how his parents allowed him to draw/paint his room with these ‘big’ ideas he had, READING as their daily staple…and what touches the heart was how the author really wants to have something which his children can remember him by, thus the book and the real last lecture he had at his university.

it’s about dreams, living life and remember to always appreciate and treasure all that you have now and nothing beats family love.

there’s a lot more to share from this book but i think it’s worth a read. link to the last lecture–>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

and so another day at work tomorrow. so many things to finish and complete. i’ve always thought working at mwdh is fast track! you really do feel like time flies so fast and decorating the classroom takes a whole day, reviewing the registration forms takes a whole day and emails and reports and not to say the upcoming sports day…i don’t have time to breathe! pardon the exaggeration.

i would really appreciate a time out and a break to a place with a beautiful beach and cliffs and trees~ *sigh*

ok people lights off.

26 and Engaged

/ livingseri / Leave a comment
a perfect week had gone by. i wish i can relived the week and savour the moments again. a moment of bonds of lurve, care and belief. and i am officially a fiancee to Suhaimi Tweevran. just saying it makes me glow laaa 😉

anyway, between working (it was the first week of classes back at the mosque…so imagine the number of calls i received and decisions and making sure things are well and running for the first day of classes!!) and preparing for the day, wahh really one of the times when my mind is just jumping from one thing to another…but alhamdulillah, our day went well and smooth. perfect just as i had imagined it!

first would be the backdrop. excellent work by Kak Tini of JG Wedding Creations. turqoise and beige curtains and white roses with a touch of butterflies. we had to have the backdrop to cover the shelves with its all nitty gritty bits and there is no way guests are going into my totally crammed room. but i’m truly glad we have it at the living room for the comfort of everyone and of course me, the princess (as little Amirah called me) haha.

oh before that, i have to say i’m really happy that the gifts turn out nice anyway, to me and my mother’s eyes la. we did the final touches on the night before, adding pretty pretty yellow orchids and red carnations with some baby breaths to give more colour to our silver metallic and black themed hantarans. i hope you like it. 😉

and love the pouches for the bunga rampai!! and the handkerchief + hairclip gifts!

then came the cake, absolutely gorgeous cake!! (rinacreations.com)

and after what seemed so long…being dolled up..and thinking what have i put myself into(??!!)with all this make up on??! haha. but the dress is real nice and the idea is to feel like galadriel, which i think i did, especially when i was all ready and waiting at the living room, one of the LOTR dvd was on play. a very smart way to ease the nervousness 😉

and the moment came, amazingly huge crowd, and i thought you mentioned 20 from your side?? 🙂 with my paternal and maternal family members, and his family members who came, our hall really saves the day.
two families bonded and really there’s no word to describe the beautiful feeling especially when kak Surifah put on the ring. i mean my mind was just shouting THIS IS IT. SERI YOU’RE ENGAGED!!

at that few minutes, it actually felt long to me.:)
more pictures to feast on:
..paternal cousins and aunts..Thank you to my aunts for some of the cakes and puddings as gifts~ i heard the durian beancurd was a hit with the guests!
..from him..
Cik Saad and family-sans- Hanis. Thank you Suli for the Batik Cake
love these pics!


..his family..

my joy my life my everything and the most hardworking people on the day!!:) well people, you got your wish to see me having a boyfriend and engaged….and coming soon…haha

well there’s a list of people i had to thank:
my paternal aunts for preparing some additional feast and yes, the durian beancurd(!)and some of the gifts for him
cousin suhaili for baking the mentioned cake. my aunt Wak Mal and family for staying the WHOLE day till late night to help clear up the buffet stuffs and whatnots.
kak Tini for the gorgeous backdrop cum dais, kak rina for the gorgeous cake, and cik leha for making me feel like a gorgeous galadriel..erkkk…:))
oh yes the caterer cik jehan for the best teh susu! and sumptuous food!
and dayah and husband othman for staying throughout as well and being the official photographer
my armoured petals for the nice gift! so going to use the wedding journal! 😉 dyan and mahir and fana and Teach for coming~
and every single person who came and celebrate this meaningful day with me and my family. all of you make it more beautiful than ever. i kinda have a preview to the Big Day, hehe;)

and you, for making me a part of your life.
never in my imagination, has this very picture came to mind, but God has HIS ways and has lead me to you. you mean so much to me now more than ever. and i treasure every minute with you.
well, i can say we’ve never really been that far from one another all these years…it just takes us longer to find each other…

ps:thank you for the perfect gifts and the giant cake/cupcakes ;)and for pampering me with more books and more blue roses! and yes red roses would be nice sometimes;))

believe

/ livingseri / Leave a comment

There’s a few things which i’ve believed in:

1. i believe in my ability and capability that This Is the job for me. it’s even two passion in one: religion and education. i believe i can soar and achieve much more in this line of work. that my being here is right.

2. i believe in talking to Him, regardless of my spiritual weightage at any point of my life. (i don’t know if weightage is the right word, it just sounds right ;))

3. i believe in my family who has always believed in me. that we will stay strong and together no matter what happens. that my brothers and sisters will achieve success in their own way and interest. that whichever my parents had done, taught and chosen for me has, all along, directed by Him. for that i can’t ask for more that just my ratu and romo to be here with me.

4. i believe in you. truly.