Ramadhan.. Kau Pergi dengan Kehadhiran Syawal dan lemak..

Semalam pergi beraya di rumah kawan, ada pulak penimbang elok je duduk dekat tepi tangga. Saja je la naik.. makk aiii.. naik sampai 5 kg!!! Baru je 13 Syawal dah naik 5 kilo??? Ramadhan turun 4 kilo, syawal naik 5 kilo. 

Sedih! Bukan sebab sedih berat dah naik.. Sedih sebab tarbiyyah Ramadhan macam dah 'fail'. Janji-janji sepanjang Ramadhan seolah-olah dipinggirkan. Amalan-amalan sepanjang Ramadhan memang terpinggir. Quran entah ke mana, solat sunat dilalaikan, bangun malam dah menjadi bangun Subuh. Kalau dulu, sementara menunggu nasi masak, dapat la solat sunat taubat 2 rakaat (ini bukan menunjuk-nunjuk - simply sharing how simple it is got get pahala wajib dengan amalan sunat sebab memang kena bangun sahur kan).

Masa Ramadhan, bunyi alarm clock tu takkan masuk dalam mimpi. Terus bangun je. Sebab takut anak-anak semua tak sahur. Tanggungjawab tu kita yang pegang. Tapi 2 malam lepas, siap mimpi lagi, mimpi yang phone tu dah kita matikan alarm tapi tetap snooze lagi. Siap tanya dalam mimpi, 'Kenapa dah matikan snooze siap bunyi lagi ek?'. Nampak sangat will power nak bangun tu kurang berbanding masa Ramadhan.

Masa Ramadhan, masak nasi 2 pot dah cukup, makan nasi dah tak tambah dah sebab memang dah kenyang. Sekarang ni, makan bertambah-tambah pun tak kenyang-kenyang. Tak boleh nak tahan, lagi la kalau masak sambal petai ke (mode baru masak sambal petai just before naik penimbang tu). Kadang-kadang tertanya-tanya, mungkin tak keberkatan Ramadhan tu sendiri yang membuatkan kita nak  beribadah, senang untuk kawal nafsu makan.

Patutlah dapat pahala setahun kalau teruskan puasa 6. Allah masih nak jaga kita biarpun pesta ibadah dah berakhir. 

Nantikan Entry sambungan selepas ni ya. Dah dapat nasihat from a friend yang sangat-sangat berjaya menurunkan berat badan. Tungguuu!! Rupanya masih ada harapan!

Ramadhan.. Kau Pergi dengan Kehadhiran Syawal dan lemak..

Raya..

Bila raya je, suka tengok gambar orang beraya, warna-warni meriah merata-rata. Seronok bila tengok sesetengah orang memang sampai 3-4 raya masih memakai baju raya, masih meriah menziarah. Kami pulak, lepas raya pertama, memang banyak masa untuk tengok gambar-gambar orang beraya, maknanya memang melengung je la kannn...

Sebenarnya jealous jugak tengok orang pergi beraya. Tinggal lagi, sebelum ni memang ada bad experience ke rumah orang, jadi kalau bukan kenal rapat, memang agak susahlah nak pergi. 

Kalau kat kampung memang lah meriah sikit. Seingat kami, masa kami kecik-kecik dulu, memang meriah dari pagi sampai la ke malam, melawat saudara-mara. Selalunya sampai balik ke kampung lepas pukul 10 malam, keluar dari pagi. 

Tak tahulah sejak bila, raya dah tak rasa macam raya tapi dah lama jugak la. Lepas sembahyang raya, ada tetamu, pergilah 2-3 rumah, lepas tu dah. Tunggulah minggu-minggu seterusnya kalau ada open house. Macam semalam, pergi juga rumah kawan-kawan di kejiranan lama, berkunci bertutup rapat. Mungkin pulang ke kampung. Nombor telefon pun tak ada sebab sekali-sekala je jenguk di Facebook. Serik nak main terjah.. sebab serik bila ada yang tanya "Kenapa tak telefon dulu". Teringat pula masa ada maid dulu. Dia tanya, di sini memang macam ni ke raya sebab di kampungnya, rumah sentiasa terbuka, jiran-jiran saling mengunjungi, tak makan apa-apa pun, sekadar ziarah dan berjumpa. 

Yang paling sedih. Elok-elok lepas raya kedua ketiga, nampak sangat amalan yang selalu dilakukan sepnajang ramadhan hilang terus. Dah tak bangun awal macam selalu. Dah lupa zikir semua. Seolah-olah hilang terus. Andai lalai, tentunya amalan terus berbalik kepada yang asal. Makan dah tak ingat dunia, bila puasa, makan sikit pun dah terasa keberkatannya.

Sebenarnya.. raya.. mungkin lebih bermakna jika kita fokus pada 'present'.. not what happened in the 'past'. Biarlah ianya menjadi rahsia..

p/s mesti nak cakap omputih

Raya..

So, What's Your Talent?

I was doing my work at a kopitiam while waiting for my husband to pick me up. Then, one of the papers just flew on the floor. The waiter bent and picked it up while balancing 2 glasses of drinks on a tray which he was holding with his other hand. I went 'whoaaa.. you're really good!'. I was really impressed! I would imagine me spilling the drinks or stopping the paper from flying by stopping it with my foot.

So, what's your talent? I taught a bunch of adults students and get them to present to the audience their partner's talent. I was surprised with the outcome. Apart from their current job, they have hobbies and other job skills. One of them can do wiring, another is good at building maintenance, while another is good at beading. An ex worker at Mc Donald's gave me tips on how to maintain the cleanliness in the kitchen and many are really good at cooking healthy homemade meals. The list goes on. One of them travels around the world through his part time job.

By the end of the presentation, I was really happy that we did that activity. It is such a boost to my morale to know that everyone is special in their own way. We just have to believe that everyone is unique and being comfortable in your own skin is important to be confident. Of course, there will be no one telling you that you are good. You just have to know it yourself!

So, What's Your Talent?

TIme Investment: One of the Best Investments for your Kids.

Okay.. I'm guilty. The way I hold my phone it's like it's glued to my hand. I've been trying to reduce this bad habits but my phone won't stop buzzing with WA and Telegram notification. Okay, I've tried muting them for a year, but I swear I could hear it buzzing.

I learn this from my son. He was reading something the other day. I asked him something, he literally and immediately closed his book, put it aside and look straight at me. I was shocked.. and mostly embarrassed. He simply put it down.  I was his centre of attention. 

I, on the other hand, will answer without even looking at my kids whenever they ask me anything. Sometimes, when this happens, I'll say.. sorry sorry.. can you please ask again, then I answered my very same answer but this time, while looking at them.

He likes helping me rinsing the dishes. He said, he loves talking to me. It's sad, because the only time I have for him is when he's helping me and my hands are too full to do something else and my minds are not cluttered as washing dishes do not require thinking.

When I had a maid, Neng, the minute my kids came back from school, they will rush straight to the maid's room. They went rushing as though they have something really important to tell. One day, I got the answer. They were so excited they forgot to close the door and I saw them around her. She was laying down on her tummy with her hands resting under her chin and her face looking excited. I was amazed. She looked as though she was watching a movie. My kids chatted happily, telling her what happened at school. Sometimes I hear them giggling. They were all looking genuinely happy.

The next day I asked her. She told me, she didn't get to go to school. She had to quit school so she loves listening to my kids telling her about their school life; friends, teachers or anything which tagged school with it.

We tend to 'know' our kids' stories because we have been there. We make assumption when our kids tell their frustrations at school and it is always our kids to be blame. We tell them to be a little bit patient a little bit of this and that but we'd rather hear ourselves talking. :(

I read somewhere, kids need to spend at least 3 minutes with us immediately after school. 3 minutes! That is way lesser than updating our facebook status. But somehow, we choose to update our status, ignoring our kids who are updating their status, live!

It's gonna be hard, beating technology,  but I have to keep on telling myself, one day, when they are all grown up, we will be the one craving for attention and if we don't invest listening to their stories, they might do exactly how we do now because that's how they are taught the way it should be. Close bonded relationship is an investment that you will never regret. The fruit is just too juicy and rewarding.

I believe, if you listen to them or spend time, they will look for you every time they have things to say; be it their excitement or problem and when the time comes when you crave for their attention, insyaallah, they'll be there for you..

TIme Investment: One of the Best Investments for your Kids.

When It's Just Another Whatsapp / Telegram Group.. *sigh*...

My phone seems cluttered with Whatsapp / Telegram Groups. Well, of course there will be a need for WA Group. It makes parent teacher communication easier as well as 'taman group', old friends' group, primary and secondary school group, and then we have hobby group and the list go on and on and on and on..

Anyway, it goes back to the very same problem.. cluttering images and videos, off-topic topics, gossip, knowledge sharing, viral news.. here it goes..

Basic Problem with the Group

1. Sharing is Caring
Sometimes too much sharing is scary. Certain secrets should remain secret and certain news need not to be shared.That's why it is called the secret!

2. When Pahala is the Main Idea
Many decide WA would be a place to spread 'ilmu yang bermanfaat', so of course, in search of that, many groups are bombarded with these 'ilmu' especially the first thing in the morning. Of course it's not wrong, it's where you share it. PTA group? Not advisable. You tend to turn people off from joining the PTA seriously!


3. Crime Awareness
Crime stories that are shared somehow will turn us into paranoids who keep clutching to our handbag the minute we pass people or worse, we'd rather stay at home instead.

4. People's Problems become Yours
We understand that helping others listening to their own problem makes us worry unnecessarily especially when the same people keep on sharing the same problem again and again and again.

5. It's No Longer Fun when the Group Belongs to Someone
Okay, of course there's a need for admin, but mostly, do you realize that each group will belong to someone. There is always A person who moderate and control the topic or even the MOOD of the group for that particular day. Think hard!

6. People No Longer Talk, They Only Share
It is sad when people no longer talk to each other, instead, people just forward messages they got from other groups. Basically, it's like having a newspaper in the Whatsapp group instead of a place where real people talk.

7. Sometimes, You Just Don't Feel Belong
Do you realize that, you can only respond to certain people as there will be people who respond to certain people only.

8. Screen Capture is a Bridge of Trust
Well, if you have a closed group, don't you think that anything in there belong there and should not be taken outside?

9. Sometimes, There Will be Discussion about this Group in the Other Group
Yup, it happens. 

10. The Scariest Thing is When it's FITNAH, and We Forward it anyway.  
A lot of things are simply not true, but because everyone seem to be sharing it, it seems true.


So, the final question: To leave or not to leave. You decide :D

When It's Just Another Whatsapp / Telegram Group.. *sigh*...

Product Review | Aloha! I love you

Diclamer: This is my personal view on the product and I am not paid to write this review. The honest opinion is all mine and no animal was hurt during the review.

 

As the title says "Aloha! I love you".. Really, I do. This is a pair of rubber shoes that is super comfy no matter how long you walk in them. Anyway, I bought this rubber shoes  at My Mydin Section 7 Bandar Baru Bangi for less than RM20 but the shoes last quite long until one day I have exhausted the sole. There's a hole in the one of the sole and whenever I used it during the rain, it will wet my socks. So, it was time for a new pair and I bought exactly the same one, this time, beige because there was no stock for black. My black one is still working for me. The sole is thick enough to give comfort and I love wearing because I have no worries on ruining them during rainy days plus you can wash them. The black colour will fade a bit in time but after a good wash, the colour will restore a bit so I guess it's basically dust.

Anyway, I did try other shoes from the same brand but alas, they do not give the same comfort compared to this one. So the good review goes to this particular model and brand.  I'd definitely but another exact pair but since I think I bought it 2 years ago, I'm not sure if they are available.

I guess, if you look closely at the beige colour, you will notice there's a paw of my nosy cat, Aswad; the love of our life! Never thought cats can really bring such joy and happiness in our lives..

 

Product Review | Aloha! I love you

Seindah Akhlakmu Ya Rasul..

Akhir-akhir ni, banyak je rancangan televisyen yang dok ceritakan pasal Rasulullah SAW. Makin kenal baginda, makin tertarik nak tahu lagi. Mysterious sungguh rasul kita ni. Banyak benda yang kita buat, kalau diniatkan betul-betul, boleh lah dapat pahala sunnat. Contohnya siwak, Rasulullah rupanya bawak kemana-mana je siwak. Kalau kita ni kira gosok gigi la. Bangun tidur, gosok gigi tu sunnah, sebelum tidur gosok gigi pun sunnah, sebelum wudhuk gosok gigi pun sunnah.

Tapi sayang kita ni gosok gigi tak niat sunnah jadi kurang lah sikit pahalanya kot. Kalau ikut sunnah gosok gigi 3 kali bahagian depan, dalam gigi, lidah dan langit-langit sekali. Serius tak pernah gosok langit-langit. Rugi kan, buat hari-hari sejak kecik-kecik lagi tapi tak ambil pahala sunnah..

Lagi kita kenal rasul, lagi kita akan rindu dengan baginda.

Seindah Akhlakmu Ya Rasul..

Edisi Jumaat Extra Pedas (untuk diri sendiri sebab sendiri yang makan cili!)

Tiba-tiba teringat pulak cerita mengenai seorang isteri di zaman Rasullullah yang suaminya sedang bermusafir. Suaminya berpesan, jangan tinggalkan rumah. Tiba-tiba dikhabarkan ayahandanya jatuh sakit, lalu dia pun mengirimkan seseorang bertanyakan Rasullullah sama ada boleh atau tidak dia nak melawat ayahandanya tapi Rasullullah suruh dia taat pada suaminya.

Yelah, zaman dulu mana ada Whatsapp ke handphone pun tak de, bermusafir dengan unta, konfemlah berbulan-bulan kan. Dapat pula khabar berita, ayahandanya meninggal dunia. Dia pun bertanyakan Rasululullah lagi, boleh tak dia nak ziarah jenazah ayahandanya tapi masih lagi dia kena taatkan suami. Mestilah sedih kan, tak boleh nak ziarah ayah meninggal.

Tak lama kemudian, rasulullah pun minta khabar gembira buat perempuan tadi. Khabarkan yang ayahnya di syurga atas keberkatan anaknya yang taat pada suaminya. Whoaaa mesti perempuan tu redho, tak merungut macam isteri-isteri moden macam kita-kita ni hehe..

Zaman sekarang ni lain, suami-suami moden dah beri keizinan untuk bekerja, untuk bercakeramba dengan kawan-kawan. Yelah, dunia hari ni, jarang-jarang dapat jadi macam isteri dulu-dulu. Nak kahwin, kena sama-sama tong-tong responsibilities. Kerja rumah pun kena buat sama-sama, pendek kata semua benda pun sama.. ala-ala almost equal right..

Tapi satu je nak peringat diri sendiri dan kawan-kawan.. Dalam pada masa, suami moden dah sporting kasi kita bekerja dan keluar bagai, apa-apapun veto power tetap milik suami. Kena ingat, sekarang ni kita lebih kepada 'bagitahu' instead of "mintak izin". Kita kena jugak syukur suami kita sekarang ni kasi can kat kita.. boleh keluar.. boleh ada happy hour dengan kawan-kawan. Ultimately.. suami tetap suami, suami tetap kena 'tanggung' isteri kat akhirat nanti.. dan redho Allah tetap pada redho suami. That's a fact. Yang lain daripada suami tu kira semua secondary. Tapi kalau dah suami bagi keizinan kerja, apa yang kita kena buat sebab makan gaji, kita kenalah buat. Jangan lah tak boleh pergi kursus atau meeting sebab suami tak bagi. Itu tak aci tauww!

Lagi satu, jangan pulak ambil kesempatan atas keizinan suami.. dan jangan pulak suami nak moden sangat sampai izinkan isteri buat benda yang tak diredhoi Allah. Sporting, sporting jugak, hukum tetap hukum. Perempuan moden pun tak nak equal right sekarang ni hehehe.. sebab tau.. equal right tu perangkap zaman moden.. kami rela ada org nak kena tanggung dosa-dosa kami (bab tu dalam posting lain pulak hokey!). Okaylah, mak nak pergi minum air. Pedas sangat ni.  Ingat kengkawan.. redho kat mulut je tak aci!! Balik gi cium tangan suami ek! Perang dingin pun kira tak aci jugak muekekekekeke

Edisi Jumaat Extra Pedas (untuk diri sendiri sebab sendiri yang makan cili!)

Me Being Forgetful: Sign of Ageing?

I realize a few years back, I was becoming more and more forgetful. I couldn't find things, forgetting where I put my stuff even immediately after I put them away. It was stressful. A lot of time I walked into the pantry forgetting what I wanted to take. I had to go back to where I stood when I decided to take the stuff just to remember what I needed.

It was like a slap on my face when, I went to my kids' school canteen for our usual mini mommy gathering, something happened. There was one lady who I never saw before and I just blurted out that I was being forgetful. Seems that she is an ustazah teaching Quran. She casually told me "Kurang Baca Quran tu. Baca Quran lebih sikit (You need to read more Quran)". I was walking to the counter to make my payment that I stopped.

I was thinking "How did she know that (I haven't been reading Al Quran)?" Which was true. I seldom read Al Quran except during the beginning of Ramadhan. But is it related? I heard that reading Al Quran will link all the brain cell just like what Anmum said. Wow!

Anyway, it's not only things. Even files that I will go unfinished and I tend to do things again and again. Photos are sorted again and again (I knew that when I open Picasa hehe). I think I just have to reorganize and get things back on track before it gets worse!

Me Being Forgetful: Sign of Ageing?