Still Alive and Kickin'

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Wow, it seems so long since I last posted somethin' here. I went into hibernation mode right after PMR exams coz I've stressed out soo much for the exams. So, I kinda needed a little space for myself. Now, I feel like I've been recharged and ready to step into blogosphere again :).
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So, I'll just make a quick update on what has been going on since I went into the "off" mode for the past couple of months>
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1. Some of my elderly relatives had passed on to the other side. Sadly, Atok Mail died of infections after the doctors at the Muar hospital failed to change a tube in his body for 4 months even though it needed replacement every week (see, I told you doctors kill people here in my country).
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2. My uncle and second nephew died in a freak car accident. The accident was aired on TV and coz on that day alone, there were 4 freak accidents. My aunt however survived but all her major limbs and bones are fractured. She's still hospitalized in HUKM. (They are the family of my late Tok Ngah whom I wrote about before).
-Seriously, how do you react when you get a phone call with news like this?? Think.

3. There are too many birthdays to be celebrated in Nov and Dec that my mom just bought books and we'll send the gifts over this weekend when we go back home to Muar.
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4. Uncle Ajak and family, Mak Ros and Mak Lati went to Vietnam last week for a shopping spree and sightseeing. Mak Lati missed the flight coz she didn't realize that her passport has less than 6 months validity. So my Mak Nolie called up some friends and Mak Lati got a VVIP treatment for the next day flight even though it was really hard to get a ticket during this holiday season.
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5. My family and I are going for a holiday in Melaka this weekend to celebrate my big sis's last schooldays. My mom said my big sis can now burn or get rid of her school uniforms coz she won't be going to school anymore for the rest of her life. She has sat for final SPM papers yesterday and it's kinda sad coz I won't be seeing her in school anymore. I'd miss going to school with her every morning in the school van and "hi"ing her in school etc. She'll just move on. Maybe she won't be living with us anymore if she goes to study overseas. "Sad, sad, sob, sob".Yesterday, my mom and her good friend, Aunt Mas took my big sis out to Jusco Equine Park and treated her for some lunch.
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6. My lil sis and I go to the Tahfiz (Quran Memorization Camp) during this school hols. But this year, I do feel overwhelmed coz the participants are too rowdy. They don't have any disciplines and I ended up not being able to memorize the Surah. My mom said, we won't have to go there again next year.
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7. My parents wanted to send big sis, lil sis and I for a holiday in Beijing during the school holidays in March next year. But you know what, I made the biggest mistake in my life and now my name is cancelled. It goes like this: A few weeks ago, my dad came home from work. My mom was already in her room upstairs. My dad told me off for throwing my pants on the floor in the downstairs room. and I kinda replied by showing my dad that he also hanged his used pants in the room. My dad became furious (maybe coz he was tired). My mom heard about it the next day and told my dad to cancel my name. And since I won't be going, my lil sis also can't go coz there's no one to take care of her. So my big sis will go alone. And she's invited her friend to go with her. Urggggh, my stupid mouth. I should have just stayed quiet when my dad scolded me. My mom said there's no point in rewarding me when I can't show any respect to my dad. But that's not true. I do respect my dad...but I guess I just shouldn't tell him off like that. I could get away with it if I did it to my mom, but not to my dad I guess coz my mom wouldn't allow it ever.
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8. My mom has started teaching the neighbours' children to recite the Quran again. It started like this: One night, after Isya' we heard Salaam at the front gate, and a kid just came marching in in his white Arabic robe and a Quran in his hand. So my mom taught him. The next night, 3 kids came marching in. On the third night, 4 kids came marching in. My mom would reward them with an apple whenever they have finished and before sending them off. Now, every night we have these little visitors.
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9. Sometimes I went to my dad's office to help him with his work. Next week, my big sis will go coz she's finished her school. I tell you, it's really really boring to go to work. I need to wake up early. Then sat at the table for long hours staring at the computer. And my mom had reminded me to smile and say nothing. So that's what I've been doing all the time there. Do my work, smile, don't say anything. Then, came home with my dad. I'd be so hungry that my dad would stop over somewhere to treat me to dinner before we reach home.Now I don't have to go anymore coz I've this Tahfiz campwhich will only end on the 20th of Dec.
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10. This month is the wettest month ever. It rains every single day. Half of Peninsular Malaysia is already submerged underwater. We have never experienced anything as bad as this before. Luckily my house is on top of a hill, if not we might experience flooding as well. My dad would come home wet coz he rides the bike. He would never want to drive his car even though my mom is worried about him coz he hates the KL traffic. He'll only drive when he took me with him to his office.
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11. Have you seen the pics of the Arab guy Borkan al-Gala or something. I think he looks like my dad, serious!.
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Ok, that's all for now.
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C u when I c u
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi    

Post PMR Wahaha!!!

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Wahahahaha :D. If only you could feel how I feel right now,you'd be laughing out loud too. Now I know how it feels when your burden is taken off your shoulder...REALLY...it was a real RELIEF..to get over the PMR exams which had ended this week. To be honest with you, my heart feels like a balloon, being blown away by the wind to a carefree land..no stress, no headache..no exams..hahahha..even my teachers are EXTRA NICE nowadays..maybe coz they are feeling the relief from the burden too. My form teacher Madame Francisca even treated the whole class to a mouth watering rice with Rose Chicken ..but my mom had beaten her in a way coz mom treated me to a plate of delicious spaghetti carbonara and mushroom soup, garlic bread and whatnot right after the exams ended on Tuesday.

She and big sis picked me up at school and we went for a very nice and relaxing lunch (for me) and tea for them, then we shopped at Daiso (you guys must think we r cheapskates right). Well, actually we are preparing two (really guys.. two) birthday gift baskets for Mak Nolie and Mak Ros. We had shopped at Alamanda but the baskets still seemed empty so what better place to fill it than Daiso at RM5 per item. But the stuff are quite good in quality and I'm sure Mak Ros and Mak Nolie would be delighted. We plan to give them the baskets when we go back to our hometown in Muar for the Aidil Adha celebration.
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Emm, about the exams....(I'm sure you guys don't want to read about the grueling part right :), well actually I did well and insyaallah I'll be able to score some "A"s, hope my effort will pay off.
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Hokay, till then, have a nice life guys...
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi  

A Couple Of Weeks Ago and Today

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,


Hi, sorry for not updating my post for the last couple of weeks. Actually i was so busy with school and preparations for my PMR exams which is undergoing right now until next Tuesday.
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I was so busy coz I was elected as the Vice Head Prefect. There's a special ceremony for the event where I was kinda bestowed by my beloved Principal as well as all the teachers.  Nowadays, I have to wear a maroon necktie with the words "Penolong Ketua Pengawas' emblazoned on it. For the first few days I felt really really awkward and embarrassed coz my friends kept chiding me and all coz I'm only in Form 3 and already a Vice Head Prefect, but after a while I got used to it.
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We also had a ceremony to ask for blessings from all our teachers before the PMR exams. I had to speak in front of the assembly to represent all the Form 3 students. I was quite nervous but one of my teachers helped with the text for the speech and my mom told me to keep it short and used only short sentences to avoid from making mistakes. My mom also told me to talk to the audience about what they are interested in and want to hear and not what I want to and interested in, in order to attract their attention. So, it was a lesson in public speaking for me I guess. Alhamdulillah I pulled it through.
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As for today, it's kind of a rest day for us PMR candidates coz we have sat for 4 papers and there are four more to go which will be held on Moday and Tuesday, and then ....wahaha..I can get rid of all my books and the clutter on my desk and ...one whole day of not doing anything ..and then....maybe get a part time job or whatever. But the main thing is, have to finish this exams urgggh..and get the best result EVER (more urgggh!!!!!) Please you guys out there, pray for me, pray that I'll get the best result ...TQ :D....
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Hokay, enough for now. C u soon ........

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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi
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Ghost Crickets

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi, maybe you r wondering about the title huh/ Ok let me explain....my house has been disturbed by the sounds of crickets for about 6 years. My mom is the most disturbed coz she not only hear it in her ears but also everywhere in our house. We, however don't really notice the sounds until my mom mentioned it. The sounds would start from dusk to dawn everday for about 6 years already (since baby bro was still alive.). My mom said, it first started when my dad took home an antic brass lamp stand from a relative. Every night my mom had to catch the cricket from under the base of the lamp stand and threw the noisy creature out. However, it still came back every night. After my baby bro passed away, the religious people who came to clear up our house told us to get rid of any stuff that don't belong to us. So my dad gave it away but the cricket sounds still prevail and became even more louder and louder. And it was everywhere, I swear. We have cricket sounds in the living room, at the TV area, in our little study, our bedrooms, the kitchen, and especially in my mom's room. My mom would need two pillows to cover her ears if she wants to go to sleep every night but it didn't help. The non-stop ringing sounds would continue to grow louder and louder until my mom would run away from her room and wander the house every night in search of a peaceful place to sleep. (we have cricket sounds outside the house too, to sum it up...it's EVERYWHERE).
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At first we thought it's because our house is situated next to the forest reserve so the creatures would creep into our house to do its business but we ask neighbours they say they don't have the problem even when their houses are nearer to the forest than ours.
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So finally about a week ago, my mom decided to attack the creature by using Quranic verses. For a few nights she played the Suratul Fatihah and Suratul Baqarah from the Quran Explorer. But the sound didn't stop. At first we thought it didn't work, however my mom said maybe its because the dosage is not right (coz every ailment has its remedy and every remedy requires the right dosage right), so we launched Quran Explorer from Al-Fatihah right to Suratul Ali Imran. And guess what....the sounds DID STOP. so for the coming nights we again played Suratul Fatihah up to Suratul Jinn, Suratul Al-Hasyr and then the 3 Qul. The place where the computer is became hot like there's a warm fire but we continued again and again for every night. And ALHAMDULILLAH, the sounds have completely stopped from inside the house . (But it still prevails outside, so maybe we should play it outside too huh). HOWEVER, some ghostly disturbance started to happen during the day..so my mom played the Surah also during the day and it has finally died down..
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People have been telling us that someone had placed a black magic on my family. If that's true and that person is reading this post, I hope you rot in hell. But I think maybe there's no black magic, maybe it's just because my dad made the mistake of taking home the lamp stand which belongs to a person who had possessed a ghost. And for all of you out there who don't believe what I said, I guess it's because you haven't experienced it. We didn't believe it too..coz how can crickets are actually ghosts or some black magic. Maybe someone wanted to drive us crazy. You'd be crazy too if you hear the nonstop high pitch ringing sounds of the crickets the whole night for six years straight. HOWEVER, Allah is mightier that this evil people.
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So, for all of you out there who is facing a similar experience, whether you're a muslim or not, maybe you can learn from this and adopted the same way to cleanse your house of any evil creatures, and you better do so quickly before it's too late that it has taken someone's life). and so, that's the end of the story of the Ghost Crickets.  
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love and peace
Daniel Zaydi
p.s. I won't be able to frequently blog from now on coz I'll be having the major PMR exams in October. So, sorry guys but maybe we'll meet again after 9/10 or beyond coz maybe I'll be off to a holiday destination with my dad after the exams hehe.

Freedom

Assalamualaikum and hi everyone.

     Lately, I've been asking myself, "Kenapa saya selalu berbuat dosa dan maksiat?" 
Sedangkan, sebagai sebagai seorang islam, saya tahu yang hidup kekal selama-lamanya itu tidak wujud, melainkan di akhirat nanti. Saya tahu yang hidup di dunia ini hanya sementara, hanya pinjaman dan topeng semata-mata. Kita juga tahu bahawa mati itu adalah pasti. 

    Bukankah sepatutnya manusia akan berlumba-lumba mencari amal jariah / pahala yang akan menjadi ganjaran yang tidak ternikmat diakhirat? Semuanya kerana mungkin mereka masih fikir bahawa mereka akan hidup lama lagi dan Allah tidak akan mengambil nyawa mereka lagi sedangkan ajal itu boleh tiba bila-bila masa tanpa diduga.


     Saya mengaku, saya juga seperti mereka yang saya sebutkan di atas. Kita sebagai hamba Allah tidak akan terlepas daripada melakukan dosa. Saya terkesan apabila saya secara tidak sengaja tertonton QUNUT NAZILAH di TV ALHIJRAH. Apa yang menyebabkan saya terkesan? Terkesan apabila melihat saudara seIslam kita yang berada di Palestin, Mesir dan Syria yang diseksa dan dizalimi merata tempat. Ia sangat menyedihkan sehingga saya menangis yang seingat saya, sudah lama saya tidak menangis sebegitu  teruk sekali. Lagi pula, saya seorang lelaki. Tidak ada lelaki yang mudah menangis didunia ini, (mungkin ada.)


     Menangis yang menyebabkan saya tidak mampu berdiri dan sehingga badan ini bergetar seolah-olah mahu pitam. Pada pendapat anda, " Bolehkah , patutkah kita menikmati nikmat kebebasan merdeka ini jika masih ada saudara islam kita yang masih belum bebas (merdeka) ? "


      Berdoa kepada Allah S.W.T juga tidak semestinya akan membantu mereka bebas kerana kita hanya seperti berada di tepi meja dan tunggu saja untuk meja itu terangkat sendiri. Tiada usaha. Jika kita ingin mencapai sesuatu kejayaan juga, kita perlulah berusaha seiring dengan berdoa kepada Allah supaya hajat atau impian kita termakbul oleh-Nya. Kita juga perlu berusaha dan bersatu dengan mereka. Bantu apa yang patut.


     

      Saya tak sangka yang post saya ini berkait rapat dengan kemerdekaan. So, alang-alang menyeluk perkasam biarlah sampai ke pangkal lengan. Jadi, saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan Yang Ke- 56 kepada Malaysia. Bersyukurlah dengan nikmat yang kita dapat ini, suasana yang aman damai , jangan mahu ditimbul kecoh. 


     Sentiasa ingat, carilah cinta yang hakiki, iaitu cinta kepada Allah Yang Maha Esa dan bukannya manusia kerana cinta kepada Allah berkekalan selama-lamanya. InsyaAllah. Saya juga memohon maaf sekiranya apa yang saya tulis ini tersalah maklumat ataupun terkasar bahasanya. Saya harap anda semua dan juga diri saya mengambil iktibar dengan keadaan saudara kita sekarang ini. Buang yang keruh, ambillah yang jernih.

Assalamualaikum.

Love and Faith,
Daniel Zaydi

Happy Eid Fitri

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,

Hi everyone. Sorry I didn't post anything for quite some time coz my mom didn't pay the internet bill and got suspended.
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So, how's your Eid? We had a blast. First day was spent at ome sweet home. Mom cooked nasi impit, lodeh, kuah kacang and we had cookies to serve our guests. Most we immigrants coz the locals have gone back to their hometown. First thing in the morning, we woke up, took the sunat Shower, ate bteakfast and then went to the mosque to pray. Came home and went to neighbours' houses who were around. Then entertain guests who came to our house.
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After Isya' we went to Mak Long's house in Kajang and then proceeded to Muar for the best Hari Raya ever. I stayed at Mak Nojah's house while my family stayed at Busu Rahmah's place. We had a feast every night. We had satay, rendang, mee bandung, nasi impit, etc plus fireworks hehe.
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Ok gtg, have to break my sunat fasting. Will continue soon.

A Few Days before Eid

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi. How are things at your place? Here in my place, everyone is starting to feel the excitement of Eidul Fitri. In my neighbourhood, people sleep late in order to prepare for the festivity and for I'tikaf at the musolla or mosque. The men spend the night praying and reciting the Quran there. The ladies would clean up their houses and become impromptu interior decorators. Some would turn into pastry chefs. For example last night, my neighbour came to our house at 11.30 pm to send food for Sahur and a little chit chat. Then my mom and lil sis went to their house at 2.30 in the morning to help them make cookies and only came home at almost 4 am. The day before yesterday, the men cooked rendang, dodol and lemang by the roadside. At 4.30 am, Akeem came to my house to send some of it. My dad came home from the musolla at 5 am to eat Sahur. Just now we saw Aunt Begum and her son busy hanging colourful lights outside her house at 12 midnight while another neighbour who has just moved in lit up fancy gasoline lamps.My parents were also invited to a neighbour's house at 11pm tonight, coz they wanted to give us some food for Sahur.I mean, all these make us feel like one big happy family.

However, some neighbours have gone back to their hometown. Like our next door neighbour and Aunt Hamidah who hail from Kelantan. Kelantan is so far away in the East Coast and to avoid the massive traffic jam, people would usually leave a good few days before Eid. However, before they leave, they would send text messages telling asking everyone for forgiveness and wishing a happy Eid and we would reply with the same plus wishing them a safe journey home. This year, we are going to celebrate Eid in our own home. We would not go back to our hometown. We have started to clean up the house and get rid of most things or plants that we don't need. Our lawn is bare except for the roses, melur, Burmese creepers and the grass. My dad recently got rid of the bamboo trees and all the potted plants have been transferred out. Our house looks so simple yet soothing to the eye, I love to just lepak outside at night nowadays.
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Unlike other households, my parents don't spend a fortune for Eid. My mom did not change the curtains, no new furniture, carpets, cars, or whatnot. We would just make sure that the house looks clean, cheerful and nice. Dad bought some cookies to serve when guests come to visit. My mom stock up on some food and that's about it. My mom said, we need to save coz if big sis goes to uni next year, she'll need a lot of money. Anyway, we have all bought our new Eid clothes, except my mom who didn't buy anything new. My dad and I bought our clothes at Uniqlo in Alamanda recently. Tomorrow my sisters want my mom to drive them to Alamanda again to get some scarves and ballet flats.
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We might go back to Muar for a couple of days however, just to celebrate with my dad's family, maybe on the second and third day of Eid. First, we would visit my ancestors' graves, then we would visit all the elderly relatives to pay our respect to them, then to all the other relatives' houses just to reconnect the ties of silaturrahim.My parents would go to the houses of my dad's parents' friends as well coz in Islam we have to do this as a way to show our love to our deceased parents. 
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The school holiday have started since Monday for two weeks, yippee. However, I'll have another trial after the school reopens and then the major PMR exam in October. Becoz of the upcoming exam, my parents said that we would just spend a couple of days in Muar, then my mom has to work on the 5th day of Syawal. So, it will be a short celebration for us this year. Anyway, we won't be able to go back to Penang to visit baby bro's grave this year, so it will definitely be sad for us.
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Well, that's basically how we prepare for the upcoming Eid. I wonder how it is in other parts of the world. I wish everyone a happy Eid and may God bless you, Ameen.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

A Few Minutes Before Iftar

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi. I'm currently waiting for the Maghrib adzan to be called. I've had my Maths exam this morning. made a lot of mistakes on the easy questions, basically all the no brainers. I admit I panicked a bit this morning. Couldn't think straight. My lil sis had her HOTS. The questions were about how to clone some extinct animals, what type of cells should the scientists collect to clone them, etc. I guess the National Geographic junkies could pass with flying colours.
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Tomorrow I'm having the Science paper. I've been revising while mom helped with some of the answers. Last exam I got 93%. Mom said maybe I can get 98% for this exam.
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Dad went to the clinic to get his MC for today and wasted RM30 for the consultation and medicine that he's not going to take. My mom said dad might as well just ask for an Emergency Leave from his company. Tomorrow he has to carpool with his friend, Uncle Ony who lives a few doors down.
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For Iftar today my mom just cook rice, spinach, salted fish, sambal belacan and fried tempe. I told you we eat simple food for Iftar. My mom said, we should eat like the poor during Ramadhan coz that's the whole purpose of fasting, that is to experience how the less fortunate live and to be thankful to Allah for all the food that's on our table. Some people eat lavishly during Iftar and my mom said it defeats the purpose of Ramadhan.
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I forgot to tell you earlier that my neighbour, Aunt Su's daughter passed away last Friday. She was 22 and was working in a bank. She had been suffering from brain tumor for the last 3 years, most probably due to the excessive use of mobile phone. She died alone in her flat that her mom gave her. Her roomate did not realize she was dead until much later. When paramedics came, she had already bloated and all her blood vessels had burst under her skin. Because of the tumor, she always suffered epilepsy. Maybe she had an epilepsy attack which killed her. She was a very beautiful girl. My mom said she's the most beautiful girl in our neighbourhood. She died on Friday, in the month of Ramadhan and on the Nuzul Quran day. and she was fasting. People say she died in an auspicious day, auspicious month, and while she was making an ibadah. Let's pray that her soul will be rewarded the Jannah.
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My mom was asked to organise the final rites for her. It's the first time to be held in our musolla and it's also the first time for my mom. The rites include, reciting the Yaasin for her, bathing her, covering her in the proper shroud and finally performing solat for her before she was sent to the grave for burial. All the ladies came to help the poor family and to perform solat for her.
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To think back about the girl, she had all the world in front of her. She was beautiful, she had a handsome fiance, she had a good career in a bank, she already had a flat and her own car, and she had just opened her own boutique. Now, all her dreams had dashed. Nothing remains except for her good deeds.
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That's all for now.

Love and peace Daniel Zaydi

Dad Met With An Accident and Lil Sis's Hots

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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I forgot to tell y'all that my dad was hit while he was coming back home from work yesterday. He suffers bruises, cuts and a swollen ankle. Apparently he was on his motorbike and had stopped at the traffic light when another rider came from behind without stopping and hit him from behind. The bike collapsed on to his leg and twisted his ankle. The rider, my dad said was a girl in a man's dress (what we call a confused female- a cross dresser) ran away at the first opportunity. My mom said if my dad had a chance, he should just pound on the girl until he-she wails like a little girl, just to make her change back into a girl.I think my mom didn't really mean what she said.
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Tomorrow my dad said he had to go to the farewell party of a Morrocon consulate or something so he wouldn't want to take a MC but his leg is already swollen. So I accompanied my mom outside to get some Noni leaves (mengkudu) in front of our house. It was 12 midnight (after my dad came back from tarawih and tadarus). Not the best time to take medicinal plants, my mom said. But it was an emergency. So we gave salaam to the plant and ask its permission to take some leaves to treat my dad (my mom said plants can understand us and feels pain too, and they are God's creatures too, so we must give salaam and ask permission and treat them as gentle as possible).So my mom heated the Noni leaves on the stove,  pounded some ginger, and put the ginger on the swollen area and wrapped with the leaves. before that the cuts were treated with sea cucumber oil. Then she put a stocking on my dad's foot.
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My big sis, Lil sis, and I have been drilling into our Maths books like mad with my mom trying to explain all the answers for the Maths problems. Can I cramp 40 topics in one day? To tell you the truth, I've given up already. But my mom made a mathematical calculation based on past year questions and tell me that I need to revise 20 topics only and concentrate mostly on the top 10 topics. We have been going thru all the problems on Statistics, Circles, Teoram pythagoras, Algebraic, ratios and whatnot that I literally become dizzy. Luckily my big sis helped a lot too coz she's a Maths wizard. And my mom who is the best student in her school during her time drilled me on the formula and applications and whatnot, so much so that I can see stars swimming in front of my eyes.

My lil sis is also having a HOTS exam tomorrow. We don't know what it is, coz it's the first time we've heard it. My lil sis said it stands for Higher Order Thinking Skills. My mom told her in order to achieve a higher order thinking skill, we should lead a LDLS (Low Density LifeStyle) first. Without the balance, one would never achieve HOTS. My mom told my Lil sis to tell that to her teacher. But my lil sis did not understand, so my mom told her to simplify, use her imagination, visualize and creative thinking. I hope my lil sis can pull it through tomorrow coz we can't help her much, coz we've never heard of such exams before.
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Btw, happy birthday Lil sis :) I love you so much even though you always quarrel with me :p
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

The Beginning of The End...?

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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I can feel chill travels down my spinal cord when my mom says last year (2012) is most probably the start of the beginning of the end of time.What if my prayers and taubahs are no longer acceptable by God? What if I'm not prepared to face God? What if ...there's a lot of what ifs going thru my mind right now.
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My mom says we are too worried about the end of time of the world when our own "beginning of the end of time" has started ticking the second we were born into this earth.
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My mom says the most misunderstood person on this earth is our own self, so before we worry about the fate of this world we should first understand ourselves so as to understand this world. And to understand ourselves we should make comparison with other creatures especially the plants coz we are most similar to the plants, coz the plants grow from soil and we are from the soil too.
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Tomorrow is my PMR Maths Trial exam and my mom was coaching me when we got into this topic. So, if the beginning of the end of time has started, why should I waste my time to study Maths. Shouldn't I just spend my time in Sujud?
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Well, no, coz studying is also a form of Ibadah and every good deed that we do including studying will be counted.
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Yes, but the people in Syria and Egypt are already fighting and killing and mass massacre is everywhere. Link it with Prophet Muhammad's prophecies and...guess it for yourself.
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My heart and soul are in turmoil right now.
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Can't you feel it out there?
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Can't you hear the clock ticking madly already?
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Can't you see the gaping mouths and wide open eyes looking at the terror crushing them?
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We are we to run now?
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No where is safe anymore.
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I want to scream. I want to shout. I want to cry.
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I want to escape.
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But there is no door.
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There is no way out
except one...
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( !!!!!)
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Is this what we want???????????????So why the fightings? Can't we all say our thanks to God and seek forgiveness and live in peace???
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For heaven's sake PEOPLE, STOP FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

To Read Allah's Thoughts....

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you..
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This is the month of Ramadhan, the month when the Quran is revealed to our prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It is also the month of when all the other Books were also revealed to other prophets such as Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), Daud (David).
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During this month, Muslims are encouraged to leave other activities and to concentrate on reading the Quran. The Quran is Allah's verses, sayings and thoughts. To read the Quran is to pick at Allah's thoughts. How can I describe it in words? How else can a feeble human being like us pick on God's thoughts except by reading and truly analysing  the Quran's contents. And God has made it simple for us humans to understand it, in the language that we can understand.
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Alas, even though I can read the Quran, it is not in my language and thus it takes a lot more effort for me to understand it. I pray that Allah will give me the knowledge to understand its true meanings and to apply the knowledge in my daily life and lead me on the straight path. Ameen.Fogive me if I'm wrong. This is just my humble thought.
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love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

Ahlan Wasahlan Ya Ramadhan

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Ramadhan has finally dawned upon us Muslims like a lovely purple tulip about to bloom.So, to all my dear Muslim brothers and sisters everywhere in this world, I'd like to wish you a prosperous Ramadhan and may all of us receive the Lailatul Qadar insyaallah.
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At my place, so far, we have performed three terawih prayers and the musolla is illuminated with beautiful lights and merry faces of my neighbours, all eager to reap the benefits of Ramadhan and to outdo each other in our worship to Allah.
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I'd go to prayers with my dad and lil sis every night, then have supper at the musolla before coming back home. My dad however continues the tadarus with the other brothers in Islam. I do not perform the tadarus at the musolla coz we have it in our school. Everyday at 9.40-10.00am I'll be reading the Quran with my friends Danish, Ikhwan, Hafiz and Riaz.My mom and big sis have opted to perform the tarawih at home this year. This is quite a surprise coz they have never missed the jamaah prayers before. My mom performs the tarawih after the Isya' prayer whereby she finishes one juzu' of the Quran in the prayers every night. My big sis goes to sleep first. Afterwards she'll wake up and perform the prayers at midnight.
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This year, the climate has changed drastically and it has somehow affected our fasting positively. As I've told you before, the hot season usually continues until September or October, but after the recent haze and the solatul Istisqa performed by Muslims in Malaysia, it has rained almost every single evening without fail. Even if it doesn't rain, the weather would be cool and this has definitely makes us feel less tired when fasting.
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Charity goes hand in hand during Ramadhan. This year, my mom has launched a campaign among her sisters in Islam to donate for the setting up of a Darul Tahfiz in Gaza, Palestin. They have collected quite a substantial amount of money already. My mom's friend who is going to Cambodia will also come to collect some donation to buy the al-Quran as well as rice for the poor Muslims there. Our musolla also passed around a donation box for a Maahad Tahfiz in our area, where the students become our Imams during Ramadhan. We are also going to have a big and modern mosque which is planned to be built next year. So far, people have started to donate a lot of money and expertise to make this project a success. My mom also plans to paint the house of some poor people in our area to cheer their Ramadhan and Eidul Fitri. And as a routine every year, we will visit orphanages, provide the breaking of fast dinner for them, donate money, visit the old folks home and send them donation and talk with them to cheer them up. I hope my brothers and sisters in Islam elsewhere in this world can share with me how you do charity at your place this month so that we here can emulate you.
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About the Breaking of Fast.
Alhamdulillah I'm born as a Muslim in Malaysia where Allah has shown His generosity in every single aspect of my life. We here have an abundant of food that most people are quite baffled as what to choose for their breaking of fast dinner. As you know, we break fast at the sound of the maghrib azan. In my home, my mom cooks simple food for us. First we make dua. Then eat dates with fruits like grapes or watermelon.My parents buy the dates in Makkah every year. We have all sorts of dates on our table like the Prophet's dates which my dad buys to last us for a year as well as other dates which I don't know their names. Then, we'll have our drinks either cold or hot. Then we'll eat a bit like rice or bread. My mom cooks simple food like meat, fish or chicken, accompanied by veges. Then we pray Solatul Maghrib, ba'dal Magrib and solatul Awwabin. then we rest, take a bath and wait to go for the Solatul Isya' and tarawih prayers at the musolla. My neighbours would also come to give us food and drinks that they have prepared or bought. Then my mom would replace with another type of food for them.
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About the Sahur.
Muslims are encouraged to eat before fasting in the morning. In my home, we wake up at 4.30am to eat. My mom usually prepares two types of food for us. Those who wish to have a heavy meal will take rice and its accompaniment. As for me, I like to take light food, so my mom would prepare pasta or mushroom soup with bread for me and my lil sis. Then we perform the Solatul Tahajud and Witr and then wait for the Solatul Subuh. I'd be ready to go to school by then. My dad would perform the Qabla Subuh at home, then proceed to pray Solatul Subuh at the musolla. Then he comes back to read the Quran.
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Counting the Minute.
As a Muslim, we would count every minute of our deed this month. My mom has a special diary for this month where she notes down all her acts and deeds for the day. My dad watches the Islamic programmes on TV until late at night and make notes on what the speakers said. As for me, I'd be counting my deeds in my head. My big sis would sit for hours in her secret garden just staring at the plants (I think she must be thinking or doing tafakur or whatnot). My lil sis makes a to-do list either in her notebook, on the phone or on a piece of paper and left it lying around for all us to see and have a good laugh at it coz it's soo funny.
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I guess that's all for now.
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Be happy wherever you are. remember, no problem is too big when you have Allah in your heart.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

ON BEING A MUSLIM.

Assalamualaykum and peace be upon you. :D

Watch this video before you read this whole post. :D

 

Well, all this time, I was wondering, kenapa orang membenci sesorang individu atau sesuatu kaum kalau mereka adalah 'MUSLIM' ?

   Saya ingin berkongsi cerita pak cik saudara saya sewaktu dia berada di Piacenza , Italy ... rasa-rasanya lah. ( Maaf kalau tersalah information. :D)

   Okey, saya skip saja bahagian cerita lain (yang sebenarnya lagi MENARIK!) yang pak cik saudara saya ceritakan tu... Apa yang saya nak ceritakan ni, betul-betul berkaitan dengan apa yang selalu orang anggap tentang 'MUSLIM'. Lebih-lebih lagi,  tanggapan dari orang dibahagian barat sana.

 (Saya singkatkan cerita ini.)

   Pada waktu tu, pak cik saya cerita ... orang kampung di Piacenza, Italy tu tak membenarkan anak dia sama sekali untuk bermain dengan pak cik saya dan budak-budak yang mengikuti rombongan tersebut.

   Tapi, seminggu selepas tu, orang kampung itu mula membenarkan anak-anak kecil mereka bermain dengan pak cik saya dan ahli rombongannya kerana orang kampung itu kata dia melihat budak-budak yang dibawah rombongan pak cik saya ini, berkelakuan dengan penuh hormat, tidak ganas, baik dan bersopan-santun. Bila jumpa dengan orang lain di tempat itu, ahli rombongan tersebut selalu ucap selamat kepada mereka. Itu yang menyebabkan orang kampung tersebut tersalah anggap terhadap orang Islam.


     Tapi, kita sama sekali tidak boleh salahkan mereka kerana tersalah anggap terhadap orang Islam kerana di tempat mereka, mungkin media massa dan internet serta akhbar di negara mereka menyiarkan cerita yang buruk tentang agama Islam. Itu yang menyebabkan mereka tersalah anggap.

     Kenapa pula kita sebagai seorang muslim hendak bersikap ganas sedangkan Rasulullah S.A.W sendiri bersikap lemah-lembut, bersopan-santun dan Rasulullah sendiri menyuruh kami sebagai Hamba Allah S.W.T untuk bersikap berlemah-lembut dan bersopan-santun dalam setiap urusan dan kegiatan seharian kita. ... dan bersikap ganas sama sekali tidak diajar dalam agama Islam.

      Di dalam video yang saya post-kan di atas, anda semua, tidak kira seorang Islam ataupun tidak, perlu membuka mata, bahawa kami, sebagai Muslim juga mempunyai hak untuk hidup di Bumi Allah ini sehinggalah tiba masanya untuk Allah mengambil hak kami, iaitu mengambil nyawa kami.

      Kami juga manusia sama seperti kamu yang membenci kami. Kenapa kamu tidak membenci agama lain dan mencaci, serta berkata kepada mereka , " Kamu jahat, Kamu tidak layak hidup di dunia ini, Kamu patut dibunuh seluruh ahli keluarga mu!!!" ???  Kenapa kami sebagai Muslim yang mesti kamu berbuat demikian? Kami sebagai muslim juga menerima cacian, hinaan kamu terhadap kami sebagai ujian Allah kepada hamba-hambaNya.

      Saya lebih tersentuh melihat keadaan sauda se-Islam kami di Palestin. Ditindas, dibunuh, didera tanpa mereka tahu apa silap mereka. Kenapa mesti kamu berbuat demikian? Adakah kanak-kanak, wanita dan lelaki , orang-orang tua dinegara tersebut tidak layak hidup atau terlampau hina bagi kamu ? Saya tanya kamu semua, jawab soalan ini dengan ikhlas dari hati bukan dari keegoan masing-masing.

   " Apakah silap mereka, dan dimanakah silap mereka sehinggakan kamu tergamak membunuh, menindas mereka? Dan kamu berbuat demikian hanya kerana kami merupakan orang Islam?"


     Tidakkah kamu  mempunyai rasa belas kasihan / hati nurani? Dan adakah agama kamu juga mengajar untuk kamu bermusuhan berbuat jahat kepada agama lain? Tidak, bukan? Dan, jika kamu melabel kami sebagai ' Terrorist / Pengganas' , apa perasaan kamu jika berada di tempat kami? Dan, jika kami memang betul-betul adalah terrorist / pengganas seperti apa yang kamu katakan, adakah kami sebagai Muslim ini membunuh kamu , menindas kamu , mendera kamu dan membuat kacau bilau di seluruh dunia sedangkan kami boleh berbuat demikian? Tidak, kerana kami tahu yang kamu juga manusia, dan kamu juga layak hidup di dunia ini.

Renung-renungkanlah, buka mata anda terhadap perkara sebenar. Kami sebagai Islam juga manusia seperti kamu. Inginkah anda mengalami peperangan sementara anda hidup dengan aman ini? Dan kasihanilah warga Palestin yang ditindas. Mereka juga manusia dan mereka tidak bersalah dan tidak melakukan kesalahan terhadap kamu.

                         

  

               I'M A MUSLIM AND I'M PROUD OF IT.




Sincerely, Love and peace,
DANIEL ZAYDI
A muslim.

p/s: Thanks to Encik Abdul Razak bin Abdul Rahman (my uncle) for sharing this wonderful story of yours. :D

Another Batch To The Orphanage

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi. Today I went to an orphanage with my mom to sent a batch of clothes. It's a car load of clothes from my household and my neighbour's. It's my mom's effort to do more declutter in our home but to tell you the truth, I don't see much progress as of now. Coz when she sent all those clothes, more keeps coming out, especially from the storage.
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I think my mom really has a long long way to go before she can achieve something like the zero waste home.It's a struggle coz my mom and dad both go the opposite directions when it involves stuff. Like my dad, he likes to collect. You wouldn't even believe what he collects, which include a dead snake, a mountain goat's horns, all sorts of weapons, tools, coins, foreign currencies, books, maps, posters, magazines, adventure stuff like sleeping bags, tents, high altitude mountain gear, his snorkeling sets, bicycles and its stuff, pins, cds and dvds, model aeroplanes, glasses and cups, Hard Rock Cafe stuff, Coca Cola stuff etc and the list would go on and on. However, my mom has managed to get rid of some of them after baby bro died.But we are still sooo far behind compared to other simple living advocates.
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After donating the stuff at the orphanage, we went to another orphanage that operates a nursery. My mom bought 10 bags of soil for my big sis's secret garden. We counted about 20 herbs already springing to life in big sis's garden. My mom always praises my big sis coz she says big sis always makes her presence beneficial to others and to the place that she's staying.
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Then we went to the charity bin to unload stuff like drawing kits, canvas shoes etc.My mom had donated all the paper stuff to be recycled to a needy neighbour. He's an Indian guy who is also an alcoholic. Because of his habit, he has no permanent job and collects garbage to be recycled. People don't like him but he's nice to my mom. Even though he's an Indian, he would be concerned if he didn't see my mom at the musolla for some time. He's broken a toe and is limping and makes it worse for him to ride his bike. I think if he's a Muslim my mom would go to great lengths to get alms for him so that he can have a decent living.
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Honestly, I don't know what's my mom's motive for getting rid of most of the stuff in our house. Sometimes I think my mom was too much. For example, she has nothing left in her bedroom except the mattress on the floor and a small fan. When she wakes up, she'll roll the mattress and that's it. I mean, it's really really different from before baby bro died.  I think my mom should think about my dad's feeling too when she decides to get rid of things. Maybe my dad is not comfortable with my mom's decision. I don't think my dad is happy.
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Recently my mom rearranged the TV and put in in the dining area. It makes all of us difficult to watch TV. If before we could lie down comfortably and dad could sit in his lazy chair, now we have to sit on the dining chair just to watch TV. Dad didn't like the idea but my mom simply did not listen to my dad.
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I guess I shouldn't be telling you this but then again, this is life. And in life, something like this happens. My mom told me she's only a traveller in this world, so she likes to travel light and her final destination is death. I think my mom is too pessimistic. My dad, on the other hand, likes to enjoy life. I think I'm more like my dad even though I support my mom. My mom is too different to be normal.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi 

  
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The Haze, Mom's Poem and Dad's Bike

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi, I guess many of you have heard that my beloved Malaysia has been hit hard by the haze which originated by the open burning in Indonesia. It's a yearly practice to clear up land to enable the farmers to work on the land. The haze was so bad that my school which is thousands of kilometres from Indonesia has to close. We have not been to school for two days and wasted most of our time when it's so crucial for us to study for our upcoming major exams.
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This irresponsible act has caused a lot of damage and many people have suffered various health issues due to this.Luckily my mom who was an asthma sufferer has been cured of her illness. Remember I wrote that my mom was so ill that we prayed solatul hajat for her. After the solat, the Imam of the musolla gave my mom a bottle of pomegranate concentrate called Gulsan Nar Eksisi and a bottle of apple cider vinegar. My mom had to take the pomegranate concentrate everyday before breakfast and before bed, 2 tablespoons everytime. And what a miracle, she has been totally cured, that she has tossed her inhaler into the dustbin. When she went to Makkah, she said it was so hazy due to the constructions but she did not suffer from asthma attacks anymore. You know, she has had asthma since she was little and it worsen with age, but SHE HAS BEEN TOTALLY CURED. Well, the reason I told you about this pomegranate concentrate is because MY DAD however, got the asthma attack due to this recent haze. He couldn't sleep, coughing and wheezing and he had blocked nose. So my mom gave him the juice and he became well after a few minutes and has not suffered from any attacks anymore. However, he still has the coughs.

Back to the haze issue, I think the ASEAN countries should file a suit against Indonesia to teach them a lesson to respect their neighbours.  Even the birds which would flock to our house have gone. The dogs look like they would almost collapse due to the warmth caused by the haze. No children goes out to play in the evening and the haze has enveloped my country like a fog, that it almost looks like a ghost town. Worst hit was my beloved hometown Muar, so bad that the government has declared the area as an emergency area. And to think that this is man-made and not a natural disaster makes my blood boils.
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The condition has worsen till all the Muslims are gathered to pray the Solatul Istisqa' this afternoon to ask God for rain to sweep away the haze. And what a miracle, coz as I am typing this (6pm), it is raining so hard that I can feel the moisture seeping into my home. God has shown us numerous times on the power of Solat and dua. Alhamdulillah, Masyaallah, Subhanallah, Allahuakbar 1000x. Lailahaillallah. I feel like crying right now, because I can feel how God truly loves His servants and answers our prayers immediately.
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My mom actually has written a poem on this issue a few years ago when our country was also badly hit by this reckless act.
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ANGIN SELATAN

Angin Selatan nafas alam

Menyapa lembut nusantara Melayu

Membawa kisah pengembaraannya

Menjelajah seantero dunia

Sudah puas ia lewati

Setiap rumah di muka bumi

Angin Selatan punya banyak watak

Kekadang sebagai tetamu wanita yang sopan

Lembut bicara dan seharum kemboja

Kekadang ia pemabuk yang terhoyong hayang

Dengan nafas busuk basi tetapi lucu

Ia seorang anak kecil yang riang gembira

Sukanya kita

Hujung tahun ia bengis dan angkuh

Menghempas daun pintu dengan segenap kekuatan yang ada

Kekadang ia peladang yang pulang petang

Dengan pakaian berdebu seharian membanting tulang

Dan bau badan yang hapak menusuk hidung

Tidak jemu aku mendengar

Kisah pengembaraanmu

Dari Selatan ke Utara

Melewati Negara Timur dan Ufuk Barat

Meredah lautan dan belantara

Ke angkasa kau sudah tiba

Ke gurun pasir terbentang luas kau berlari-lari

Mengusik nakal gadis nomad dan unta badwi

Jentayu, helang dan cenderawasih bergayut di ikal rambutmu

Rahsia alam mereka saksimu

Angin Selatan membuai enak

Hingga kera di pokok jatuh ke tanah

Lembutnya suapan jari-jemarimu

Santapan rohani setiap insan

Tapi bila syaitan sudah merasuki  

Jangan benarkan ia bermaharajalela

Angin ahmar membunuh kita

Dengarkan cerita Angin Selatan

Mendayu sedih di Puncak Tahan

Meraung keras di Permatang KLCC

Rengekan bisikan hilaian Angin Selatan tiada henti

Berlagu patah hati di seruling bambu anak petani

Tidak sanggup lagi kata Angin Selatan

Ia menyaksikan kisah manusia

Sejak Nabi Adam ia mengembara

Dipimpinnya Cheng Ho ke Melaka

Dikendongnya Ibn Batutta ke negeri China

Sedih duka dan kecewa

Melihat peradaban manusia yang bersarang

Hipokrasi benci dan tamak haloba

Seribu tahun lalu

Angin Selatan seorang teruna

Yang tampan bersih harum dan suci

Kini Angin Selatan sudah tua bongkok basi

Busuk kotor hitam dan berdaki

Hanya mampu bermandi habuk dan debu asap jerebu

Manusia memang tidak tahu mengenang budi

Angin selatan memberinya kehidupan

Tuannya sendiri ia lemaskan

Kini Angin Selatan sudah tenat

Tidak larat lagi ia mengembara

Menyeret kaki melangkah bendul pintu rumahnya pun tidak berdaya

Kerana anak cucunya manusia Melayu yang seringkali menderhaka

Kurang ajar tidak hormat orang tua sepertinya

Di atas peterana sepatutnya ia

Bukan alas kaki tempatnya berada

Hingga seringkali ia bermimpi

Saat kematiannya menjelang tiba

Biar padan muka kau wahai manusia

Yang bernama Bambang dan suku sakatnya.

Nafas siapa pula akan kau curi?

Bila Angin Selatan sudah berkubur?

Biarkan, Biarkan, Biarkan.

Datukmu ini mati.

Tanpa nisan pun tidak apa

Kerana mengadap Tuhan malunya ia

Memberi nafas kepada anak cucu

Penderhaka rupanya.

21-11-06

12.55 tghari

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Maybe you are wondering about the content of this poem but I dare not translate it coz I'm not quite sure how to. So sorry.
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About dad's bike. The police has managed to recover his bike. After he made a police report, the police launched an operation and found his bike at a playground within our neighbourhood. So, it must be the work of some local culprits. However, the police did not find the culprits. The bike has lost some parts and my dad has stored it at his friend's house to be repaired. I thought my dad would never see his bike again. This shows that Malaysian police is the best in the world. Best in the world I tell you. Best in the world yeah!!!
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That's all for now.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

The Canteen Day and Life Post Stolen Motor-Bike

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi, we had our Canteen Day or what our new principal called "The Entrepreneur Carnival Day" last Saturday. We sold ice-creams, food, we had ghost houses, DJs (mostly played Indian songs :p coz the DJs only played what they liked and not what everyone else wanted to listen to), had a photo booth etc. My big sis sold nasi lemak, kuihs and other types of food. My class sold ice creams drinks and whatnot. Lil sis went around the school compound selling marshmallows with Syamira. My big sis's class managed to earn RM800, my class a bit higher than that, and my lil sis earned about RM80 from the marshmallows alone.My big sis said she really enjoyed selling stuff that she would venture into business after she has finished school. Me, i just enjoyed the stupid goings on among us. It was so fun watching other students with their weird styles and fancy clothes. But my lil sis got the most attention I think. She wore a pink polka dot shirt with a pair of green (a nice type of green) jeans and nude suede flats with balck and white polka dot lining. She put a Minnie Mouse Ribbon with lights on her head (of course she's wearing hijab) and she caught the attention of everyone. The clothes were bought by my mom at KWC for the upcoming Raya but my sis couldn't wait to wear them ! My friend Azreen who had transfered to another school also came and took photoes with me but I was a bit embarrased coz my pimples have started to decorate my face yet again!.
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About dad's bike....now dad goes to work driving my mom's car. My mom has to carpool to the market with her friends. I heard her made a phone call and arranged for market day just now.Now, my mom would definitely save some more with this new arrangements.But she just couldn't go to the market at her own fancy time. She needs to go very early tomorrow at 7.30am. Just after I leave for school.
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My mom plans to buy a new car (a smaller car) for dad which can also be used by my big sis but dad wants to get another bike still. he's looking at a used superbike at a shop near our house. My mom said my sis would need the car if she goes to university next year but dad hates the traffic so he wants a bike. Let's just see who wins this competition!!!
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We have been having World War Two at home for a few days already. My mom seems to be angry with everyone. Just now and last night with my lil sis. I don't know what's really wrong but I guess my lil sis should not have raised her voice at my mom and made her more upset. I think my mom is not really angry with lil sis but over some other issues. Like, my mom told me she can't smell and taste anymore, and she hears cricket sounds in her ears all the time. Maybe it makes her depressed and every little thing makes her angry. We first noticed my mom eating very fast, so I asked her why is she eating so fast, and she said coz she can't taste the food, so she might as well finish it up or else she won't finish it at all. And when she wears her perfume, she would ask us whether we can smell it or not. The other day, she switched on the gas stove but actually there's no fire on. Suddenly my big sis told her, "Mom, there's the smell of gas". My mom didn't notice it coz she couldn't smell anymore. Nowadays, when my mom cooks, it is quite salty or sweet coz she said she can only taste something which is strong in flavour. And she prefers to eat salted fish with lots of chilli and ice creams coz she could taste these things.But my mom being my mom, she wouldn't go to the doctor. She would continue like nothing happens to her.
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Well, i guess I have nothing more to write about. C u when I c u.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi


     

Dad's Motorbike was Stolen

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi, I forgot to tell y'all that someone stole my dad's bike last night. My dad was about to go to work when he saw (or rather didn't see) his bike in the garage. An empty garage is just what he saw. Actually since the start of this week my parents have been parking their cars in front of our gate instead of in the garage. Maybe they are too lazy but my dad continued to park his bike in the garage. However, it's gone this morning. Maybe it was stolen last night but my big sis and I were up till almost 4 am coz we needed to finish our project for the School's Canteen Day but we heard nothing. However, a neighbour said she saw some Indian boys late last night near our house and the dogs were barking like mad. My parents didn't hear anything. My dad slept downstairs while my mom slept upstairs last night. A day before yesterday, my dad had a punctured tyre while riding the bike to the office and today it's gone. When my dad asked the guard who patrols our neighbourhood, he said he's the morning shift guard so he didn't see anything. So most probably the bike was stolen in the evening.
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My dad is very upset but he didn't show it. My mom said my dad loves the bike more than he loves his wife so I guess my dad must be very frustrated. I don't think my dad will ever get the bike back. My dad did not even go to the office today and went to sleep instead after he found that the bike is gone. Before my dad lost his bike, my dad had a fight with my mom over some issues at the office, so my dad didn't talk to my mom. The first day he didn't talk to my mom, his tyre got punctured. he came back home that night with more sour face and even more hated looks towards my mom. And this morning his bike is gone. I think this happened coz my mom didn't pray for my dad after the fight. My mom would usually pray at the door for my dad when he's about to go to the office and remind him to work hard, sincerely and to bring back only the "halal rezeki" for us. But she didn't do that for the past two days.
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Anyway, my mom said, if the bad person who steals my dad's bike can get so close to our house, it means that our neighbourhood is not safe anymore. I dread to think what will happen if he gets into our house......
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"What is happening to our society?????"
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Peace
Daniel Zaydi

Simplicity, Savings and Self-Sufficiency

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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I've been researching the way of life of my ancestors, the traditional Malays. I found out that they have managed to find the secret to beautiful living by leading a simple life which is underlined by self-sufficiency and at the same time practice savings as a thoughtful and responsible way to live their lives.
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Traditional Malays lead very simple lives that they almost have no possessions except for the basics. And they are such a pro at self-sufficiency that the concept of market is quite foreign to them, unlike in the Middle Eastern countries where the bazaars have been around for almost a thousand years, we don't inherit this from our ancestors. Maybe the Chinese immigrants as well as other foreign travellers are the ones who introduce this concept to the Malays coz in every malay kampung, it is the Chinese who open up shops. The Malays are so out of contact with consumerism that they don't see the need to open up these shops. Everything that they need will be available at the back of their houses or around their surroundings. (Not to mention their eco-friendly lifestyles!!!!)
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I find this a very very interesting living concept. However, we the modern Malays have mostly lost this beautiful art of living becoz of 500 years of being conquered by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.
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If only I could practice what my ancestors were doing hundreds of years ago, I'd be the richest man in the world with no worries for money and have peace of mind to encounter today's challenging life...but it doesn't hurt to try..coz it's already in my blood.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi  

Almost The End Of The School Hols

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi, it's almost the end of the mid term school hols. What have you guys been doing? Me, nothing much. Went out with a bunch of friends who came back from their boarding schools. We went to IOI, watched a movie and had lunch together. Then went to Amira's house the next day to give her birthday present (my mom bought her a set of three brooches made from fresh water pearls which can also be converted into a locket. Hope she likes it :).
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Other than that, I just followed my parents to their friends' daughters' weddings, went to Kenanga Wholesale City to buy Raya clothes for my sisters, went to the airport with Akeem, Shareen and Omel when my parents did their airport duty, had dinner at Hj Sharin Low's restaurant when we celebrated my big sis's birthday, watch a lot of TV, sleep a lot, study a bit, eat a lot, and stuff like that.
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My dad's birthday is just around the corner. I don't know what to get him yet. Maybe we'll go out to another Chinese restaurant this time coz we've spotted one called al-Sinni in Bangi. My mom most probably would buy my dad some clothes and that's about it I think. I planned to buy a cake from Secret Recipe but when my mom took Shareen and Omel to Secret Recipe the other day coz the girls wanted to buy one for their parents' surprised wedding anniversary party, the cheapest cake cost RM82. I think it's too steep for me. 
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So, have you bought your Raya clothes? I told my mom that I wanted to go out on my own this time to buy mine. I've planned with Arief to go to H&M but I don't know when it's gonna happen coz the weekend is coming and he's been quiet. My dad has planned to go back to Muar this weekend. Maybe my hope will be dashed. My dad plans to renovate the kampung house that my grandpa left for him. It's in a sorry state coz no one is living there. My dad wants to make it smaller just to fit the five of us. And voila, we'll have a place to stay during Raya.
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Today is Isra' and Mi'raj day (27th  Rejab). My parents are fasting. I don't. I hope when I get older I'll be able to perform my ibadah better. Well, actually I just don't know what to write anymore hehe. My mom says my lil bro has been coming into her dreams everyday lately. Maybe coz my mom misses him. My mom has been down after her last job at the airport coz she raised her voice at a customer.She told us she just could not control her anger when the customers were arrogant, demanding, selfish, and like to blame others and wasted 2 hours of her time just to meet their demands. I guess my mom is just not cut to deal with customers. I mean, she was trained as a lawyer, then she worked as a journalist. Even though she has a master's degree in Corporate Communication, I don't think she'll ever be a good PR person. Maybe a good lawyer or journalist, but never a good PR. She's always so strict about timing, discipline, work ethics, system bla bla bla, even my dad warns his staff that it's hard to work with my mom. I mean, I've seen my mom scolding my dad's staff for being five minutes late coz my mom is always ten minutes early. My mom is feared and respected, but never loved.

The other day, when she found out that someone talked bad about her behind her back, she even called the person to confront him. She said, she hates someone who is a coward. If he wants to talk about her, say it in front of her face. I mean, it became an issue in our house and at the office becoz of this guy's attitude. and my mom being my mom, she simply called him up, asked him whether it's true what he said, and gave him a piece of her mind. That guy was coached by mom. Basically my mom was his sifu, but he was never thankful.(When he wanted the job as a freelance, he sobbed and cried and begged my mom to let him try it out). He got tremendous opportunities in such a short period of time due to my mom's recommendation but when he feels that he's good, he went to the office and say stupid stuff like my mom is just trying to show that she's pious when the fact is she's a bad person, she's humiliating the company by wearing the niqab, she did not perform her duty well, she was late, she went to work taking her child with her (when the fact is my mom took my big sis to train her for the job) etc, not knowing that the people at the office would tell my mom what he said. And that's some of the reasons why my mom has been down lately becoz she hates to deal with these hypocrites and I guess when my mom is down, my lil bro will come into her dreams to comfort her (maybe).
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Well, that's the end of today's thoughts. I really really don't know what to write anymore. I hope you have a blast with your hols. I want to go eat now. My mom cooks chicken curry and delicious kacang botor in sambal. Cu when I c u.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

Making Savings A Lifestyle

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Sorry for not updating my blog for quite some time. Tonight I think I'm going to write about the savings issue. I believe we humans should always strive to save. Coz our prophet had always taught us to save, save, save, be it with water, our time, our possessions, even when we speak we should save on our words.
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So, I'd like to suggest some ways to save:
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1. Make your own liquid fertilizer. The traditional Malays would save all the water from washing and rinsing food like rice, fish, meat, vege and recycled it for watering the plants. Try it and watch your plants grow healthier. And you'll save more water and pay less water bill. We have a pail next to the sink in my home. When we wash the rice etc, the rinse water goes into the pail, and then it's used to water the plant in my big sis's little secret garden at the back of our house.
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2. Save your income generously. Maybe you don't have any debt but it would mean nothing if you don't save either. So start saving your income and save generously. Not just 10 percent or 20 percent. Make it a point to save about 50 percent and just live within the remaining balance. That's what I'm doing with my allowance. I wanted to buy a magazine which has just come out. My mom said I could buy it if I use my own alllowance. Uh uh, coz it'll cost about 2/3 of my weekly allowance. I won't lie to you but I actually have successfully saved a lot since I make it a point to save generously.
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3. Give thoughtful but practical gift. My cousin Ayel's birthday arrived a week ago, we sent him the password numbers of a RM10 prepaid phone topup. it's a thoughful gift and it's affordable too. And it's from my mom's purse so we save some more haha.
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4.  Go lepak (hang out) in a mosque. All of us would like to have a place to hang out. I found out that the best place to relax and save is in the mosque. It's so tranquil and peaceful, you can pray or just relax and think, or sit in a  quiet corner and read or just doze off for a while to recharge. Most mosques provide free food and drinks too at certain times, and since you are not allowed to talk about worldly matters in the mosque, you'll save your energy from all the negative aura and bad vibes. You can even shower or clean yourself becoz all the facilities are provided for free. Even all the lectures and classes are free or mostly free, so you gain knowledge for free. What else would you ask for?
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5. Do a lot of stuff during one outing. When we go out, my parents will make it a point to also include other activities which coincides with the outing's route. Like, when we go out for a wedding invitation in KL, then we'll go to get my sisters Raya clothes coz we are taking the same route home. So, like last week, we went to two wedding receptions ie in Cheras and Malawati, on the way home, we went to Kenanga Wholesale City, coz we haven't been there and we need to shop for Raya clothes. My sisters got a few clothes at RM20 and Rm35 each and I think it's a bargain. And we save on petrol and time coz we plan our outings to do several things when we go out. Like my mom, when she goes to the airport, she'll go to the Tabung Haji and Mydin in Putrajaya on the way back coz the places are on the same route. Do you understand what I mean? I hope so.
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Hokay, that's all for now.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi
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Simple Living Updates

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Tonight I want to write a bit on simple living coz I haven't touched on the subject for quite a while.
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So, how do we further simplify our lives?
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1. Fast. It's the month of Rejab and my family have started on the fasting routine every Monday and Thursday. My mom and sisters have to fast to cover what they have missed last Ramadhan (coz you know, it's the women issue!!!. Know what I mean?). Since we are slowly getting into the routine before reaching the full gear in Ramadhan, the issues with what to eat at the canteen, what to eat for breakfast, what to eat at the coop, what to eat in the afternoon, evening, what to snack on, what to drink etc have gone to the wind. So, fasting has further simplifies our lives and my mom's task in the kitchen. and we save too coz we eat only once a day.
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2. Composting. Our family wanted to have a compost bin at first, and then my mom asked my big sis to make a DIY bin coz she's studying Agri Science, but then my mom decided to do it the traditional malay style. Just dig a hole in the ground and bury your organic waste and the earth will do the decomposting for you. When we went back to Muar the other day, we saw that Mak Nojah also does the same thing. So we save about RM400 (about USD 150) if we bought the compost bin. And the earth will become more fertile too so you save on having to buy fertilizers.

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3. Wash your own clothes manually. My mom insists that we wash our night gowns/pyjamas manually when we take our bath. That way we save more compared when we use the washing machines. My mom also washes all her other clothes manually. So she doesn't need the machine at all. but since she has to wash dad's clothes and our other clothes as well, so the machine is still an essential item. My mom learns the trick from our next door maid. Whenever the children come home from school, she'll straight away bathe them and wash their uniforms and let it dry in the sun (coz her employer does not allow her to use the machine coz she doesn't know how to operate it). All her tasks are done straight away so she has very little housework burden.
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4. Less outing. We don't go out as much anymore. My mom hardly goes out after she came back from Makkah last March. She said she's trying to save all the allowance that my dad gives her every month and only spend on the allowance that she receives from her part time job. That way, she'll save a lot more than before.
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5. Do not replenish on what have been used up. My mom and my sisters have decided that they don't want to use make up anymore. So my mom said she'll save more coz makeups are quite expensive. I'm also currently preparing my own traditional face powder. I learn it from Mak Ila. Just soak some uncooked rice or glutinous rice in a bowl. Change the water every single day. It will take a few months to become powdery and the smell is sooo bad due to the microorganism activities. You can put scented flowers in the water to mask the smell. My mom wash her face with the water before changing it daily but I don't have the gut to do it coz it smells like cat shit. After it becomes powdery, drain the water and make it into droplets on a muslin cloth and let it dry in the sun. Then collects all the powder that looks like tear drops, throw in some dried scented flowers and  pandanus leaves which have been cut into small pieces and keep in a bottle. Use a couple every night(mix with water and apply on your face) before you go to sleep. You face will become translucent and tight. No need to use SKII and whatnot.

A Little Note

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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In the previous post, I forgot to tell you why my mom's tyre became punctured.
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The day before my dad came home from Moscow, my mom and I were busy decluttering the house and clearing all the stuffs so that our house would look neat when dad arrived. That evening we went to sell the stuffs at the scrap metal yard, went to charity bin and to the petrol station to fill in the gas tank. It was raining hard. When we were on the way home, the car ran into a pothole coz it ws raining hard and the road was partly flooded so my mom did not see the hole in the road. I guess that's why the tyre burst the next day.
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I think it's really dangerous for motorcyclists if they ran into the potholes. However, the Local Council have done nothing to fix it. Even the street lights have been rationed. The streets in front of my house are dark and dangerous at nights and the wild dogs would come out to stalk us if we go out. The people have lodged a lot of complaints but there seem little improvements. I don't know what these people in the Local Council are doing.
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Love and peace
DZ

Mother's Day and Moscow

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Hi everyone. I guess everybody celebrates Mother's Day. We also celebrate it here in Malaysia. usually the kitchen would be closed for those who celebrate it coz they will treat their moms to dinner outside.
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My family do not celebrate it with my mom. In fact we did not get her anything but we went home to my dad's village to celebrate it with Mak Nojah, dad's cousin whose house we would go every time we go back to the village.
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My mom bought her a nice Guess handbag. The colour is called maupe or something, but I'd rather call it nude colour. It is punctured with holes and there are gold lining inside which can be seen because of the holes. I think it looks nice but I really don't know whether Mak Nojah loves it or not coz she is a makeup artist, so I'm sure she'd like something more glamorous. But she accepted it gracefully and promised to use it.
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We went to dad's village in Muar on Saturday and came home on Sunday night. We spent the Saturday night playing with helicopter and steering lights (you know the lights which can fly up into the sky) at the Tanjung with our cousins, then had late supper at my dad's cousin's Thai restaurant before finally coming home at 1am.
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The next day, my dad's cousin gave 4 live kampung chickens to be slaughtered. Mak Ros turned them into delicious rendang and chicken chops. We ate some and took home some. My mom gave some of it to our elderly neighbour who lives a few doors away. Today and tomorrow's dinner will be rendang until it's all eaten up.
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My dad also gave souvenirs which he bought from Moscow to his cousins and aunts. Most of them got fridge magnets. Mak Ros got scented candles. Mak Ila got a decorative plate from Abu Dhabi. My sisters and I got a nice bag each which is littered with the word Moscow. We also got a lot of chocolates. My dad got himself a Bvlgari perfume called Man Extreme. My mom did not get anything as usual.
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My dad came home on Wednesday last week. My mom had to pick him up at the train station but her car tyre was puctured. She did not want to drive my dad's big car so she had to walk in the sun to her friend's house and asked her to help pick dad up. Later that night, she fell ill again. I think it's because of the heat because it's the hot season now. It will usually continue up till October. Luckily, my mom's good friend, Aunty Mas came to send her some medicine and my mom became well again.  If not, we would not be able to go back to Muar and met our cousins.
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My dad said, the Russian people walk very fast especially at the subway stations. he said everything went very fast unlike in Malaysia, where the train doors would give time for passengers to move in and out before closing. Over there he said, he had to jog to catch up with the locals who walk. My mom said it's similar to the Londoners who walk fast. But my dad said, the Russians are faster. I just can't imagine coz we in Malaysia walk very leisurely. If we walk fast, people would stare at us. They would think we are having an emergency, or we do not have any patience.
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Well, that's all for now. Happy living everyone.
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Love and peace
Daniel Zaydi

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