Off to the Land of Moses (and the Pharaohs)

Passport? Check.
Travel Guide? Check.
Plastic Currency? Check.

See ya folks in 10 days. Be good!

It's Raining Books

Over this year and last I have been blessed with so much, one of them is books. I got them cheap from Payless, MPH, and Popular warehouse/ annual/ clearance sales. An acquaintance who is moving house offered me her novels for RM1 each, (they are all bestseller novels, so I paid RM2 instead). Another friend gave me the first "right of refusal" before donating her late husband’s book collection to charity. I have in total about 100 books from these hauls. I have read some, given away some and have now 64 books left to keep me happy well into the end of 2009. Such that I am not renewing my MPH membership card that expired in July, and I choose to ignore emails from Payless.

Last night, soon after after watching House (Season 4 Episode 11) about a doctor falling sick in South Pole, I turned on my computer to this site which reviews, among other things, the medical accuracy of the show. A poster says that the episode is based on the real-life story of Dr Jerry Nielsen, as told in her book Ice Bound. Instantly I had a light bulb moment! I slowly turned around to my bookshelf, and ta-da, there's the very book! Subhanallah. And do you know how much I paid for the book? RM1! Almost brand new from Payless Books. I am reading it now! I am putting it down just to post this story.

With my inclination towards medical related stuff, maybe this is something I should do when I grow older? Too late to become a doctor, but maybe a nurse? Or a doctor's wife?

ETA: I have finished reading Ice Bound; it's very good. Another amazing co-incidence: Dr. Jerri Nielsen wrote that while in South Pole, she often read a book entitled Endurance : Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. You know what? I have that book TOO! :))

Akhlak Muslim - Sebaran Berita

Untuk ingatan pada diri Embak dan pembaca. Dari kuliah Ustaz Kariman, Darul Ta'lim 8 Ogos, 2008.

An Nisaa' Ayat 83 yang mahfumnya:

"Dan apabila datang kepada mereka suatu berita tentang keamanan ataupun ketakutan, mereka lalu menyiarkannya. Dan kalau mereka menyerahkannya kepada Rasul dan Ulil Amri di antara mereka, tentulah orang-orang yang ingin mengetahui kebenarannya (akan dapat) mengetahuinya dari mereka (Rasul dan Ulil Amri). Kalau tidaklah kerana kurnia dan rahmat Allah kepada kamu, tentulah kamu mengikut syaitan, kecuali sebahagian kecil sahaja (di antara kamu)."

Antara pengajaran dari ayat ini:

1.Tidak wajar menyebar apa-apa berita, baik yang positif atau negatif sebelum diketahui kesahihannya. Haruslah berhati-hati dalan amalan "forward-mengforward" sms atau emel yang sudah menjadi kelaziman sekarang.

2. Hendaklah merujuk kepada Rasulullah atau Ulil Amri pada zaman dahulu mengenai kesahihan berita. Masa sekarang hendaklah dirujuk kepada Kerajaan atau badan-badan yang diberi kuasa, contohnya Jakim, RTM dll.

3. Hendaklah menahan diri dari menyebar berita yang benar (apatah lagi yang tidak) sekiranya dikhuatiri berita tersebut akan membawa keresahan/kekacauan awam.

Wallahu a'lam. Allah jua yang lebih mengetahui.

08.08.08 Olympic Images

Courtesy of Getty Images. More here.

Celebrating MRSM Kota Bharu's 35th Anniversary

The Menu

Taman Sekebun Bunga platter

Sup burung puyuh Dewan Makan

Pengetua's stir-fried tiger prawn with oatmeal flakes

Ikan masak lemak cili padi Nenek Rozlin

Daging kuzi juadah Warden

Ayam masak merah Bilik Menunggu

Stir-fried mixed vegetables hidangan Pok Mat

Nasi putih Prebet Sapu

Chilled pearl sago Block Captain with tropical mango

Mr Freshie brewed coffee or Miss Freshie brewed tea

Glossary (for the uninitiated)

Taman Sekebun Bunga: A favorite hangout place in pekan Kota Bharu

Dewan Makan: Our common chow place

Pengetua: Headmaster/headmistress

Warden: The guy with the rotan

Nenek Rozlin: The resident ghoul

Bilik Menunggu: Where the students wait for their parents expecting goodies and moolah, usually during weekends

Pok Mat: Our beloved bus drivers. We had two: Pok Mat Senior and Pok Mat Muda

Prebet Sapu: Our preferred mode of transportation to Kota Bharu(usually after receiving pocket money)

Block Captain: The most powerful guy/gal in the hostel

Mr and Ms Freshie: The cuties voted by seniors at the end of Orientation Week