Reflections of a dragon baby

Alhamdulillah tahun ni jiran-jiran Cina di taman sebelah kurang sikit bermain mercun dari tahun-tahun yang lepas. Mungkin kastam berjaya rampas banyak stok mercun. Kali ini sedikit terasa sebab kitaran naga tu datang kembali. Embak yang semacam Cina ni terimbas balik pusingan tahun-tahun naga Embak:

0-12 tahun- zaman kanak-kanak
12-22 tahun - zaman pulun belajar
22-36 tahun - makan gaji
36-48 tahun - sendiri cari gaji
48-60 tahun - ?? Adakah akan jadi Mem, diberi gaji? Tunggu....

Menurut hadith Rasulullah, usia umatnya ialah 60 tahun. Maknanya Embak ada satu kitaran sahaja lagi. Itupun kalau ajal tidak mendahului.

Woody Allen: Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die.

3D 2N at Avillion Admiral Cove

I was invited to a lab at this beautiful resort discussing higher learning programs of a body which was my sponsor when I was studying. Here are the pictures. Every participant was given a room to herself/himself which I find luxurious and wasteful but maybe necessary to the lab as we were expected to give ideas. In my room, there were two single beds and a daybed. The guy in the next room peeved me though as the smoke from his bathroom went up the air vent and seeped through my bathroom ceiling resulting in my room smelling like a smoking den. Nonetheless, I feel the brainstorming session was a success. 

A Reflection on Aging Parents

Summarized from Br Nouman Ali Khan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRoKzXQiebs , written by Amatullah here http://www.suhaibwebb.com/relationships/marriage-family/parents/a-reflection-on-aging-parents/


Like most children, I thought my parents were superheroes. My mom could open the tightest of jars and could carry us around while she finished her chores. My dad could come back from a long business trip and still have the strength to play and take care of all 6 of us.

I was in denial about my parents’ aging until my dad asked me to take a basket of laundry down the stairs for him because he wasn’t able to carry it. It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks that they no longer had the strength I thought they’d always have.

The hardest part of witnessing our parents age is seeing a regression in their strength and capabilities. The two people who we turned to for a helping hand no longer have the physical strength to do so.

Yet when Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (glorified is He) speaks of their old age in the Qur’an, He (swt) does not advise us to offer physical help to them. Rather He (swt) says:

“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.” (Qur’an 17:23)

While there are many verses in the Qur’an that instruct us to be good to our parents, this one specifically highlights how we should treat them in their old age. In his explanation of this verse, Shaykh al-Sha`rawi says that Allah (swt) mentions their old age here because it’s the time in their lives that they are in the most need of their children. He further explains that when parents are younger and stronger, their children rely and depend on them because they are able to help them. But as they age, the roles are reversed – the parents go from giving to being needy, from breadwinners to dependants.

One thing we all notice as our parents age is the change in their character. As we become more independent, they may become demanding, forgetful, irritable, and stubborn. Because of this change in character, Allah (swt) reminds us that especially during this time we have to show the utmost kindness and respect to them.

We are told in this verse to not treat them even with the slightest form of anger. The term “uff” is the smallest expression of dissatisfaction. For us today, this can be rolling our eyes or a slight tone of annoyance in our voices. Shaykh al-Sha`rawi mentions how hard it is to keep ourselves from expressing “uff” because sometimes we do it subconsciously. He advises that we as children should be vigilant in keeping ourselves from expressing these small gestures of annoyance and anger because of how hurtful they can be to our parents.

In the following verse, Allah (swt) goes on to explain further how we should treat them:

“And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.’” (Qur’an 17:24)

“Lowering the wings” is a saying used to express humility. It means that you have a chance to show your power, but you refrain out of humbleness. Similarly, the word “rahmah” or “mercy” gives a connotation of someone, despite having the upper-hand, still showing kindness.

Some of us may consider our parents to be difficult. We may have given up hope that our relationship with them can improve. The beauty of Islam is that God will reward you for your intentions and efforts just as He rewards for good actions. We have to put in effort before we see change. It is important for us to remember that there is no magic pill for good character. If we are truly sincere in improving our character then Allah (swt) will put us in difficult situations with difficult people. We learn good manners through these trying experiences.

We have been given an opportunity to improve our character through our parents. As our parents age, we should speak in a kind and gentle manner. We are merciful to them. We cover their faults. We overlook the things they may do that annoy, irritate or hurt us. We reciprocate with love.

Easier said than done, right? Allah (swt) has given us the answer to why we may not have a strong relationship with our parents:

“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.” (Qur’an 17:23)

This verse allows us to gauge our relationship with our parents by first looking at our relationship with Allah (swt). Essentially, if we are not fulfilling our duties to Allah (swt), then we will not be able to treat our parents in the best manner1 .The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) taught us, “Righteousness is good character,” (Muslim) so a righteous and God-fearing child will treat their parents with good manners. Allah (swt) has placed such great importance on parents that even their religion does not warrant their child to behave improperly to them.

Now that we are older, stronger and more capable than our parents, this is the time to really show our compassion to them. Our emotions will be stirred by what they say and do, which is why Allah (swt) reminds us that instead of getting angry, frustrated or annoyed at them, we should restrain ourselves and be humble.

The Prophetic tradition provides us with motivation when we find it hard to deal with our parents:

In a famous narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Ameen,” to three supplications made by Angel Gabriel. One of them was, “Far away is the person whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age during his lifetime but he does not enter Paradise!” (Muslim)

This person was given a chance to enter Paradise by being good to their parents, but they let the opportunity slip away. This person lost out because of how easy it can be to gain reward for helping them or staying in their company. The Prophet ﷺ called out this person because it is the ultimate lack of mercy to leave your parents in their old age.

Similarly in another narration, the Messenger ﷺ said, “A parent is the best of the gates of Paradise; so if you wish, keep to the gate, or lose it,” (Tirmidhi). The scholars explain this narration to mean that entering Paradise through being good to your parents is of the best ways to enter it. It not only shows the honor that lies in being good to your parents, but also that it is up the person to take advantage of this gate.

Shaykh al-Sha`rawi says, “Just as they showed you ihsan (the best form of kindness), you must do your best to do the same. But your mercy alone is not enough to compensate for what they did for you. Therefore seek the best form of mercy for them from Allah, the Most Merciful. [by saying] ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small,’ (Qur’an 17:24).”

Just as they still loved us when we said or did things to hurt them as children or youths, we in return do the same in their old age. Don’t wait until you see your parents carried out of the masjid in a box to realize how much better they deserved from you. Don’t wait until that largest gate of Paradise is closed in your face to realize how easy it could have been to enter through it.

May God have mercy on our parents.

Hadiah Tahun Baru 2012

Pada 1 Januari 2012, penduduk di BTR dikejutkan dengan pengumuman berikut: " Ini adalah pengumuman komuniti. Sila ambil tong sampah percuma dari Alam Flora di depan" berulang-ulang kali. Komuniti di tempat lain jangan jeles ya. Nampaknya kami menjadi anak emas Alam Flora tahun ni. Kami di segenap ceruk taman kini mempunyai tong sampah yang cantik lagi seragam yang diimpot dari Jerman. MP BTR mesti tengah fening kepala mikir apa pulak dia nak presen kat kami:D

Knowledge put to test

My first commissions. Two arrangements ordered for Casa Azli and Aziah. Embak caj kos sahaja.

Gubahan bulat untuk meja makan

Gubahan tigasegi untuk sudut

Knitting away

Here's Embak knitting away the yarn that Azri gave whilst the others were playing in the waters of Feringghi.

The said shawl finished in time to fly with the newlyweds for their honeymoon. Embak is happy to report that the shawl (and the newlyweds) had gone overseas and came back safely.

Kursus Asas Menggubah Bunga Artificial

Malasnya nak susun gambar ni mengikut turutan. So I cerita jelah secara ringkas ya.

Salah satu gubahan bunga oleh team peserta lain hari ini.


Macam saya yang gubah sorang. Actually saya dan rakan saya Yan satu pasukan hari ni.



Yan berposing dengan gubahan bentuk 'S', hasil team lain.


Gubahan semalam - Hiasan pintu.


Gubahan bentuk segitiga semalam.


Gubahan hari pertama - Centrepiece.


This is where it all happened. Kolej Komuniti Selayang. Bayar RM20 untuk kursus 3 hari dan boleh bawa balik 2 gubahan. Mana nak cari beb!

Embak menyusun bunga!

Hari ini hari kedua Embak mengikuti kursus asas menyusun bunga artifisyel di Kolej Komuniti Selayang. Semalam kami belajar buat bunga "centre piece" untuk meja makan/meja kopi. Hari ini bunga segitiga dan bunga hiasan pintu. Esok hari terakhir susun untuk jamabangan besar.

Esok aje Embak letak gambar-gambar hasil kerjatangan Embak ye.

Kursus-kursus Pengajian Sepanjang Hayat 1 Malaysia boleh dilihat di sini -http://www.kkselayang.edu.my/ms/psh_terbaru.html

Knitting Yourself Together by Katherine Walsh

Embak is turning into a knitting nut these days. I found the following write-up to be absolutely true. (The accompanying picture is one of my beginner's projects).


By Kat Welsh

A knitter once told me this joke:

One day, a young woman goes to her priest with some questions.
"Father," she asks, "may I pray while I knit?" "Of course, my child!" the priest responds. He is delighted that this young woman seems to understand the necessity of constant prayer, the instruction to pray without ceasing.The young woman, too, is pleased with the conversation thus far, and so she decides to continue.
"So Father," she adds, "may I knit while I pray?" "Absolutely not!" the priest exclaims.

This story, while obviously taking a light-hearted approach, hints at the deep relationship that many knitters feel between knitting and spirituality or meditation. The physical motions involved in knitting certainly lend themselves to a contemplative or even trance-like state. Knitting is repetitive, especially in its simpler forms. It does, however, take a certain amount of concentration. As a result, the knitter can find part of her mind wandering while the rest stays centered on the movements of her hands, the particulars of her pattern.

Sally Melville addresses this issue in her book The Knitting Experience, Book 1: The Knit Stitch.

"We are a left-brain dominant society . . . we need to get out of the dominant full-of-rules left brain and into the more innovative, solution-advancing right brain. And we get into the right brain by engaging in activites that are:

* physically repetitive
* intellectually undemanding
* visually stimulating

This explains the wonderful place to which my mind goes when I'm knitting. " I first discovered this "wonderful place" and the power of knitting as a companion to contemplation on a rainy afternoon. I find that one of the best ways to put myself in a meditative mood is to take a walk outside. However, there are certain days when it's just not very pleasant to be outside. I needed an alternative practice for those days.

One day, it occurred to me to try knitting. It worked! The repetitive motions of my hands were the perfect substitute for the repetitive motions of my body while walking. The knitting kept me busy and centered but freed my mind and heart to dance around whatever issues or problems were currently bothering me. I say "dance around," and not "think about," because while the needles were in my hands, I found that they provided a certain distance between me and the problems of my daily life-even those problems that had seemed so huge, so all-encompassing just hours or minutes before.

I soon learned that this distance gave me more than just a blessed reprieve from worry. As I sat quietly and knit, my mind would slowly calm. Soon, ideas and worries would start to bubble up to the surface one by one, slowly, instead of all together in a furious boil. I found that if I simply acknowledged them and then let them simmer, rather than try to actively concentrate on them, amazing things would happen. Vague hints of solutions would begin to appear in my subconscious. By refusing to think too hard, I could open my mind to all sorts of answers that I would never have considered otherwise.

Most importantly, I would gradually come to a feeling of peace, of hope or anticipation or contentment. My mood after a knitting session is virtually always drastically improved over how I was feeling before I picked up the needles that day. Even when the problems that worried me were essentially out of my control-war, for example-or insoluble, such as grief for the loss of a loved one, after knitting for a while, they would seem less horrible, less terrifying. Quite simply, knitting made me feel better.

Never one to leave well enough alone, I decided I needed to know why this was. The fact can seem so obvious that we don't even consider the reason behind it; why should knitting make us feel better? On the most basic level, knitting is doing something, and we almost always feel better when we are accomplishing something, anything. Knitting can also provide an escape. By losing ourselves in a particularly challenging pattern or stitch, we can shut out our worries for a time.

This sort of escapism can be found in many other activities as well, like cooking or reading. But while concocting an elaborate meal or curling up with a novel usually makes me feel better for a little while, neither seem to have the lasting effects that knitting has. The peace they bring is more superficial, more fleeting. Why, then, is knitting so particularly suited to soothing away problems and bringing peace?

The answer to this lies at the very heart of the craft, and is so obvious that we all too often overlook it entirely. Think for a moment about what is happening in the actual, physical process of knitting. The knitter takes a strand of yarn and manipulates it, as if by magic, into a piece of cloth with shape and texture. From what is basically a piece of string, using only a few sticks, comes an object, a real thing of warmth and beauty.

Knitting isn't really magic, though. And this is the most important part. This amazing transformation of some raw materials into a useful, beautiful, and unique knitted object is done with the knitter's own hands. When your project is done, you can show it to the people around you and tell them "I made this." That alone is extremely empowering.

But it's not just about a sense of accomplishment, either. When we knit a ball of yarn into a sweater, we are constructing a whole, bit by bit, stitch by stitch. We can go as slowly as we like, but each stitch is progress. When we make mistakes, we can go back and fix them-or we can decide that we actually like them perfectly well as they are, thank you very much. Both approaches involve a great deal of courage-the courage to admit our mistakes and take the time to fix them, or the courage to accept our imperfections and blaze our own trails.

Knitting teaches us self-confidence, and establishes us firmly as co-creators of our worlds. We soon find that what we can do with yarn, we can do also with our lives. Knitting prepares us to take the plunge into living fully and actively participating in our lives. If we can take some yarn and sticks and make a beautiful warm sweater, we can certainly construct our own happiness.

The self-actualization that knitting brings is most fully realized when we knit for ourselves. In her delightful book Zen and the Art of Knitting, Bernadette Murphy writes:

"And when I knit for myself, the resulting sweater is a tangible reminder that I can make my own warmth in what is often a cold world. When I knit, as when I write, I find myself in ecstatic participation in a divinely animated world."

So what are you waiting for? Knitter, heal thyself. Knit a sweater or shawl that will be both a literal and a metaphorical token of the warmth, beauty, and peace that you have the power to create for yourself. Pick a pattern that you find truly beautiful, or even create your own. Choose soft, luxurious yarn in beautiful colors. Make sure that both the process and the product bring you joy. Don't work on this particular project when you are in a bad mood or going through a difficult time, or you will always associate that negativity with your knitting. Instead, turn your negative energy into something positive for the world by using some charity knitting to get through the anger or sadness.

Work on your healing project when you are feeling positive and hopeful. Put on some comforting music or a favorite old movie, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, put your feet up, and knit yourself an enduring symbol of your ability to knit yourself together.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Melville, Sally. The Knitting Experience, Book 1: The Knit Stitch. XRX Books, 2002.
Murphy, Bernadette. Zen and the Art of Knitting. Adams Media Corporation, 2002.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katherine Welsh is a knitter and writer living in New Hampshire with her roommate and the most beautiful kitten in the universe, who enjoys helping her mommy knit and type.


UPDATE: This booty will keep me busy at least for the next 2 years.

Apa ada dengan air kolah Masjid Ulu

Pada hari Ahad yang lepas, Embak bersama keluarga balik ke Melaka untuk beraya dengan saudara-mara. Terlanjur ke sana, seorang saudara mengirim pesan agar kami ambilkan air kolah Masjid Ulu. Kami sampai di masjid tertua di Malaysia ini yang terletak di tengah bandar Melaka kira-kira jam 11 pagi. Embak duduk dalam kereta sementara wakil kami masuk ke dalam.

Ramai orang rupa-rupanya yang datang ke masjid tersebut walaupun belum masuk waktu Zohor. Dan kebanyakan mereka keluar dengan bekas air. Ternyatalah mereka datang ke situ untuk mengambil air kolah.

Yang Embak musykil, apa yang istimewanya air kolah Masjid Ulu ini? Saudara Embak yang mengirim air tersebut mahukan air itu untuk basuh kakinya yang tidak kuat lagi agar dia dapat berjalan semula. Tak tahulah orang-orang yang lain. Embak sebenarnya sangat takut kalau orang ramai menganggap air itu ada "kelebihan". Bukankah air zamzam di Masjid al Haram sahaja yang bersifat syifa'? Semoga Allah melindung kita semua dari terjebak ke dalam sebarang perbuatan syirik, samada sedar atau tidak.

Tulips Galore

We were so lucky that we were in time for the tulip season in Turkey. When we first caught sight of these flowers from the bus, the women in the bus got very excited. They lined the streets and roundabouts; they made the cafes and mosques more picturesque; they were everywhere and came in multi-colours. By the time we ended the tour nine days later, the tulips were wilting and making way for roses.

We always associated tulips with Holland, but the truth is tulips originated from Turkey. Bulbs were brought to Vienna from Istanbul in the 1500s and started the craze for tulips in Europe. In Holland, the interest was so intense that brought about the "Tulip Mania" when people invested in tulips like people do now in high-tech stocks.

Credit to Lin Ajis for the last 3 pictures.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale means Cotton Castle. It is named for the hot springs, travertines, and terraces of carbonate minerals that measure around 9000 feet long, and 500 feet high upon which the ancient city of Hierapolis was built. It is located in the Denizli Province of southwestern Turkey and was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1988.

Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the second century BC by the Romans, and the city was named to honour Hiera, wife of Telephos. Many patients came to stay in Hierapolis to soak in the pools as prescribed by their doctors for their ailments and they formed a thriving city until a series of earthquakes demolished the city in the 12th century.

When we reached Pamukkale, it was near sundown and raining so we could just see from our bus what looked like a snow-covered hill.

The next morning, our bus took us up the hill, and the view from up there was spectacular. We soaked our eyes in the view and our feet in the thermal pool.

The weather was cool so the European tourists came decently clothed. The Turkish tourist police force was very quick with the whistle whenever they see anyone going in the pool with footwear on.

There were remnants of Roman architecture and a museum there but we didn't have enough time to explore them. Gah! That's the peril of travelling with a tour group. We had to hurry to catch the next destination.

The pictures are grey because they were taken between 7 and 8 plus a.m. and the weather was cloudy until we hit the roads. (The first two pictures are courtesy of fellow traveller, Lin Ajis, the one in white coat).

Anecdotes from Turkey - Yogurt, honey and poppy seeds

Turkey is breathtakingly beautiful. I wonder how the Turks can take it; to me it is almost intoxicating. The country is thronged by tourists round the year that led me to believe that tourism is the country's number one income generator. But no; it is agriculture. It was very evident throughout our travel; the land is always planted with one crop or another like wheat, cherries, grapes, hazel nuts or olives. Even the lands that are covered in stones will be made workable after the farmers clear them patiently by hand-picking the pebbles, sometimes over years. They produce so much food that they export to all over the world.

On our way to Konya from Pamukkale, our local tour guide stopped the bus in a village for us to sample yogurt with honey and poppy seed. See photo. It's delicious. The poppy seeds add crunchiness and a nutty taste to the yogurt. A serving costs 5 Turkish Lira. I was contemplating to buy the poppy seeds but was worried of the Malaysian Customs at KLIA. My guide told us that once, he took an extra helping of the poppy seeds which resulted in him not remembering what happened the rest of the day.

Poppy in that village is planted with the blessings of the government solely for the patronage of their Ministry of Health. One time, our tour guide stopped his tour bus near a field of poppy and some tour members went after the flowers. Soon after, a truck full of armed villagers swerved by. So he advised us not to pick the flowers should we stop afterwards. But we were not so lucky; the villagers have just harvested the crop; otherwise we would've seen carpet after carpet of red flowers. The photo I enclose here is a patch of wild poppy flowers we saw at Hierapolis.