"I am busy...and I am happy!"

Without going into the boring details, suffice for me to say, it has been a crazy busy week, and by the end of it I am really pleased with myself for what I have accomplished. Being really busy, as I define it, is simply being preoccupied doing what I really need to do and has no time to do other things. If the things we need to do are also the things we really enjoy doing, then having a busy life can be a bliss. 

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Konspirasi tapai basi ~!

1. Konspirasi negara barat menggunakan social network untuk meruntuhkan keimanan dan menghancurkan Umat Islam!

Pandai sungguh orang2 kafir barat memutar belit dan menodai minda pemuda pemudi Islam. Meraka mencipta Facebook - yang teramai menggunakan Facebook ialah orang2 Islam. Terutama pemuda pemudi Islam di negara Arab yang kehidupan sosial harian mereka begitu terbatas. Facebook memberi ruang 'selamat' untuk mereka bercanda! Facebook, ciptaan orang yahudi dan di gunakan orang para risik amerika untuk mengumpul maklumat dan menyelinap masuk ke minda dan jiwa raga pemuda pemudi Islam. Ahli2 saikologi barat menyamar sebagai jejaka dan gadis Arab dan Islam, dan menggoda dan menghasut. Ramai yang terpedaya. Terikut2 rentak tarian dan mainan saikologi orang2 kafir yang bertujuan meruntuhkan bukan setakat ahlak dan keimanan individu, tetapi sasaran mereka lebih besar - mengancurkan umat Islam.

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Politik Celah Kangkang!

I need a bucket of clorox. Malaysia needs a reservoir of the same. So much dirt. Repulsive, stinking dirt. I need clorox to wash off the mud and dust which soiled and collected on my clothes after heavy rain downpour in the desert of Al Lith. Malaysia needs clorox to clean up its practice of 'Politik Celah Kangkang'!

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Ringgit Rallies Bites Malaysian expats hard~!

On a journey of life in
 the Middle East

For Malaysians working abroad, and sending money home to Malaysia to meet financial committments, the strengthening of the Ringgit is not good news. Take my case, when I started on this new job in Saudi in 2009, for every SAR1000 I sent to Malaysia, I was gettting about RM970.00.

Now, on todays, exchange rate, my SAR100 is only worth RM800.00.

For Malaysians working in Saudi who started in 2009 or before, this is equivalent to a pay-cut of nearly 20%!

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Bercakap pasal mati...

Kita tidak tahu bila kita akan mati!

Persoalan.

"Sekiranya kita tahu kita akan mati besok hari. Apakah yang akan kita lakukan dari sekarang hingga saat itu?"

"Siapa kah yang akan kita hubungi?"

>  Orang yang kita berhutang kah atau orang yang ada hutang dengan kita?

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Mood~!

Kadang2 ada mood. Kadang2 tak der mood. Jika ada mood, semua ok. Habis duit dalam kocek pun tak per dia belanja kawan2 yang dikenali dan sesiapa di meja sebelah yang tidak kenal. Jika tak der mood, mamak penebar roti canai pun kena laser dengan nya jika tersalah tebar~!

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Managing anger, a perspective ~!

Anger management! How good are you?
Many experts now are making good money by conducting workshop showing others how to manage their anger. I however, have simple philospohy - and it is free!

I often ask angry people who come to me - "why do you allow yourself to get angry?"

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What is it about 'The Doctor in the House?'

I have asked one of my friends who is going back to Malaysia for a vacation to buy and help bring for me a copy of Tun M's memoir, the 'Doctor in the house' ! I would not have been aware of this book if not for the noises made by supporters and detractors in the blog-sphere. There are enough reviews in various blogs that I feel like I have read the whole book before I can hold one in my hand.

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At peace at the farm~!

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle:When the sun comes up, you’d better be running”
Arthur Blank, President & COO Home Depot.

For nearly a year now I have been keeping a wooden block with the above quotation carved on it, hidden in one of the drawers of my office desk.

A few years before that, it has always found a place in my office's display cabinet. That was until one morning when I entered my office and felt 'something was not quite right' with the wordings. The quotation no longer represented how I was feeling about life. That morning I removed it from the display cabinet and hid it safely in the drawer.

That morning I realized that I can't survive on animal instinct alone. I need more than materialistic stimuli. Unlike gazelles or lions, my life is dependent not on being better than the rest but on learning to co-exist and to be at peace with what goes on around me.

Today, finally, I removed the wooden block from my drawer and placed it in the thrash bin. I was at peace with the decision. I hope my African friend who had given the hand-crafted wooden block as a farewell gift when I left Unilever way back in 2007 would understand my reason. His gesture of friendship will always remain with me. It is the philosophy about life on the wooden block which I have discarded.

Life, especially my life after Unilever, is no longer a worldly race in the fast lane. I need not be so. I am happier now to go with the flow, to be able to smell the roses along the way, dictated only by my own pace. It may be a slower pace, but one which allows me to appreciate the beauty aplenty. The world seems to be more like what it should be - a wonderful place~! Everyone around me seems to be the way I wish them to be - each an amazing being with their own interesting stories. Perhaps, it is me who have changed for the better~! Perhaps, I have turned into a listener. Even the sound of rustling desert breeze brings peace and joy to my heart.

An evening drive on one of the roads at the farm!

Moments of personal tranquility .

I am enjoying my life at a prawn farm at the edge of a vast desert by the coast of the Red Sea. I do not need any quotation carved on a wooden block to remind me to run for my survival. All I need for my motivation is to wake up every morning to the call of Azan from one of the eighteen mosques we have on site, to be able to greet fellow colleagues as we walk for Fajr prayer and to see genuine gentle smiles on their faces.

Here at the farm, we co-exist, in harmony with each other and with nature~!

Here, I will find my own finishing line, and even if I don't finish first, I know I will find victory.

I am writing my own little line, "Victory, is what I carry with me in my heart~!"

Jeddah - a city of amazing sculptures~!

Night scene of Jeddah on the Red Sea. 

Jeddah city is the gateway to the Holy City of Mecca and Medinah for most Muslims coming for pilgrimage or umrah and ziarah. The name Jeddah meaning the "Ancestor of Women" is attributable to the tomb in the city which is believed to belong to Eve. Today, it is not however possible to see that interesting place since the Saudi Arabian government had the tomb destroyed to avoid any acts of perversions by worshippers. 

Many visitors may have seen a few sculptures as they travel through Jeddah. What most probably don't know is the hundreds of such sculptures making such beautiful landscapes and memorable landmarks throughout the city.  Whatever Jeddah doesn't have, it does it's best to make up for with its sculptures and work of arts.

The next time you are in Jeddah, don't forget to allocate a full day to tour the city and see these sculptures and many more with your own eyes.

It is on my 'To Do List', to find all the sculptures and have their pictures taken before I leave Jeddah for good.

The Moon circles - On Corniche Road

The Sun and the Moon - at the Al Falaq Square, on Sari Street.

Seen along Hera Street, a land mark to Arabian Homes Compound.

The Globe round about, a known landmark for Roshan Mall
 and one the to the Red Sea Mall.

The famous Mameluke Mosque Lanterns
are sculptures in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – when these enormous lanterns are lit up at night, they are quite stunning.
They were created by Spanish artist Julio LaFuente and are part of Jeddah’s open air public art museum.

Many more pictures can be found HERE.

Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter

A weekend at a Jeddah Beach Resort~!

On February 17th, a group of Malaysians, many of whom we had not met before, got together for an overnight stay at Le Riverview Resort, one of the sea-side resorts in Jeddah. We got ourselves a two bedroom villa - conveniently located next to the pool and only about 50 meters from the beach.

Pictures below are worth a thousand words...







One of the rare occassions when Amirul and Haziq appeared in the same frame~!

Sunset
reminds me
of a beginning
and an end
happening
at the same time.

 

Tak kenal tak mengapa
satu bangsa, satu bahasa
senang  bermesra

walau di Saudi berjumpa~!

  

Gendang Gendut Tali Kecapi
Kenyang Perut Suka Hati

Mid-Night Moments at the beach
shared dreams
within reach

to grow old together

nurturing love, forever.



Merenung kilauan ombak kecil
Bagaikan pintalan cinta kerdil
jernih berkaca
berkecai di kaki ku.

Treasured memories
are made of moments such as this
(Haziq - middle - was the photograher for all the nice pictures)



Luqman ~!

About friendship - another perspective~!

How people treat their friends says a lot about them. Especially how they treat their friends in absence. There are people who take the initiatives to keep friendship alive and well. There are also who leave things to happen, and when things don't happen they are quite ready to dish out blames and play victims.

Some random notes about friendship which come to my mind are:

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About Friendship, one perspective~!

Childhood friendships tend to stay throughout time, provided everyone progress in their lives to the same level of comfort. Childhood friends who ended, in their own minds, less successful or as they call themselves, 'the have-not', tend to distance themselves away from the better-to-do friends, or known as the 'have-lots'. On the flip side, the 'have-not' are convinced that the 'have-lots' friends are distancing themselves. Both have their perceptions, and both could not be further from the truth than the truth itself.

The truth is, we get preoccupied swimming upstreams in search for better lives, dictated mainly by our jobs, and the social circles which come with them. Within the same circles, we enjoy talking about the same subjects, and share similar jokes.

Every time I return to my village, the place I was born, I long to meet up with my childhood friends. Alas, often they are mostly busy carrying on with their own lives.

On rare occassions when by pure coincidence, I did bump into one or two at the local coffee shop, the conversations we had did not get very far. After the initial embrace and excitement, we din't find common subjects to talk about or common jokes to share. We became guarded too, just in case we might offend the other. We have turned into long lost friends who were awkward, to put it mildly.

To my childhood friends especially those who attended the same primary school in Pangkal Kalong, my sincere hope for us to have a re-union of some sort, to renew our friendships. I apologise for having been so busy swimming upstreams, I have often missed any opportunities to flow with the current and enjoy the scenaries.

Mecca trip - Thursday March 3rd, 2011

Last Thursday, my wife and I went to Mecca to perform Umrah as well as spending some quality time in Mesjidil Haram. We stayed at the Dar Al Ghufran hotel which is situated in the Al Sawfa Tower - the same tower where D'Saji restaurant is. Considering it was a weekend, and considering the Umrah season has started, the rate we paid SAR530.00 per night including breakfast was a bargain!

Al Safwa tower, besides being within a stone throw from the King Abdul Aziz Main Entrance, is also a happening place with eateries and shopping activities. For Malaysians, a visit to the D'Saji is a must. It is a meeting point of some sort. The Roti Canai and Teh Tarik combination is not to be missed. You can also get Laksam and Nasi Kerabu, besides many other Malaysian dishes.

Last weekend, there was a huge crowd - at almost all time. Worshippers doing Tawaf were as big in number as Ramadan season. My wife and I found our space not far away from the Kabaah, moving in small steps, following the flow. Saei was a bit less crowded. We came across many Malaysians, and even more Indonesians, Indians and Turks. 

Amongst the thousands doing the Tawaf, there were a few who were talking on the mobile phone at the top of their voices - telling whoever that they were doing Tawaf! The same with Saei, more than the odd few were seen talking on their mobiles. What a pity I thought! They have chosen to mar their private time with God with worldly things which could have waited, or which really shouldn't have mattered. 

What urges they had, I wondered, that they must make those calls to speak to someone, while in virtuous rituals of Tawaf and Saei. My wife and I for example, we were walking shoulder to shoulder, but except for the occasional glances and exchanges of knowing smiles, we were both focused on one thing - our Do'a to Allah. 

The nice thing worthy of mention is, none of those observations about phone calls during Tawaf or Saei involved fellow Malaysians. 

My wife had an extra bonus in the form of a re-union of sort with her dormitory mates from their TKC days. I could see the flames of affection of the 'old girls' which remained as strong as ever~!

File picture with Rohana and Suami.

We hope to be back within one month! Every trip to Mecca has always been rejuvenating and refreshingly energizing. The weekend trip was extra special - we went without our children. Just the two of us, having our 'us' time, a kind of 'honeymoon' in Mecca. It was super tender sweet - May our love be blessed and last forever till eternity~!

Encounters with the Jeddah Poor ~!

Begging in this city~!

Stop at traffic lights in this city where I live and you will have your car windows (left and right, literally) tapped by women, men and sometimes children begging. The women will be in black Arbaya and always have their face covered except for their eyes. Hence, not easy to tell their origin. Often, they will carry a baby in a pouch on their back. Men who beg are either very old or have some kind of physical deformities.

I have seen Children beggars opening car doors to grab mobile phones and other valuables, while their accomplices distract the driver with taps on the driver's side window. Always have your car doors and boots locked!

On Fridays, you will see mainly women and children sitting at Mosques entrances, benefiting from the generosity of men congregations. 

Merchandising at Traffic Lights~!

At certain traffic lights in this city and also those closer to the holy city of Mecca, you can see individuals and teams walking up to vehicles to sell their merchandise. The variety can be quite impressive. I have seen these entrepreneurs selling mineral water, flowers, sugar floss, kitchen utensils, decorative items, handicrafts, various kind of toys, perfumes, beads, and many others. In all cases they are foreigners who are mostly overstaying illegitimately in the country.


Supermarket counter - a helper cum trolley Pusher~!

Another feature of this city can be seen at supermarket counters. Each check out counter comes with a cashier and a packer cum helper cum trolley pusher. The packer will help pack the items you purchase, but he always expect to be able to provide a little more help. Packing is his job, and the extra service of pushing your trolley to your car is discretionary. If you want to push the trolley yourself, you need to really make a firm stand, and be prepared to wrestle the trolley away from the packer cum helper. Otherwise, it is understood that you want his services to push the trolley and help to load your car boot. Not to tip him is frowned upon - not only by the poor guy who has helped, but your spouse and also anyone else who happens to see you being ungrateful to the guy for his help. Tipping is expected! The tip can be any amount between SAR1 to SAR10. Hopefully done sincerely~!

In this city where so many foreigners come to seek 'wealth' to support their families back in their own countries, nobody says no to 'tips' or virtuous deeds of 'sadaqah'.

If you are in the group who can afford, no matter where you are or what your religious standing is, giving to people in need is a good deed, indeed~! Give generously, and give sincerely~!

Start with 'Us!'

There is a fact that everyone must learn to accept. The fact is, no matter who we are, we do not have control over anyone in our lives except one person - OURSELVES. Some people, don't even have that. Not having self-control often is the beginning of many problems in this world - from something personal to something more universal. 

By and large though, we can assume that our modern day civilization thrives on the fundamental of individuals exercising some level of self-control. In my view, one of the differences between human and animals is this very fact! Human has the ability to think, to differentiate right from wrong, and will in his/her normal circumstances always choose what he/ she thinks is the right option. 

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To the desert and back~!

Today, about 100 employees from one of the operations from the company gathered in the desert for a day, under the leadership of their department Head. Their objective was team building and I was invited to provide moral support and to speak about team work. That I did! However, what I want to write here is not about what happened there today.

The combined effect of intense sunshine and cooling and refreshing desert breeze which come whistling down from the rocky mountains inspired me to do some research about 'Teamwork in Islam!'

In the modern economy, so much have been written about Teamwork. From sports arena to boardrooms, coaches have been making a difference by transforming teams into Winning Teams! Henry Ford once said,  "Coming together is a beginning, Keeping together is progress, and Working together is success!"  

The concept of Teamwork is not new. It is as old as Islam itself.

From the Holy Qur'an 3:103, “Hold onto the rope of Allah collectively! ” 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Faithful believers are to each other as the bricks of a wall, supporting and reinforcing each other!" [Sahih al-Bukhari]

In Islam, Allah (SWT) gives us the gift of brotherhood and sisterhood and encourages us to do things in a group setting. Examples where Islam encourages team spirit are Friday prayers and the Hajj Pilgrimage. In fact, if we fail to work effectively as a member of team, we fail to understand the true meaning of "Ummah (collectively united Community)" in Islam.


Another Hadith of the Beloved Prophet (pbuh) reads, “There is no Islam without Jemaah and there is no existence of Jemaah without leadership and there is not leadership without submission” (Reported by ad-Darimi in his Sunan). 

This is a very important hadith that highlights the whole issue of teamwork and its necessity in a nutshell. When it refers to the concept of ‘no Islam' it means that there can be no influential Islam that can affect society and its people towards the truth.

The Hadith also emphasises the need of a Leader - or Imam (someone who would lead the group.) Rasulullah (SAW) states that “if there are three of you appoint one of you as the head” Showing that even the smallest group has to have a leader.

Islam through the Prophet (pbuh) has touched and connect billion over hearts. The glory of Islam today would not have been as it is without its Ummah being united. 

Teamwork in Islam:

1. There is a common 'vision' as contained in the Quran, with detail guidelines on a glorious way of life - which emphasize amongst other things, leadership and teamwork!

2.  In Prophet Muhammad, Islam had the best leader ever! 

3. The Hadiths of the Prophet have been inspiring billion over Muslims to aspire to be better human beings! There are many Hadiths which teach about leadership, and about teamwork. If only we care to research and read. (I was trying to google for some good ones - but have not found one yet. I will put the links here once I have done more research!)

4. The spread of Islam is a true testimony of the effectiveness of Teamwork through brotherhood / sisterhood of the Ummah.

Parts and pieces of what I wrote above were taken from a few websites.