She made my day

...by retweeting me! I hope she had a good day today.

UPDATE: Alamak, yang retweet saya tu sebenarnya bukan Shila Amzahlah. Parody account saja. WTH is a parody account?

Noorun 'ala Noor

This beautiful phrase is stuck in my head. Light upon light. Can you picture it? This phrase is mentioned in surah 24:35 which is beautiful in its translation. I am sure it is stunning in Arabic. O Allah give me the 'ilm to understand its entire meaning. The following is taken from www.alim.org. (You can listen to the recitation by pressing the yellow button). Various translations are given below.

(It would make a nice name for a baby girl. A more Malay variation of it would be Nurul 'Aina Munirah = The light of our eyes the brilliant, illuminating)

Surah 24. An-Nur, Ayah 35

۞ اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Asad

:

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is, as it were, 50  that of a niche containing a lamp; the lamp is [enclosed] in glass, the glass [shining] like a radiant star: 51  [a lamp] lit from a blessed tree -an olive-tree that is neither of the east nor of the west 52  - the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it: light upon light! 53  God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided]; 54  and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. 55

Malik

:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche, in which there is a lamp, the lamp is enclosed in crystal, the crystal is of a starlike brilliance, it is lit with the olive oil from a blessed olive tree which is neither eastern nor western, its very oil would almost be luminous though no fire touched it - as though all the means of increasing Light upon Light are provided - Allah guides to His Light whom He pleases. Allah cites such parables to make His message clear to the people; and Allah has knowledge of everything.

Pickthall

:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light, Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is knower of all things.

Yusuf Ali

:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed Tree an Olive neither of the East nor of the West whose Oil is well-nigh luminous though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light. Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.  2996   2997   2998   2999   3000   3001   3002   3003

Hero

Abah is a hero in my eyes because he kicked his smoking habit; once when I was 9. He went back to it but later quit for good.

One Saturday in 1973, I had to go to school for extra class to prepare for year 3 assessment exam. Usually I would take the school bus, but since Saturday was not a normal schooling day, I would have to take the public Bas Sri Jaya. I had no pocket money, so I walked instead. The short-cut route to my school was about 4km. When Abah returned from work, he asked Mak where I was. Mak replied that I went to school. How? On foot. Abah said, kesian anak aku. Aku merokok sampai tak ada duit nak bagi anak duit tambang. (All this were relayed by Abah much later). So he quit. I don't know when he picked up smoking again, but I remember him quitting the final time when I was in my teens. He carried Hacks sweets in his pocket to suck on whenever the craving returned.

I know smoking is addictive and a tough habit to kick, but with determination and pure intention, one can succeed. Don't wait until you are compelled to quit. Because by then, you would have no choice but to quit.

Cerita Mak dulu-dulu

Menurut Mak dia bukan sepenuh Cina. Dia seperempat Cina. Dia dan adiknya Husin diambil anak angkat oleh Nek Peah dan Tok Jadi yang memang tak ada zuriat. Kakak Mak dan abang Mak pun anak-anak angkat juga. Tapi Husin meninggal semasa kecil. Bila Mak Ngah saya beranak sulung, anaknya Rokiah dibela oleh Nek Peah. Tapi yang mengasuhnya tentulah Mak yang ketika itu berumur 14 tahun. Mak sempat bersekolah sampai darjah tiga sahaja. Kak Kiah memanggil Nek Peah "emak", dan emaknya "Nyai". Dia memanggil Mak "Busu".

Tok Jadi terkenal di Bukit Duyung dengan beroknya yang bernama Abu. Mak cerita, satu hari Tok Jadi bawa Mak dan Abu naik basikal ke kedai kopi. Masa tu sekitar Mak berumur sebelas tahun. Mak membonceng di depan dan Abu di belakang. Adalah seorang budak jerit, "eh Tok Long bawa beruk putih kat depan". Tok Jadi naik berang lalu lepok budak sebab panggil anak dia beruk putih. Tapikan Mak memang sangat "laku" sebab dia putih. Abah ialah orang yang ke-11 merisik Mak. Tok Jadi pilih Abah sebab masatu Abah kerja kat pasar. Gerenti bawa balik lauk hari-hari.

Si Abu ni pelik sikit. Bila Tok Jadi nak suruh dia panjat kelapa, Tok Jadi kena tukar nama dia jadi Minah. "Minah, panjat pokok kelapa!", baru dia panjat. Saya sempat tengok berok ni. Mesti masa itu si Abu sudah sangat tua. Kesian tengok dia selalu kena rantai dekat kolong.

I. Got

MashaAllah! Tabarakallah! Walhamdulillah!

Unfortunate names

Melaka people of the old generation had no qualms naming their children after anything that came to their mind. Names that would embarrass the child for at least two generations after. My parents related some of the names of their childhood; Dapur, Che Itam Comot, Ceduk. Then there were the Mats; Mat Lampu, Mat Tabung, Mat Sondok, etc. These are not nicknames, mind you. For the record, Dapur married Mat Lampu. When my late aunt informed my father that Dapur had passed away, her daughter who happened to be nearby couldn't stop laughing, "Hah, dapur pun boleh mati?"

One time my sisters and I visited the cemetery, and we read the names on the tombstones. We checked with each other thinking our Jawi was not good enough, and broke into laughter right on the burial ground because the names were downright funny. You would laugh too at the name Kecot bin Lisut, among others.

My nephew complained that his friends made fun of his grandfathers' names. I was embarrased with my grandfathers' names too.Why can't they be normal names like Ahmad or Zainal? And then my father's, oh why did my grandfather decide to name him after the day he was born. I had a problem with it until until an Arab said that my father's name is like an Arab's. Only then it became a non-issue. My father also has a nick-name which everyone in the kampung uses to address him until today, and that is Ujan. How do you think he got it?

Early sparks?

@HanisZalikha @remy_ishak Tolonglah mulakan suatu kisah cinta yang indah (untuk makcik akak follow).

A man transformed

Malam Demi Palestin, TV Al-Hijrah, 23 Dec 2012, 9.00 malam.

MATA KECILKU
Nukilan : Ammu Afdlin Shauki aka Abu Miasara

Kau buat mataku kecil
Kau buat badanku besar
Kau sayangkan aku

Kau buatku serba kekurangan
Supaya aku berusaha mencari kejayaan
Kemudian kau limpahkan dgn kesenangan
Kau sayangkan aku

Aku leka dengan hidup dunia
Tiada syukur tersemat didada
Hari hari bergelumang dosa
perhubungan kita tidak ku jaga
seperti seorang anak tak mengenang jasa
Kau sayangkan aku

Aku yg sudah hanyut jiwaku
Rasa tak layak lagi bersamaMu
Sangkaku tertutup sudah pintu kemaafanMu
kerana ke-alpaan diriku
Kerana kebodohan diriku
kerana keangkuhan diriku
Kerana ku butakan mata kecilku
"Masihkah Kau sayangkan Aku?"

f16 Israel membedil Gaza
Kau sayangkan aku

Bom Bom Israel mencari Syuhada
Kesengsaraan di tanah Gaza
Kehancuran merata- rata
Kezaliman yg tak terkata
Kau sayangkan aku

Kemanusiaan membawaku ke sana
Kau permudahkan segala cara
Walaupun debar menggoncang dada
Kau beri ku kekuatan minda
Selamat perjalananku ke Gaza
Agar akhirnya dapat ku guna
Mata yang lama tak bercahaya
Kerana hanya mengejar dunia
Kau Sayangkan aku

Mataku melihat, runtun hatiku
bukan kerana kematian dan kesusahan di situ
Gaza tanah barakahMU
walaupun semuanya kelabu
Dipenuhi oleh kekasih-kekasihMU
Yang tidak pernah menyoal cintaMU
Yang tak pernah menyalahkanMU
Walaupun apa saja kesusahan yang kau beri
Kesyukuran tak pernah meninggalkan hati
Semua kekasih kekasihMU itu merindui
BersamaMU di Jannah nanti

Air mata berlinangan dari mata kecilku
Melihat Ketenangan wajah kekasihMU
Melihat Keberanian jiwa kekasihMU
Melihat keredhaan hati kekasihMU
Melihat ketaqwaan hidup kekasihMU

Senyum kekasihMU penuh cahaya
Senyun terukir walaupun duka
Senyum di beri tak memilih siapa
Senyum penuh kesyukuran padaNYA

AKu terduduk, terdiam melihatnya
Mata aku berkelip tidak percaya,
tidak pernah aku melihat sepertinya
Adakah aku dibumi nyata
ataupun menghampiri ahli-ahli syurga

Palestin bergolak atas keizinanMu
Kau mahu Palestin menjadi guru
Pelajaran bagi semua umat Muhammad SAW MU
Menyuluh jalan pulang padaMU

Aku meminta pengampunan dariMu Ya Allah
Kerana setelah semua yg aku laku
kau masih sudi membuka mataku
kau masih sudi mahu bersama ku
Kau masih sudi sayangkan aku
Kau sayangkan aku

Aku bersyukur dan merasa rendah
kerana diriku yang masih kau endah
Akan ku balas cintamu dengan seluruh jiwaku
dengan badan besarku
dengan seniku, dengan jenakaku, dengan akalku
dengan mata kecilku yang kini melihat kebesaran Mu
kekuatan Mu, KebijaksanaanMu, PengampunanMU
Cinta Mu yang memang tidak ada seteru.
Semua yang ku lakukan kini kerana Mu ya Allah InsyaAllah

UntukMu inginku menjadi Qalam
Akan aku ceritakan kebesaranmu kepada sekian Alam
Akan ku sampaikan kasih mu yg sangat mendalam
Ya aku, Budak gemuk yg 120kg ni...sebenarnya ISLAM.

Lemony Slice-and-bakes

A big thanks to my friend Sally North who posted the picture on Facebook which prompted me to ask for the recipe. Makes about 50

To keep the rolled dough's cylindirical shape, chill it or freeze it inside empty cardboard paper towel tube.

Dough:
2.1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks

Icing:
1.1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsps (or more) fresh lemon juice
Food colouring (optional)
Sanding sugar (optional)

Steps:
1. Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Use electric mixer to beat butter, lemon zest and and vanilla in a bigger another bowl, occasional scraping down sides until light and fluffy. Add in yolks, beat just to blend. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in parts to blend. Part dough in half, and roll each half into 10 inch-long log and 1/3/4 inch in diameter. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Can be made 2 days ahead, and keep chilled.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Line on baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. 350F, 16-18 mins. Cool on wire racks completely.

2. For icing; whisk sugar and lemon juice (and food colouring). Spread or drizzle icing on cookies as desired. Let sit for 10 minutes. Store in airtight container.

The prefect

In primary schools throughout Malaysia, a prefect is a title that many school children covet. Those chosen are supposed to be of "good character" and some build so to be entrusted with some power to help the school "control" other students. And by God's design, I was one.

This is the neck tie I wore when I was a prefect in Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Bahasa Inggeris), Jalan Padang Tembak (2), Kuala Lumpur. I was "Ketua Murid Rendah" in 1974; "Ketua Murid" in 1975 and "Ketua Sekolah" in 1976. Those were exaggerated and inaccurate titles to be given to a child, don't you think? Wouldn't the headmaster/headmistress the rightful head of the school?

This picture above is the picture of the prefects with Puan Kamariah, the headmistress in 1975. #1 is Yusrina, the head pupil, and I (#2) was her deputy. When I was the head pupil in 1976, Rosmawarni (#3), was made deputy. I believe she succeeded me in 1977.

One of the chief responsibilities of the head pupil was to lead the National Anthem during assembly every Monday. The head pupil would stand on the intermediate landing of the staircase (marked with star) and as the music started to play, he/she would lift his/her hand much like an orchestra conductor. When I was in standard 5, I used to observe Yusrina carry out this task. By year 6, (putting up a brave front and pushing shyness aside) I just continued with the custom. Unbeknownst to me, that weekly performance brought pride to my uncle (Datuk Bulat's son who's one year younger than me). He would tell his friends, "that's my niece up there!"

Doll house and other memories of "13th May"

I will forever associate a doll house with the 13th May episode.

I was 5 at that time; I already had 2 younger sisters; 3 and 1 years old and a brother on the way. A few times when the men were called to assemble at Dato' Harun's house in Kampung Baru, the womenfolk and kids were sent to congregate in Makcik Lela's house, which sit right in the middle of our community off Jalan Jelatek. I don't recall much detail except that I loved it because we kids got to play with my friend, Icah's doll house and Lego set. That was a big deal then, because my friend's father worked for the Korean Embassy and we heard they got nice things from the embassy.

Because of the 13th May riot, food was scarce. I remember food was delivered to us in a van or lorry and I stood in line for sardine and bread (and maybe rice too). Thankfully, we planted pokok ubi around our house.

And there were the curfews. The government or the police imposed curfews at certain hours and we were not supposed to go out in the street. Anyone who violated this order would be punished by the FRU. During one of these curfews, my father decided to shift his family to his uncle's house in Jalan Keramat Dalam 3. It was not very far from Jalan Jelatek, but the mission was quite risky. We risked being caught by the FRU. It was getting dark that time (or it could have been early dawn), the five of us sneaked and snaked our way in between houses. When we were close to our destination, we caught sight of two uniformed guys standing and watching a man climb up and down a street light pole. We didn't stop to ponder; we full-heartedly scurried along. Later when we related the incident to our relatives, they told us that's how the police punish if one was caught outside their house during curfew.

My uncles (my father's cousins) had a radiogram (equivalent to karaoke set now) and they kept us entertained by taking turns at the microphone belting covers of A. Ramli and the likes. They must have turned down the volume, otherwise the FRU would have come over and gave us a stern warning.

To this day, I don't know how many days the 13th May incident lasted but I still can recall the stillness of the air and the smell of fear and uncertainty.

The following year, I enrolled in Kindergarten Capital.

The joy of patch work is ..

.... in the nostalgia. This bed spread was made in the 90's using pieces of fabrics left over from uniforms, curtains, dresses, baju kedah and pillow cases. It has outlasted most of the original pieces which had become washed out, torn, or given away. The oldest patches are the two pieces from my maxi I wore in 1989.

Every now and then, I would look at these patches and try to remember what project or whose baju they were taken from.

Big squares are easy to work with. Work on four squares to make one big square; and soon you'd find yourself with one giant spread. Repair is also easy as if one of the squares is ripped, you can replace with another, newer square.

Hope this one will survive a long time and become an heirloom for the next generation.

Yesteryear's jottings - Final Part

8-7-1992 

Angah dan Ad-din balik ke Penang malam ini selepas 2.1/2 minggu di sini. Ad-din sekarang 1 tahun 1 bulan, dah reti bahasa walaupun tak pandai cakap lagi. Bila cakap Umi dia nak balik Penang sorang-sorang dan tinggalkan dia di KL, dia menangis sampai bawak mengigau malam-malam.

Monday 28-9-1992

Mohamad Mujahid Hadi was born on Monday @12.40 noon.

Tuesday 29-9-1992

Almost the whole of Peninsular blacked out between 4 to 24 hours.

Ahad 28-2-1993

Hari keenam berpuasa. Azri sudah mula mengerjakan ibadat solat. Dia puasa penuh setakat ini, walaupun "nak pengsan" katanya di sekolah. Kalau tak tahan dia mandi atau basahkan muka. Semalam dia cabut gigi susunya yang pertama.

13-3-1994

Raya Aidilfitri. Abah beli TV. Ad-din, Mujahid and Aufa came to celebrate with us. Aufa is 3.1/2 mths old, already weighing 8 kilos. Mujahid dah pandai panggil Long, Chu and Nek. Abang Deen is mature beyond his 2.3/4 years. Mujahid caused the table fan to tumble down the stairs and broke the blade. Abg Deen repeatedly reminded his parents to replace the fan, and Mujahid not to play with it again.

~ THE END ~