Two days to Raya

Taking a breather by the roadside


Its shopping time! Two days to Raya and we still haven't bought any Raya clothes! Finally we decided on a day and headed to Shah Alam. As usual, the whole PKNS complex and its surrounding areas were packed with people. We had to park at the Anggerik mall and walked to PKNS complex from there.
After a few hours of looking around and looking at what the traders had to offer, we made our choice and headed home.
The place is too crowded for my liking. Just wonder with the world economy in a struggling mode, people are still buying and buying and buying. Who cares anyway. Today is today and tomorrow is another day.

The last 10 days of Ramadhan

Ramadhan has moved so fast. Already we are in the last 10 days of the month. A very important period of the already important month because this is when Lailatul Qadar make its appearance. Its a night that all muslims longed. Its also the time when muslims spent their time at the mosque, day and night. This practise is call Ittikaf.
This time around, I have decided to take leave from the 20th of Ramadhan onwards. I want to join the thousands of muslims all over the world - in search of Lailatul Qadar. I also want to spend time at the mosque, read the quran, pray during the last third of the night and give to the needy.
If only I manage to do half od what I planned to do, I'II be happy!

Lesser day by day

The mosque is less crowded now. Not like it was when Ramadhan was in its early days. Then, it was filled almost to the brim. Now, only the dedicated ones are left. The rest are long gone, disappeared into the night as sure as the sunset.
Very soon the rest too will go. Come Hari Raya eve, only the Imam and the Bilal will be left. They will continue to do their obligations. As for the rest of us, its Hari Raya time and the mosque will have to take a backseat.

In the mood for Raya day

Day in day out and before we know it, we are already in the third week of Ramadhan. Time flies so fast. The Raya mood is evident everywhere. On TV, the radio, at the workplace, the shopping complexes, the mosques, in the papers, in the houses. Raya, raya everywhere.
I'II be taking a long break soon starting this Saturday right up to Raya and beyond. That will be a total of 16 days including the weekends. Wishing everybody happy Hari Raya maaf Zahir Batin.

A new day is dawning.......

There's a lot of eager anticipation in the air. Everybody is waiting to see if what has been touted to be a new beginning will turn out to be true or is it just blowing hot air. The long awaited day has finally arrived.
What is going to happen? How will it happen? Exactly when is it going to happen? Will it actually happen? Who are involved? How many?
The country has never seen anything like this before! Its unprecedented.

A different thing today

My wife, daughter Fatihah, son Hafizi and me went to break our fast at Big Plate in Subang Permai. By the time we got there, it was already a few minutes to maghrib and the place was already crowded. The restaurant was full. Only a few of the tables placed by the roadside at the front of the restaurant were still free. We picked one and quickly went to get our food.
The food serve is western but buffet style. The price is reasonable while the taste is great. There's also a mosque just a stone's throw away.
Nice for a change!

The last days of Pompei

These are exciting times. Things are happening out there that are keeping me on adrenaline. Just yesterday I was reading the newspapers and they all had change written over them. In Thailand, the prime minister has just been ousted by the courts and of all reason, because of a cooking show. In UK, the prime minister is facing a revolt from his own colleagues. In Japan, the prime minister resigned, citing inability to fulfill expectations as the reason. In the US, the president is in his last leg of his presidency.
In Malaysia?

A car a day keeps the buses away

Since I started working, I have bought and sold so many cars. I started with a Honda Civic way back in 1980. Then I changed for second hand Honda Accord in 1986. Next I bought a Proton Aeroback as a second car. After that I changed the Honda for a Mitsubishi Pajero in 1994. Then I sold the Pajero in 1996 for a Proton Iswara. By this time I have also sold the Proton Aeroback and replaced it with a second hand Kancil. A second hand Volvo 740 was next when I bought it in 1997 to replace the Proton Iswara. I was still maintaining two cars. Then I bought a Hyundai Trajet in 2001. By then, I was maintaining three cars. Next I replaced the Kancil with a Kelisa in 2002. In 2004, I sold the Volvo for a Hyundai matrix. Then I bought a MyVi in 2007. The number of cars had gone up to four. In 2008, I sold the Kelisa and bought a BMW 320i. Also in 2008, I bought a Proton Neo Satria, sold the Hyundai Trajet and bought a second hand Mercedes Benz E240. So now I have five cars. What do you think? Crazy, ain't it?

Days of Ramadhan

Usually my mother would wake me up for the morning 'sahur'. She had woken up much earlier to prepare for the food. Somehow she would just know what to put on the table. No matter that the time was, be it four or five in the morning, the food would still look inviting.
I started to observe the fast when I was about 7 years old. In fact I started earlier but only for half the day. Later it was for 3/4 day and soon, it was full day. By that time, fasting was already a routine.
Night time would be spent going to the mosque for the Isha and Tarawih prayer. The prayers would last till about 10pm after which we would have the 'more'. This would be food sponsored by someone or an organisation. Sometimes it was lavish i.e. 'nasi minyak' but sometimes it would be just bread and 'teh tarik'. This would depend on who was sponsoring for the night. When the mosque remained crowded even after the tarawih prayers, then we know it's 'nasi minyak' night.
After the food, we would have Tadarus, that is reading the Quran in small groups.
Usually by the time we reached home, it would be almost midnight.
Tired we may be but it was fun.

The days fly in Ramadhan

Time flies! Yes! Time actually flies. It seems just yesterday when Ramadhan came and all good muslim started their fast. Suddenly, its already a week into Ramadhan. I feel as if I have not even left the starting block. There were so many things I planned to do this Ramadhan. Increase the frequency of my non obligatory prayer, read the Quran more, read more religuous books, give money to the needy, say every prayer in congregation, go to the mosque, increase the night prayer etc. etc.
Have I done any of them? Maybe a bit but not enough! I need to do more. Need to pick up speed or Ramadhan will pass me by. Then its another Ramadhan gone to waste. I must not let it happen!

Its only the second day of fasting and already .....

Almost missed the 'sahur' due to my alarm not sounding. Luckilly, my wife opened her eyes somehow, glanced at her handphone and noticed that the time was already showing ten past five. She got us all up in double quick time. Otherwise, we would all have missed our 'sahur'.
I was curious as to why my alarm did not sound. On checking my handphone, I noticed that the date and time was all wrong! That's why it didn't sound although I had set the alarm correctly.
Must be at the shop when I replaced the casing for the phone as the old casing has broken. That was when the date and time got changed without me realising it.
Must make sure it won't happen again!

Another day another office

Another day another office. This is the third time I have moved office since March. The first was in early march when I moved from PJ to KL after transferring to a new department. Second was when I was asked to shift room to accomodate the new owner of the room I was staying. Now I've moved to a different floor in the same building.
This is supposed to be the final movement because this floor will be the new department's office from now on. Wether this is to be believed or not, I honestly don't know. Anyway, having moved three times already within a short period of time, what's another move!