Dengarkanlah
Ketika Dia berbicara...
ketika waktu solat teralpa
ketika solat tahajjud terlena
ketika hati sedih tak keruan
ketika rindu serbu mengundang
ketika diri bertanya - 'dosakah aku -?'
dicelah-celah kegembiraan dan keramaian dunia -
dengarkanlah
Itu ketika Dia berbicara....
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
And they really came....
It was a surreal Saturday the 28th November 2009.
Firstly, it was just a day after Hari Raya Aidil Adha, which meant we were still in hari tasriq (did I spell this correctly?) I did worry and prayed that we would not do anything that would tarnish these blessed days....
Secondly, I cannot imagine that any parents would really allow their children to cross the straits just to ziarah their teacher and to bond with their friends. I can't imagine these girls and guys 'terlepas' out of Singapore...
Thirdly, Hadi, the veritable gentleman, who always worried about his mother's safety, became worried sick when he knew at least twelve girls were coming to JB! He can't imagine being a bodyguard to all of them! Not that they asked for it, I know...
Fourthly, how do we ferry 21 young people in and out of JB? My gallant husband and Halim were the answers - they became chauffeurs for the rest of the day. Thanks guys! :) And I was told that Halim was sooo comfortable in his role that he doubled as a tourist guide as well...
In the end, I guess, it was by Allah's will that all 21 of them ended at Taman Perling. :)
And what a day it was!
I am touched to know that the kids woke up pretty early, just so they won't miss the KTM train. Then, apparently, they had to brave the smoky air and the cockroaches, and being asked to vacate their seats so they ended up somewhere at the end of the cabin, I was told. Alhamdulillah you all landed safely at Danga Mall, and did not actually overshot all the way to KL....
Also, I can't imagine how you people actually carried that very lovely but heavy hamper all the way across the seas! Thanks a million for that! The sarsi we drank for dinner was from that hamper... I ctually wanted to laugh out when I saw the hamper - so the 'makcik-makcik'! I wonder whose idea it was...hmm
Many,many memories... :)
-A'lim had to take the bus on his own and I worried whether he'll lost his way. Alhamdulillah, he did not... :)
-Oh! I did not know the girls were so frightened of ghosts! really, faatinah! and maryam, too! and dayah tapa, who was already threatening and begging the rest to send her home to her doorsteps! Best!!! Maryam was normally the icon of control and command in the class and it was sooo great to see her laughing her head off when the pontianak got electrocuted by lightning....yah, lame wasn't it, maryam? and I shan't tell you the boy behind me who was 'frightened' too... :)
-Bowling was, in the kids' lingo - AWESOME! we hit more 'longkangs' then strikes! It was also only my second time at bowling and I hit A strike! :) Maiira was pretty good for the girls, and I think for the boys, it was Arif (that's what my husband told me). Oh! thank you Nabmo and Nabjo for 'teaching' Nina how to bowl! I would have uploaded that video in Facebook if not for the sickeningly slow connection...
-Archery! Ehem..have never seen 'abang-abang archery' so full of vigour and spirit in discharging their duties! 'Semangat sangat!!!'
-Thoroughly enjoyed the karaoke session, though i did not sing. It was a really 'pecah perut' and almost 'pecah ear-drum' session. :) Humps...i mean, hmmmm..You people really know how to enjoy yourselves! ;) 'Baru ku tahu siapa ummi bila mikrofon dalam genggaman'... :)
-Arif hit his elbow accidentally at a table and had a cut. Wasn't deep, but ugly enough. He was washing it so thoroughly that I thought he was taking a bath and needed a towel...
-And Harris helped wash the Corningware pot.. :)
-And Abu said the azan so loudly at the kitchen, I thought he saw something or other...and it wasn't even marghrib yet!
-Fatin and syikin will be my ofiicial babysitter if I ever need one - they were superb!
-Maiira must be any mother's pet - she was at the kitchen, helping out confidently -'ringan tangan'...
-thanks Raje for helping me with the buffet wicks and containers. The next time you come, i will cook rice just for you... ")
-I also did not know that hot briyani beef can make someone jump up and down in an effort to beat the hotness! -hic- Afwan dear, next time I'll chastised the mamak for putting in WHOLE BLACK PEPPERS in the gravy....this is generosity gone very wrong...
-Back home for asar and marghrib, the girls used my room to rest, relax and ibadah. I enjoyed this quiet moment thoroughly. I still could not believe they were there, in my room, praying together.
-And the boys prayed marghrib berjemaah right ouside our room, at our family space too. Subhanallah! :)
-Oh! the playground thingy that night was really an X-rated affair - the girls had HUGE fun...I almost got worried that they'll tear down the swings and the see-saw! MasyaAllah, you don't want to know what they did, really!!! And don't worry, i will not tell anyone should the playground be 'unplayable' the day after!
-And imagine 5 girls squeezed on ONE seat? -hic- Unbelievable....
-Thank you to the kind soul who gave us a packet of sushi. They were delicious.
-In the end, the boys were put into cabs, because the CIQ was far and my husband did not want them to go home late. Thanks dear! :)
It was, all in all, an unforgettable get together.
The next day, Sunday, we sent Hadi to meet his JC friends for their school trip to Hj Dorani's homestay.
My husband saw his friends and the girls and remarked how different they were from the Irsyadians. :)
Ya Allah! May we meet because of our love for You, and depart for Your sake and may You bless this ukhwah and make us among those whom You protect and forgive - dunia and akhirat, amin.
Firstly, it was just a day after Hari Raya Aidil Adha, which meant we were still in hari tasriq (did I spell this correctly?) I did worry and prayed that we would not do anything that would tarnish these blessed days....
Secondly, I cannot imagine that any parents would really allow their children to cross the straits just to ziarah their teacher and to bond with their friends. I can't imagine these girls and guys 'terlepas' out of Singapore...
Thirdly, Hadi, the veritable gentleman, who always worried about his mother's safety, became worried sick when he knew at least twelve girls were coming to JB! He can't imagine being a bodyguard to all of them! Not that they asked for it, I know...
Fourthly, how do we ferry 21 young people in and out of JB? My gallant husband and Halim were the answers - they became chauffeurs for the rest of the day. Thanks guys! :) And I was told that Halim was sooo comfortable in his role that he doubled as a tourist guide as well...
In the end, I guess, it was by Allah's will that all 21 of them ended at Taman Perling. :)
And what a day it was!
I am touched to know that the kids woke up pretty early, just so they won't miss the KTM train. Then, apparently, they had to brave the smoky air and the cockroaches, and being asked to vacate their seats so they ended up somewhere at the end of the cabin, I was told. Alhamdulillah you all landed safely at Danga Mall, and did not actually overshot all the way to KL....
Also, I can't imagine how you people actually carried that very lovely but heavy hamper all the way across the seas! Thanks a million for that! The sarsi we drank for dinner was from that hamper... I ctually wanted to laugh out when I saw the hamper - so the 'makcik-makcik'! I wonder whose idea it was...hmm
Many,many memories... :)
-A'lim had to take the bus on his own and I worried whether he'll lost his way. Alhamdulillah, he did not... :)
-Oh! I did not know the girls were so frightened of ghosts! really, faatinah! and maryam, too! and dayah tapa, who was already threatening and begging the rest to send her home to her doorsteps! Best!!! Maryam was normally the icon of control and command in the class and it was sooo great to see her laughing her head off when the pontianak got electrocuted by lightning....yah, lame wasn't it, maryam? and I shan't tell you the boy behind me who was 'frightened' too... :)
-Bowling was, in the kids' lingo - AWESOME! we hit more 'longkangs' then strikes! It was also only my second time at bowling and I hit A strike! :) Maiira was pretty good for the girls, and I think for the boys, it was Arif (that's what my husband told me). Oh! thank you Nabmo and Nabjo for 'teaching' Nina how to bowl! I would have uploaded that video in Facebook if not for the sickeningly slow connection...
-Archery! Ehem..have never seen 'abang-abang archery' so full of vigour and spirit in discharging their duties! 'Semangat sangat!!!'
-Thoroughly enjoyed the karaoke session, though i did not sing. It was a really 'pecah perut' and almost 'pecah ear-drum' session. :) Humps...i mean, hmmmm..You people really know how to enjoy yourselves! ;) 'Baru ku tahu siapa ummi bila mikrofon dalam genggaman'... :)
-Arif hit his elbow accidentally at a table and had a cut. Wasn't deep, but ugly enough. He was washing it so thoroughly that I thought he was taking a bath and needed a towel...
-And Harris helped wash the Corningware pot.. :)
-And Abu said the azan so loudly at the kitchen, I thought he saw something or other...and it wasn't even marghrib yet!
-Fatin and syikin will be my ofiicial babysitter if I ever need one - they were superb!
-Maiira must be any mother's pet - she was at the kitchen, helping out confidently -'ringan tangan'...
-thanks Raje for helping me with the buffet wicks and containers. The next time you come, i will cook rice just for you... ")
-I also did not know that hot briyani beef can make someone jump up and down in an effort to beat the hotness! -hic- Afwan dear, next time I'll chastised the mamak for putting in WHOLE BLACK PEPPERS in the gravy....this is generosity gone very wrong...
-Back home for asar and marghrib, the girls used my room to rest, relax and ibadah. I enjoyed this quiet moment thoroughly. I still could not believe they were there, in my room, praying together.
-And the boys prayed marghrib berjemaah right ouside our room, at our family space too. Subhanallah! :)
-Oh! the playground thingy that night was really an X-rated affair - the girls had HUGE fun...I almost got worried that they'll tear down the swings and the see-saw! MasyaAllah, you don't want to know what they did, really!!! And don't worry, i will not tell anyone should the playground be 'unplayable' the day after!
-And imagine 5 girls squeezed on ONE seat? -hic- Unbelievable....
-Thank you to the kind soul who gave us a packet of sushi. They were delicious.
-In the end, the boys were put into cabs, because the CIQ was far and my husband did not want them to go home late. Thanks dear! :)
It was, all in all, an unforgettable get together.
The next day, Sunday, we sent Hadi to meet his JC friends for their school trip to Hj Dorani's homestay.
My husband saw his friends and the girls and remarked how different they were from the Irsyadians. :)
Ya Allah! May we meet because of our love for You, and depart for Your sake and may You bless this ukhwah and make us among those whom You protect and forgive - dunia and akhirat, amin.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
There we go again...
It had been slightly a week since the thought-provoking Tuesday post, and we are slapped with another case - this time the death of a six year old boy in the hands of his caregiver. If the boy in the previous post had his life packed in a suitcase, well, this poor boy was literally packed in a suitcase....dry humour? wry sarcasm? try revoltness to the max, regret to the max and a sadness that could not translate into words... another 'classic' case of a young marriage, birth out of wedlock, drug addiction, caregivers working to support ends meet, absent parents...Ya Allah! the list goes on...
Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikul
(it is heartwrenching to see the grandmother holding tightly to the boy's t-shirt and kissing it...painful, just too painful to see and to imagine...
it is too easy to blame the mother, the grandmother, everyone who should have been there for the boy but chose to let him wander alone at the playground until late at night...
life is never that easy to explain and to find solutions.... Nobody in their right mind would think that the grandmother was a heartless, unthinking and uncaring person..nobody ask for such a thing to happen to his family..)
Please, please don't say 'Sudah takdir'....yes, it is ' fated to be this way, but could we have taken precautions, care a little bit more, monitor a little bit more, BE MORE RESPONSIBLE, so that when we say 'Sudah takdir', it really means that we have done our human best to be the best to those under our charge....? When are we going to stop being apologetic to all negativities around us and start OWNING UP, that this problem, is OUR PROBLEM, not only the problem of a particular group?
One hopes that this mindlessness will end here, the buck stops here...
Ya Allah, please avert all of us from such a fate. Please. Amin.
Statistics have shown that those who marry young, will normally end up in a divorce:
Please don't marry young!
Statistics have shown a marriage will most likely be rocky and end in a divorce if the parents are not financially stable:
Please be financially stable before you take the akad!
Statistics have shown that an abused child will tend to abuse his own children:
Please be aware of this and if you are affected, GET OUT of the vicious cycle!
Statistics have shown that if the woman is more intelligent than the husband, a divorce is NOT likely to happen.
Please don't be egoistic! Appreciate a woman's intelligence!
Bottomline is, marriage is not just about love and protecting oneself from the sins of lust. Marriage is also about the roof over the head, the bread on the table, the sleep lost with the arrival of the baby, soiled diapers and sometimes, yes, shattered personal dream of that Master's degree, of that promotion which would mean less family time. And yes, marriage is also about changes - your status, your spending power, your independence and yes, it is also about personality changes people go through - all these, without maturity, without stability, can create havoc in the family. The family is the basic unit of a society. A broken family is a chip breaking off from society . Anything happening to the family will eventually affect the community as well.
Yes,i know...easier said than done.
But at least, the words are spoken, and may good words become doas that will bring goodness in the end. Amin.
Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikul
(it is heartwrenching to see the grandmother holding tightly to the boy's t-shirt and kissing it...painful, just too painful to see and to imagine...
it is too easy to blame the mother, the grandmother, everyone who should have been there for the boy but chose to let him wander alone at the playground until late at night...
life is never that easy to explain and to find solutions.... Nobody in their right mind would think that the grandmother was a heartless, unthinking and uncaring person..nobody ask for such a thing to happen to his family..)
Please, please don't say 'Sudah takdir'....yes, it is ' fated to be this way, but could we have taken precautions, care a little bit more, monitor a little bit more, BE MORE RESPONSIBLE, so that when we say 'Sudah takdir', it really means that we have done our human best to be the best to those under our charge....? When are we going to stop being apologetic to all negativities around us and start OWNING UP, that this problem, is OUR PROBLEM, not only the problem of a particular group?
One hopes that this mindlessness will end here, the buck stops here...
Ya Allah, please avert all of us from such a fate. Please. Amin.
Statistics have shown that those who marry young, will normally end up in a divorce:
Please don't marry young!
Statistics have shown a marriage will most likely be rocky and end in a divorce if the parents are not financially stable:
Please be financially stable before you take the akad!
Statistics have shown that an abused child will tend to abuse his own children:
Please be aware of this and if you are affected, GET OUT of the vicious cycle!
Statistics have shown that if the woman is more intelligent than the husband, a divorce is NOT likely to happen.
Please don't be egoistic! Appreciate a woman's intelligence!
Bottomline is, marriage is not just about love and protecting oneself from the sins of lust. Marriage is also about the roof over the head, the bread on the table, the sleep lost with the arrival of the baby, soiled diapers and sometimes, yes, shattered personal dream of that Master's degree, of that promotion which would mean less family time. And yes, marriage is also about changes - your status, your spending power, your independence and yes, it is also about personality changes people go through - all these, without maturity, without stability, can create havoc in the family. The family is the basic unit of a society. A broken family is a chip breaking off from society . Anything happening to the family will eventually affect the community as well.
Yes,i know...easier said than done.
But at least, the words are spoken, and may good words become doas that will bring goodness in the end. Amin.
May Allah give patience to Edy's family...As for the late Edy,we all know WHERE he is now - a better place, insyaAllah.
As for the fate of his 'murderer'? Well, let that be Allah's affair...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Menyendiri
Ya Allah
Izinkan aku berlari
Jauh dari kepalsuan
Jauh dari kehinaan
Jauh dari kemungkaran
Ya Allah
Izinkan aku bersembunyi
Dalam tenang, hening
Kesucian
Kepasrahan
Ketawakalan
KEBENARAN
Aku rela sendiri
Dari beramai
Dalam kedustaan
Izinkan aku berlari
Jauh dari kepalsuan
Jauh dari kehinaan
Jauh dari kemungkaran
Ya Allah
Izinkan aku bersembunyi
Dalam tenang, hening
Kesucian
Kepasrahan
Ketawakalan
KEBENARAN
Aku rela sendiri
Dari beramai
Dalam kedustaan
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sports Day 2009
First and foremost, it was the most fun sports day ever! Really.
And not because I was the Asst. Judge for the day.... I bet I was one of the blurrest judges around...but it was still fun! Especially the teachers' relay. We took almost fifteen minutes to get the equipment ready, bombarded poor Faezah with endless questions, had about THREE runs of the relay and when it finally started, it took slightly more than five minutes to complete! And we won! EARTH won! Unbelievable! -blink,blink-!!
There were heart-stopping moments though. It was difficult for me to disqualify the Fire team because TWICE they pass the baton outside of the passing zone. The girls were dropping their batons like hot potatoes. It was tiring, but really great to walk around that big,big field - many, many times. In the morning sun, it just felt great to feel your legs and to feel alive... alhamdulillah. :)
Then the boys came in and it was cheering time to the max. Earth was led by Khairul and Mas and Lino. We sure have speedtrains in the likes of Fatris, Hidayat and I daresay Abu, included, though his passing the baton and falling off the lane was tragic - imagine him going at full speed, leading the pack, and then desperately trying to pass the baton to the next Earth runner, who was himself going off at full speed - funny to see the runner trying to catch another runner and well, when both slowed down, of course both collided and there you are - one runner off the track and disqualification... But the team more than made up for it in the next event, alhamdulillah... :)
And. oh! how proud to see Hafiz run for the first time! He started slow in the 100m race, picking up speed towards the finishing line. But he was much, much better in the next two races, and I dare say, not as a mother, but as a teacher, that he has lots of potential in him. Yes sirreee! :)
If you asked me, however, the Man of the Match, honestly, would go to The Thinker. He was running like his life depended on it, helping Water narrow the gap and himself coming in first in his events - I have never seen Arif run like that before! :)
And yes, all our dear students had a free sun-tanning time during the prize-giving ceremony while I had the time of my life catching up with Amirah Sumardi and Siti Fatimah. Shhhh..women's talk..don't worry, Fatimah, your secret's safe with me...isn't the Muslim a tomb of all secrets confided in him? -wink-
And oh! to meet again some of the S5 09 people was the bonus of it all..great to know you are all still alive and kicking!!! these were people i saw : The guys (Muhammad, you tried your best, Sufian, Shah (you looked pensive), Irshad, Harith, Hafidz, Syaraf (congrats, congrats, congrats Captain!), Haykal (cilipadi), Dayah Raje with a feather in her cap, i mean tudung (?), Maryam, Nabmo, Ummi, Fatinah the runners, i saw Hannah, Syafiq, Lyna (missss you, girrl), Dayah Tapa (sorry about the going home part..), sweet Maira....Mahmudah (don't be sad, okay?), and the Vice-Captains: Dyja and Nad! :) But we really haad to go, right, Lino? :))
Congrats WIND for being overall champions, Water for Boys' champion (Siapa yang usaha, pasti berjaya, insyaAllah...right, Captain Siraj?) and EARTH for coming in third overall! Alhamdulillah!
Yes, it was the most fun sports day ever.
Thank you Allah. :)
And not because I was the Asst. Judge for the day.... I bet I was one of the blurrest judges around...but it was still fun! Especially the teachers' relay. We took almost fifteen minutes to get the equipment ready, bombarded poor Faezah with endless questions, had about THREE runs of the relay and when it finally started, it took slightly more than five minutes to complete! And we won! EARTH won! Unbelievable! -blink,blink-!!
There were heart-stopping moments though. It was difficult for me to disqualify the Fire team because TWICE they pass the baton outside of the passing zone. The girls were dropping their batons like hot potatoes. It was tiring, but really great to walk around that big,big field - many, many times. In the morning sun, it just felt great to feel your legs and to feel alive... alhamdulillah. :)
Then the boys came in and it was cheering time to the max. Earth was led by Khairul and Mas and Lino. We sure have speedtrains in the likes of Fatris, Hidayat and I daresay Abu, included, though his passing the baton and falling off the lane was tragic - imagine him going at full speed, leading the pack, and then desperately trying to pass the baton to the next Earth runner, who was himself going off at full speed - funny to see the runner trying to catch another runner and well, when both slowed down, of course both collided and there you are - one runner off the track and disqualification... But the team more than made up for it in the next event, alhamdulillah... :)
And. oh! how proud to see Hafiz run for the first time! He started slow in the 100m race, picking up speed towards the finishing line. But he was much, much better in the next two races, and I dare say, not as a mother, but as a teacher, that he has lots of potential in him. Yes sirreee! :)
If you asked me, however, the Man of the Match, honestly, would go to The Thinker. He was running like his life depended on it, helping Water narrow the gap and himself coming in first in his events - I have never seen Arif run like that before! :)
And yes, all our dear students had a free sun-tanning time during the prize-giving ceremony while I had the time of my life catching up with Amirah Sumardi and Siti Fatimah. Shhhh..women's talk..don't worry, Fatimah, your secret's safe with me...isn't the Muslim a tomb of all secrets confided in him? -wink-
And oh! to meet again some of the S5 09 people was the bonus of it all..great to know you are all still alive and kicking!!! these were people i saw : The guys (Muhammad, you tried your best, Sufian, Shah (you looked pensive), Irshad, Harith, Hafidz, Syaraf (congrats, congrats, congrats Captain!), Haykal (cilipadi), Dayah Raje with a feather in her cap, i mean tudung (?), Maryam, Nabmo, Ummi, Fatinah the runners, i saw Hannah, Syafiq, Lyna (missss you, girrl), Dayah Tapa (sorry about the going home part..), sweet Maira....Mahmudah (don't be sad, okay?), and the Vice-Captains: Dyja and Nad! :) But we really haad to go, right, Lino? :))
Congrats WIND for being overall champions, Water for Boys' champion (Siapa yang usaha, pasti berjaya, insyaAllah...right, Captain Siraj?) and EARTH for coming in third overall! Alhamdulillah!
Yes, it was the most fun sports day ever.
Thank you Allah. :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Think about it....
17.11.2009
Tuesday
It has been a thought-provoking Tuesday.
Case 1
Our PD shared about the plight of a P5 Muslimah in a national school. Her father is a Muslim, a foreigner. Her mother is a non-Muslim, a local. Don't ask how they were married. Point is, she became the brunt of cruel jokes from her friends due to her background. That is not the end of it. Her parents divorced recently. Her father went back to his native country, leaving this underaged girl with her mother. Her mother puts her up for adoption, requesting that her foster parents be of the same religion as her. Imagine. A P5 Muslimah, trying hard to keep her faith, but is fighting a losing battle. Her foster parents do not stop her from practising her religion, but is not being encouraging either. Like in the month of Ramadhan, they of course did not wake her up for saum, nor prepare iftar for her.
She became the outcast of her own people when she did not fast.
Point is, where are all the self-groups who professed to fight for the interest and well-being of others ? There are a few red tapes to clear. Who will take the cause of this mere 11 year old Muslimah and be her champion? Who?
I have no answer.
Nor, (and I am ashamed to say this) am i her Champion.
Case 2
One of our own P4 student lost his mother to cancer a year ago. He never saw his biological father and had looked up to his doting stepfather as a real dad. But of late, his uniform was unironed when he turned up to school and friends reported him as not having breakfast nor pocket money to school. The worst was yet to come. We just found out recently that his stepfather was going to remarry and did not want him in the picture. Period. He was so adamant not to have this poor boy in his new family, that he actually packed this boy's clothes in a suitcase and left him, all alone at an MRT station. Yes. A 10 year old boy, with no mother, no home, alone with his life packed in his suitcase. He luckily had the mind to call up his grandmother, who came and took him home. He is now living with his uncle. From a quiet and docile boy, this boy has learnt to pull punches on his friends.
What would have happened if even his grandmother would not accept him?
I have no answer.
Just a deep sense of shame of the 'emotional cruelty' that a so called adult Muslim can do to a defenseless, 10 year old boy.
Case 3 (and all these happened on the same day!)
I was going to park my car by the roadside to get to a nearby bank atm when i noticed a traffic policeman by the side. Cursing my luck, i had to park inside the Interchange and had to walk a long distance to the bank. On my way back, and still thinking (!) about the policeman, two boys stopped me. They could not be more than 11 year olds. They carried what looked like camping bags, complete with nicely rolled up sleeping bags. This is roughly what transpired between us:
Boy 1 (has a very earnest look) : Cik, cik...cik ada dua fifty-cents tak? Boleh pinjam?
Me (giving my sternest look) : Untuk ape?
Boy 1 (still looking earnest) : Kite nak balik tapi tak cukup duit.. (at this point, he dropped a ten-cent coin)
I sighed.
Boy 1 : Tadi kita minta nyonya gemuk tu, tapi dia tak kasi.
Me (giving my sternest voice) : Yelah, awak minta orang duit, mana orang nak kasi!
I sat down at a nearby bench, rummaged through my coin box and took out a one dollar coin.
Me : Ok. Cik takde fifty-cents dua - ini cukup kan?
At this point, both looked at me with a confused expression.
Boy 1: cukup...saya tinggal Yishun...kawan saya ni tinggal Tampines...
Me (almost shouting): T-am-pi-nes! Kenapa jauh sangat?
Boy 1: Kita pergi camping kat Sentosa, teacher tinggalkan kat sini....
I sat down, took out another one dollar coin, took out fifty-five cents in two sets, and gave each of them $1.55. Yes. I felt so cheap...
Me: Okay, ambil duit ni, pergi balik terus, okay? Jangan pergi mane-mane lagi.awak tahu tak balik Tampines?
Boy 2: Tahu, naik bas -
Boy 1: Cik, ambillah duit ni -(he was trying to give me his last 10 cent coin)
I shook my head.
The last I saw them, they gave me a long, kind-of-grateful look.
I cried as i drove back to my mum's place. Maybe this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
If they had been my children, i surely hoped that some kind soul would help them go back home.
Why had their parents allowed them to go camping and expect them to go home by themselves?
Why didn't I call up their parents first, to inform that their children were going home?
Why had the teacher just left them there?!
Again, I have no answers.
Are these yet some more tales of how our people take care of their progeny? Young couple not mature enough to look after an unplanned pregnancy? Parents too busy trying to make ends meet to fully monitor the movement of their children?
What can we do to help?
If we are not part of the solution,
then we are part of the problem.
Think about it.
Or in the words of one wise Tok Karut -
Fikir-fikirkan lah...
I have no answers.
Tuesday
It has been a thought-provoking Tuesday.
Case 1
Our PD shared about the plight of a P5 Muslimah in a national school. Her father is a Muslim, a foreigner. Her mother is a non-Muslim, a local. Don't ask how they were married. Point is, she became the brunt of cruel jokes from her friends due to her background. That is not the end of it. Her parents divorced recently. Her father went back to his native country, leaving this underaged girl with her mother. Her mother puts her up for adoption, requesting that her foster parents be of the same religion as her. Imagine. A P5 Muslimah, trying hard to keep her faith, but is fighting a losing battle. Her foster parents do not stop her from practising her religion, but is not being encouraging either. Like in the month of Ramadhan, they of course did not wake her up for saum, nor prepare iftar for her.
She became the outcast of her own people when she did not fast.
Point is, where are all the self-groups who professed to fight for the interest and well-being of others ? There are a few red tapes to clear. Who will take the cause of this mere 11 year old Muslimah and be her champion? Who?
I have no answer.
Nor, (and I am ashamed to say this) am i her Champion.
Case 2
One of our own P4 student lost his mother to cancer a year ago. He never saw his biological father and had looked up to his doting stepfather as a real dad. But of late, his uniform was unironed when he turned up to school and friends reported him as not having breakfast nor pocket money to school. The worst was yet to come. We just found out recently that his stepfather was going to remarry and did not want him in the picture. Period. He was so adamant not to have this poor boy in his new family, that he actually packed this boy's clothes in a suitcase and left him, all alone at an MRT station. Yes. A 10 year old boy, with no mother, no home, alone with his life packed in his suitcase. He luckily had the mind to call up his grandmother, who came and took him home. He is now living with his uncle. From a quiet and docile boy, this boy has learnt to pull punches on his friends.
What would have happened if even his grandmother would not accept him?
I have no answer.
Just a deep sense of shame of the 'emotional cruelty' that a so called adult Muslim can do to a defenseless, 10 year old boy.
Case 3 (and all these happened on the same day!)
I was going to park my car by the roadside to get to a nearby bank atm when i noticed a traffic policeman by the side. Cursing my luck, i had to park inside the Interchange and had to walk a long distance to the bank. On my way back, and still thinking (!) about the policeman, two boys stopped me. They could not be more than 11 year olds. They carried what looked like camping bags, complete with nicely rolled up sleeping bags. This is roughly what transpired between us:
Boy 1 (has a very earnest look) : Cik, cik...cik ada dua fifty-cents tak? Boleh pinjam?
Me (giving my sternest look) : Untuk ape?
Boy 1 (still looking earnest) : Kite nak balik tapi tak cukup duit.. (at this point, he dropped a ten-cent coin)
I sighed.
Boy 1 : Tadi kita minta nyonya gemuk tu, tapi dia tak kasi.
Me (giving my sternest voice) : Yelah, awak minta orang duit, mana orang nak kasi!
I sat down at a nearby bench, rummaged through my coin box and took out a one dollar coin.
Me : Ok. Cik takde fifty-cents dua - ini cukup kan?
At this point, both looked at me with a confused expression.
Boy 1: cukup...saya tinggal Yishun...kawan saya ni tinggal Tampines...
Me (almost shouting): T-am-pi-nes! Kenapa jauh sangat?
Boy 1: Kita pergi camping kat Sentosa, teacher tinggalkan kat sini....
I sat down, took out another one dollar coin, took out fifty-five cents in two sets, and gave each of them $1.55. Yes. I felt so cheap...
Me: Okay, ambil duit ni, pergi balik terus, okay? Jangan pergi mane-mane lagi.awak tahu tak balik Tampines?
Boy 2: Tahu, naik bas -
Boy 1: Cik, ambillah duit ni -(he was trying to give me his last 10 cent coin)
I shook my head.
The last I saw them, they gave me a long, kind-of-grateful look.
I cried as i drove back to my mum's place. Maybe this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
If they had been my children, i surely hoped that some kind soul would help them go back home.
Why had their parents allowed them to go camping and expect them to go home by themselves?
Why didn't I call up their parents first, to inform that their children were going home?
Why had the teacher just left them there?!
Again, I have no answers.
Are these yet some more tales of how our people take care of their progeny? Young couple not mature enough to look after an unplanned pregnancy? Parents too busy trying to make ends meet to fully monitor the movement of their children?
What can we do to help?
If we are not part of the solution,
then we are part of the problem.
Think about it.
Or in the words of one wise Tok Karut -
Fikir-fikirkan lah...
I have no answers.
Incognito
There are feelings you
can't really explain
and care not to explain -
There are feelings you
need not explain.
There are feelings you
MUST NOT explain...
and must NEVER be explained
Ever
Let it be.
This too will pass
It will surely pass
It MUST pass
can't really explain
and care not to explain -
There are feelings you
need not explain.
There are feelings you
MUST NOT explain...
and must NEVER be explained
Ever
Let it be.
This too will pass
It will surely pass
It MUST pass
Sunday, November 8, 2009
'You write like an RJC student...'
After thinking and thinking :), I think there'll be more good than bad to have this post, so here goes:
Conversation between Hadi's Geography Tutor and him:
GT: You're very quiet, gentle and intelligent...
Hadi: (smiling and saying something unintelligible back)
GT: I've read your paper and you write like an RJC student..
Hadi: (smiling and saying something unintelligible back)
GT: Must participate more in class, share the gems in your head...
Hadi: (smiling and still saying something unintelligible back)
Alhamdulillah...
Well, that's Hadi for you - in public. However, at home...hmm, well, my samurai-sword-wielding son....
To all madrasah students out there, including my sons, be confident.
You're as good as the rest, if not better.
Make small ripples first in the national arena, those ripples will cause beautiful waves soon enough.
History is witness to that.
Tengku Syamil is now Mr President of the Malay people in TPJC. Saiful Firdaus is one of the top students in his cohort too- he has been sent overseas for study programme attachments, the latest being to Hong Kong. Atiq is the best student for his year, winning the Dean's Award. I remember Ma'mum - shy but artistic. He left us to become a Student Leader and a top student in Art in his school. Halim's confident (and entertaining..) oratorical skills have made his lecturer commented on the quality of madrasah students. He scored a distinction with credit in his 'A' Level Malay Oral examination. Sis Syifa' Mansur is now in UK, on a scholarship. And I am sure, somewhere out there, we have our dear twins, making their mark quietly at SAJC.
The list goes on.
Point is, you don't have to be like the rest in order to achieve. You don't have to use the lingo -curses nor the swearing nor the multi-coloured eyelenses in order to make your mark, to feel belong. There's either too much respect for you out there, or too much misunderstanding.
You must earn that respect and correct that misunderstanding.
There is a lot of goodness out there too. A lot. Observe and learn from people. Sieve, collate, synergize the inputs. You will be a better person, insyaAllah.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, just remember who you are.
You'll always have the madrasah's institution to your name- tagged to that student particulars form and tagged to that job application form you'll be filling up, for example.
It can be a curse, if you deny that existence, that past.
Or a blessing, for it will always remind you of who you are, why you are here.
Remember who you are, always. ")
So people - in the name of Allah and for the sake of Allah - go out there with grace and tawakal, make your mark and make it well.
Do good.
Be good.
Conversation between Hadi's Geography Tutor and him:
GT: You're very quiet, gentle and intelligent...
Hadi: (smiling and saying something unintelligible back)
GT: I've read your paper and you write like an RJC student..
Hadi: (smiling and saying something unintelligible back)
GT: Must participate more in class, share the gems in your head...
Hadi: (smiling and still saying something unintelligible back)
Alhamdulillah...
Well, that's Hadi for you - in public. However, at home...hmm, well, my samurai-sword-wielding son....
To all madrasah students out there, including my sons, be confident.
You're as good as the rest, if not better.
Make small ripples first in the national arena, those ripples will cause beautiful waves soon enough.
History is witness to that.
Tengku Syamil is now Mr President of the Malay people in TPJC. Saiful Firdaus is one of the top students in his cohort too- he has been sent overseas for study programme attachments, the latest being to Hong Kong. Atiq is the best student for his year, winning the Dean's Award. I remember Ma'mum - shy but artistic. He left us to become a Student Leader and a top student in Art in his school. Halim's confident (and entertaining..) oratorical skills have made his lecturer commented on the quality of madrasah students. He scored a distinction with credit in his 'A' Level Malay Oral examination. Sis Syifa' Mansur is now in UK, on a scholarship. And I am sure, somewhere out there, we have our dear twins, making their mark quietly at SAJC.
The list goes on.
Point is, you don't have to be like the rest in order to achieve. You don't have to use the lingo -curses nor the swearing nor the multi-coloured eyelenses in order to make your mark, to feel belong. There's either too much respect for you out there, or too much misunderstanding.
You must earn that respect and correct that misunderstanding.
There is a lot of goodness out there too. A lot. Observe and learn from people. Sieve, collate, synergize the inputs. You will be a better person, insyaAllah.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, just remember who you are.
You'll always have the madrasah's institution to your name- tagged to that student particulars form and tagged to that job application form you'll be filling up, for example.
It can be a curse, if you deny that existence, that past.
Or a blessing, for it will always remind you of who you are, why you are here.
Remember who you are, always. ")
So people - in the name of Allah and for the sake of Allah - go out there with grace and tawakal, make your mark and make it well.
Do good.
Be good.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The folly of 'ber-inai'
Many lessons learnt from this 'rash passion' of behaviour:
1. Think, think and keep thinking FIRST before doing anything - if a word once spoken and an arrow once drawn cannot be retrieved, alas, putting on henna has pretty much the same effect. Like a tattoo, it stays there on the skin, but thankfully, unlike a tattoo, it will fade with time. WITH TIME. :(
Timing is everything. I love the henna, but I mistimed the action - I thought since there would be no more teaching then it is 'safe' to put it on and pass off 'innocently undetected' for the next, at most, two more weeks of term. Alas, again, I found out that henna gets DARKER OVER TIME... before it fades. Yes, now it is darker than it was two days ago. :(
How am I to go through corrections with the kids without writing on the whiteboard and thus not exposing the henna?
How am I to meet my Art students later?!
Of course, the one logical way out is to put on gloves.
Can you imagine me like the late Michael Jackson in the class?!
2. To anyone who has put me on a pedestal before, well, this is a good reminder to my dear friends that baizah is as fallible as everybody else. Please forgive my 'human-ness'.
I am shy of the henna and shyer of the glove.
Maybe I will head to Angsana or Geylang and get myself a pair of gloves.
Or I can let the the matter rest so that everytime I see this right hand, I am humbly reminded of the folly of being rash.
1. Think, think and keep thinking FIRST before doing anything - if a word once spoken and an arrow once drawn cannot be retrieved, alas, putting on henna has pretty much the same effect. Like a tattoo, it stays there on the skin, but thankfully, unlike a tattoo, it will fade with time. WITH TIME. :(
Timing is everything. I love the henna, but I mistimed the action - I thought since there would be no more teaching then it is 'safe' to put it on and pass off 'innocently undetected' for the next, at most, two more weeks of term. Alas, again, I found out that henna gets DARKER OVER TIME... before it fades. Yes, now it is darker than it was two days ago. :(
How am I to go through corrections with the kids without writing on the whiteboard and thus not exposing the henna?
How am I to meet my Art students later?!
Of course, the one logical way out is to put on gloves.
Can you imagine me like the late Michael Jackson in the class?!
2. To anyone who has put me on a pedestal before, well, this is a good reminder to my dear friends that baizah is as fallible as everybody else. Please forgive my 'human-ness'.
I am shy of the henna and shyer of the glove.
Maybe I will head to Angsana or Geylang and get myself a pair of gloves.
Or I can let the the matter rest so that everytime I see this right hand, I am humbly reminded of the folly of being rash.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Cerita 'CinTa'
Rasa terpanggil untuk berkongsi sedikit cerita berkenaan 'cinta'.
Mungkin rasa ini hadir kerana berita yang dikongsi oleh seseorang berkenaan perkembangan 'persahabatan' nya - para ahli keluarga masing-masing akan mengadakan ta'aruf. Masalahnya, mereka berdua masih bersekolah....
Mungkin juga kerana terbaca blog A'lim. :) Zina hati..naauzubillah.
Tapi yang pasti, memang sudah lama 'suara-suara' ini terpendam di buah fikiran, di lubuk perasaan.
Minta izin berkongsi....
Tak perlulah memberi definisi 'cinta'. Cuma, 'perasaan' itu datang dari hati - satu cetusan halus yang mudah-mudahan adalah daripada sumber-sumber yang suci, ketukan ilham daripada Illahi.
Mungkinkah timbul cinta dahulu, atau persahabatan dahulu? :) Ada yang mengatakan, dari persahabatan timbul cinta, dari cinta timbul rindu. :)
Kepada yang merasakan 'cetusan-cetusan' ini, satu perkongsian saya ialah:
'Keep it simple...and pure.'
Perlukah persahabatan itu di pupuk menjadi yang lebih daripada persahabatan?
Persahabatan sejati tidak akan membawa kepada perasaan ingin memiliki, yang hanya akan membawa kepada perasaan 'cemburu'. Bila dah cemburu, fikiran pun bercelaru.
Mulalah timbul perkara-perkara 'pelik':
Mandi tak basah
Tidur tak lena
Makan tak lalu
Daripada mandi tak basah, kan bagus basahkan anggota dengan wudhuk?
Daripada tidur tak lena, kan bagus bangun dan bersolat tahajjud, istiharah dan hajat?
Daripada makan tak lalu, kan bagus berpuasa sunat Isnin dan Khamis?
Pokoknya, ke mana nak kita bawa hati yang dah mula merasakan ingin memiliki, lebih daripada bersahabat?
Ke mana nak dibawa hati yang sudah mula gundah-gulana mengingati si dia?
Bawalah hati itu ke sejadah.
Bawalah hati itu kepada Allah -
berdoalah untuk kebaikan orang yang telah mencetuskan perasaan itu.
Bersyukurlah kita dapat merasakan nikmat perasan halus sebegitu.
Cukuplah.
Kan masih menuntut ilmu?
Kan masih jauh perjalanan hidup ini?
Tak perlu untuk mengukir janji.
Ukir sahajalah senyuman semanis-manis dan selebar-lebarnya untuk dia - kan senyuman itu sedekah!
Tak perlu fikirkan mungkin dia akan di 'kebas' orang -
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, percayalah, dia akan jadi milik mu.
Jika tidak, setidaknya, anda dapat pahala kerana menjaga kesucian anda dan kesucian dirinya.
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, percayalah, hatinya dan hati kita akan didekatkan Allah.
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, dipisahkan beribu batupun, kita akan dapat bersama.
Saya berjumpa dengan suami ketika saya menduduki peperiksaan 'O' Level. Beliau adalah sepupu saya. Baru sekali berjumpa, 'cetusan-cetusan' itu ada... :)
Setelah mendapat keputusan 'O' Level, beliau adalah orang pertama yang saya ingin berkongsi keputusan saya - aneh, seorang yang jauh di Klang, Selangor, tapi ingatan saya selalu padanya....
Kita bertunang selama lima tahun - di uji Allah ketika sama-sama di universiti. Saya di sini, beliau jauh di Malaysia, kemudian beliau ke Amerika Syarikat.
Berjumpa hanya mungkin tiga kali sahaja.
Di dalam pertunangan ini, hanya suara dan tulisan yang menjadi teman...
Kalau dihimpun duit-duit sen untuk menelefon saya, mungkin setinggi Bukit Timah...
Kalau dihimpun surat-surat yang kita layangkan, mungkin setinggi Gunung Ledang.... :)
Alhamdulillah, pertunangan ke jinjang perkahwinan.
Realitinya, senang cakap daripada buat, betul kan? :)
Sebiji kata allahyarham P Ramlee ; "Siksa aku dah lepas..."
Alhamdulillah, saya dah melepasi 'siksa' cinta remaja...
Giliran anak-anak saya (you know which ones!) dan you people pula......... :)
Cubalah -
Keep it simple...and pure.
Tak rugi.
Dunia dan akhirat - :)
Mungkin rasa ini hadir kerana berita yang dikongsi oleh seseorang berkenaan perkembangan 'persahabatan' nya - para ahli keluarga masing-masing akan mengadakan ta'aruf. Masalahnya, mereka berdua masih bersekolah....
Mungkin juga kerana terbaca blog A'lim. :) Zina hati..naauzubillah.
Tapi yang pasti, memang sudah lama 'suara-suara' ini terpendam di buah fikiran, di lubuk perasaan.
Minta izin berkongsi....
Tak perlulah memberi definisi 'cinta'. Cuma, 'perasaan' itu datang dari hati - satu cetusan halus yang mudah-mudahan adalah daripada sumber-sumber yang suci, ketukan ilham daripada Illahi.
Mungkinkah timbul cinta dahulu, atau persahabatan dahulu? :) Ada yang mengatakan, dari persahabatan timbul cinta, dari cinta timbul rindu. :)
Kepada yang merasakan 'cetusan-cetusan' ini, satu perkongsian saya ialah:
'Keep it simple...and pure.'
Perlukah persahabatan itu di pupuk menjadi yang lebih daripada persahabatan?
Persahabatan sejati tidak akan membawa kepada perasaan ingin memiliki, yang hanya akan membawa kepada perasaan 'cemburu'. Bila dah cemburu, fikiran pun bercelaru.
Mulalah timbul perkara-perkara 'pelik':
Mandi tak basah
Tidur tak lena
Makan tak lalu
Daripada mandi tak basah, kan bagus basahkan anggota dengan wudhuk?
Daripada tidur tak lena, kan bagus bangun dan bersolat tahajjud, istiharah dan hajat?
Daripada makan tak lalu, kan bagus berpuasa sunat Isnin dan Khamis?
Pokoknya, ke mana nak kita bawa hati yang dah mula merasakan ingin memiliki, lebih daripada bersahabat?
Ke mana nak dibawa hati yang sudah mula gundah-gulana mengingati si dia?
Bawalah hati itu ke sejadah.
Bawalah hati itu kepada Allah -
berdoalah untuk kebaikan orang yang telah mencetuskan perasaan itu.
Bersyukurlah kita dapat merasakan nikmat perasan halus sebegitu.
Cukuplah.
Kan masih menuntut ilmu?
Kan masih jauh perjalanan hidup ini?
Tak perlu untuk mengukir janji.
Ukir sahajalah senyuman semanis-manis dan selebar-lebarnya untuk dia - kan senyuman itu sedekah!
Tak perlu fikirkan mungkin dia akan di 'kebas' orang -
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, percayalah, dia akan jadi milik mu.
Jika tidak, setidaknya, anda dapat pahala kerana menjaga kesucian anda dan kesucian dirinya.
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, percayalah, hatinya dan hati kita akan didekatkan Allah.
Jika memang itu jodoh kita, dipisahkan beribu batupun, kita akan dapat bersama.
Saya berjumpa dengan suami ketika saya menduduki peperiksaan 'O' Level. Beliau adalah sepupu saya. Baru sekali berjumpa, 'cetusan-cetusan' itu ada... :)
Setelah mendapat keputusan 'O' Level, beliau adalah orang pertama yang saya ingin berkongsi keputusan saya - aneh, seorang yang jauh di Klang, Selangor, tapi ingatan saya selalu padanya....
Kita bertunang selama lima tahun - di uji Allah ketika sama-sama di universiti. Saya di sini, beliau jauh di Malaysia, kemudian beliau ke Amerika Syarikat.
Berjumpa hanya mungkin tiga kali sahaja.
Di dalam pertunangan ini, hanya suara dan tulisan yang menjadi teman...
Kalau dihimpun duit-duit sen untuk menelefon saya, mungkin setinggi Bukit Timah...
Kalau dihimpun surat-surat yang kita layangkan, mungkin setinggi Gunung Ledang.... :)
Alhamdulillah, pertunangan ke jinjang perkahwinan.
Realitinya, senang cakap daripada buat, betul kan? :)
Sebiji kata allahyarham P Ramlee ; "Siksa aku dah lepas..."
Alhamdulillah, saya dah melepasi 'siksa' cinta remaja...
Giliran anak-anak saya (you know which ones!) dan you people pula......... :)
Cubalah -
Keep it simple...and pure.
Tak rugi.
Dunia dan akhirat - :)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Kecoh-kecoh Art
3.11.2009
Tuesday
Lest anyone thinks of Art as easy - well, just ask the trio when they took their paper last Tuesday! Five sheets of preparatory work sounds manageable, but translate that into sketches, direct observations,creative interpretation of resources and collating these into an original piece of work - well, what you get is three frantic people trying to complete everything before the exam starts at two. I came up to the class at about 1.30 p.m., wanting to say good byes and good luck and ended up looking at an upside-down class, littered with papers, papers, and more papers. There was the Artist, giving the finishing touches to his work. They look good. There was the Gentleman, having his hands all gluey. I like his photos. And of course, the Lady, looking resplendent in yellow - and cutting away at a neck, the waist, the head - trying to fit the photos in the drawings. Hers look uniqely ethnic. Two o'clock, and they still have not completed! It was panicky time! They somehow managed to complete EVERYTHING in five minutes, rushed off to the lift and I just had to send them off to Beatty. It was heart-stopping, but exhilarating as well - we reached the guard post at about 2.10 p.m. Alhamdulillah, they were allowed in. At about 6.00 p.m., while I was already in JB, Shah called to say they have all completed their paper. Phew! Thanks Shah for the call. You put my mind at ease.
And thanks Sakinah, Lino and Hanisah for your quiet support and for er, yes, helping to clear everything up after your friends left. :)
So, yes, another paper to go right? ;)
This time we'll finish on time, won't we?!
Tuesday
Lest anyone thinks of Art as easy - well, just ask the trio when they took their paper last Tuesday! Five sheets of preparatory work sounds manageable, but translate that into sketches, direct observations,creative interpretation of resources and collating these into an original piece of work - well, what you get is three frantic people trying to complete everything before the exam starts at two. I came up to the class at about 1.30 p.m., wanting to say good byes and good luck and ended up looking at an upside-down class, littered with papers, papers, and more papers. There was the Artist, giving the finishing touches to his work. They look good. There was the Gentleman, having his hands all gluey. I like his photos. And of course, the Lady, looking resplendent in yellow - and cutting away at a neck, the waist, the head - trying to fit the photos in the drawings. Hers look uniqely ethnic. Two o'clock, and they still have not completed! It was panicky time! They somehow managed to complete EVERYTHING in five minutes, rushed off to the lift and I just had to send them off to Beatty. It was heart-stopping, but exhilarating as well - we reached the guard post at about 2.10 p.m. Alhamdulillah, they were allowed in. At about 6.00 p.m., while I was already in JB, Shah called to say they have all completed their paper. Phew! Thanks Shah for the call. You put my mind at ease.
And thanks Sakinah, Lino and Hanisah for your quiet support and for er, yes, helping to clear everything up after your friends left. :)
So, yes, another paper to go right? ;)
This time we'll finish on time, won't we?!
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