Civil war

Why are the killings in Syria going on unabated? Women, children and civilians are being killed day in day out while the world watch, seemingly unable to do anything! It really is mind boggling. They argue over the slightest of things at the UN. Meantime, people are dying in Syria. I can see a civil war breaking out soon. The opposition is not strong enough to take on the Syrian army but the Syrian army is not strong enough to destroy the opposition. So, it will be a long long agony for the civilians.

Never ending woes

Thought the Euro countries had found a solution to their woes but apparently no, they had not. Instead, its worse now. Take Greece for example. Before, they at least had a government to talk to in Greece. Now, the government don't exist anymore, knocked out by the people who don't agree with their austerity program. But then, if they don't follow the austerity program, there will be no money coming! Its a catch 22 situation. Will Greece leave the European Union?

Why are babies so lovable?

Galaxy 11 to 111, should I?

Samsung Galaxy 111 will be available starting Thursday. I am seriously tempted to change my Galaxy 11 to 111 but then you know what's stopping me. Its the word starting with the letter M. From all accounts, Galaxy 111 seems to meet my requirement in terms of size, speed, applications, ease of use etc etc. I have no problem with galaxy 11. I love it actually but the thing that is tempting me to Galaxy 111 is the screen size, 4.8in, which is bigger than Galaxy 11 of 4.3in. 

What to write?

Was about to write something this morning when the baby started crying. Had to abandon whatever I was dong to attend to him. By the time he was sleeping soundly again, whatever that was I was going to write had all but disappeared from my thoughts. Then I had to go to PJ for an appointment. Came back, the baby had my attention all the way until now when I have a little bit of a breather. Unfortunately, I still cannot recall what it was that I was going to write earlier in the morning. As such, this crap of a piece.

From the I Pad

With a baby in tow, going out these days requiraes much planning. From milk bottles to prams to pampers, they all need to be carried along. Sometimes they fill out the whole car. The baby is so small yet his things overshadows all else. That's the way it is, like it or not. Don't know if I am up to it. Whatever it is, I intend to do my best, just like the first time around...Insha Allah

Just trying

Trying out using the i pad to update the blog. The last time I tried, it was not possible. Today, somehow, it all clicked. That will make it much easier.

How does it feel?

Since Akid arrived to this world, my nights has changed completely. My bedtime used to be 11pm but not anymore. Yesterday it was 2am. Last night 1am. There was even one night when it was 4am. My body is feeling it but that's what it means bringing up children. There's no two ways about it. More than twenty years ago, I went through the same thing, four times in fact. Now, I'm going through it again. How does it feel the second time around?

Kaabah

Just another day

This morning I couldn't wake up early enough to join the morning prayer at the mosque. The alarm did its work but I felt tired and said to myself, sleep a few minutes more. The next thing I know, it was already 6 am. Wah......

The night before, I followed the debate between Rafizi and Khairy on TV. Thought Rafizi did well while Khairy avoided a few questions which he obviously couldn't answer. 

Even earlier than that, I was in KL. Coming back at a bout 7pm, drove straight into a traffic gridlock. Lucky thing I knew some roads less traveled. That helped a lot. Otherwise, it would have been another day stuck in a jam.

Insha Allah, I'II be there again

I will be there

Was in Shah Alam yesterday for an appointment. Matter of fact, I was there since Sunday, stayed over for the night before going for my appointment Monday morning. By the afternoon, I was back home. Felt real tired after the outing. Slept like a log on reaching home right till Asar. 

Talking about sleep, I remember fondly of the time spent in the holy land. My favourite sleeping hours is after the morning prayers. On the way back after the prayer, I would stop by the roadside for a cuppa of hot tea. In the cool morning, the hot tea is soothing. Back at the hotel, its a quick breakfast before hitting the bed.

Oh... Mekah and Madinah, I would love to be there again. Insha Allah.... I'II be there again.

When it rain, it pours

There's been setback after setback lately. Its all part of living off course but for sure nobody would want to go through them if possible. Who likes to go through something that will cause you to feel worried, anxious and uncertain. That's what I am going through at the moment. These setbacks are giving me a worrying time, thinking about what will happen next. The way to handle them is not to think 'what if' but rather to tackle them as they come. You change nothing by being worried. Take them in your stride. Meet them head on. Look at the options. Most of all stop worrying!

Nice dream

Akid

18 days old

Pressure of living

Don't know why but my heart has been feeling heavy the past few days. Not feeling in the best of health, no, not physically but mentally. Feel like something is hanging over me making me feel down and trodden. I know there's a lot that's on my mind at the moment but there's nothing that I can't handle or its not something like its going to be the end of the world thing. Its just the pressure of living the life, that's all. As I have said many times before, life is for living. As long as you are living, there will be problems, there will be issues, there will be setbacks, there will be heartaches. Take them as they come. Don't forget. The wheel is turning. Today its on the downturn but who knows, maybe tomorrow it will be on the upswing.

No Saturday matches

The football season is over once again, the European one I mean. It also mean every Saturday I will feel that I am missing something. Saturday will feel as if it is not complete without the usual dose of football. The coming European championship will help a bit to fill up the void but not much. The local football scene is still running but I have lost interest in it for quite some time. Not been following it that much. So, till the season starts again, I will have to just bear it.

Second time

Bringing up children is a full time affair. Its hard work for sure but it also gives much pleasure. To see them grow up right before your eyes is a delight. Of course in between there are the trials and the tribulations, the headaches and the pain, the tiring days and sleepless nights but its worth it, every one of them. I went through it before. It was great. I enjoyed it. After that I thought that was it. I am already past all that. However, by the fate of Allah, I am going through it again now. The second time around after more than twenty years. Can't describe how I feel but again, its a gift from Allah. I need to be grateful. I am grateful and I am determine, to do the best I can.

Today

On the way to the mosque this morning, the usually empty road was littered with fallen leaves and tree branches. Apparently, there had been some heavy wind the night before although there was no rain. Near the mosque, a tree had fallen blocking the exit road. I had to make a small detour in order to drive  home after the prayer.

Back home, I spent some time reading the Quran as always. I envy people who memorise the Quran. I tried to do the same but only manage three chapters at the most. After that it becomes difficult as I have to maintain the one already memorised while at the same time, trying to memorise new chapters. I guess time is a factor. I need to spend at least six hours everyday but then after one hour, my mind gets tired already!

Later today, I need to go to the hospital to replenish my medicine. Maybe I'II go just before ten in the morning cause later in the day, the wire man is coming to the house to do some wiring. Looks like its another busy day!

When getting the boot is normal

In the ruthless world that is football, a manager getting the sack is as common as eating your meal everyday. Its not getting the sack that is a rarity. Almost all the world top managers has been sacked at one time or another. The current England manager was sacked just eighteen months ago. The previous England manager was given the boot despite winning the la Liga with Real Madrid. So, is it a surprised that Kenny Daglish has been sacked by Liverpool, despite winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup final?

Counting the days

My mind is still very much on the Premier League last day happenings. It was unbelievable! I will surely remember the night for the rest of my life, for all its topsy turvy. Weeks ago I predicted there's more to come yet but I never for once thought it would be so crazy!  

This week my schedule is tight, for a retiree that is. From Monday till Friday I have things to do, from meeting with friends over some business to going to the banks for money matters to going to the hospital for my regular supply of medicine. It got to the point that I had to write them on a piece of paper in order to sort them out. Otherwise, they all seem jumble up in my mind.

Speculations on the general election date is making the political climate hotter and hotter by the day. I believe no matter what the date is, the BN days are numbered. These days, information is readily available. People know what's going on. The days when you can pull a wool over the peoples' eyes are over!

What a night!

The plot could not have been better, even if Agatha Christie had written it. It had all the ingredient. Suspense, passion, drama, headache, ecstasy, error, goals etc. It was mad. Crazy. Its the best finish to a tournament as far as I can remember. To the last minute, the winner could not be ascertained. Not only the winners. The fight for third place, the fight to avoid relegation. I enjoyed it last night. Could hardly sleep after that thinking about what had happened!

Unbelievable

At ninety minutes, I thought Man C had blown it big time. They had lost the game 1-2. Over at Sunderland, Man U were cruising to a 1-0 victory. I was sure it will be Man U again lifting the Premier League title. I switched channel to see how Arsenal were doing. They are save, having won their game 3-2. I switched back to the Man C game and was just in time to see Aguero scoring. He went wild with celebrations. The players. The fans. The manager. I was surprised. Then I looked at the score. 3-2 in Man C favour. I was shocked. The few minutes that I switched to see the Arsenal game, City scored two goals! Unbelievable!

When clay turns blue

Clay courts are naturally red with a little bit of brown. For years, this has been the colour all over the world. No one ever thought it could be any other colour but red. So, when the clay courts of Madrid turns blue, many players see red, chief of them all, Nadal, the undisputed king of clay. His beloved red clay suddenly turn blue, so much so that he just couldn't come to term with it. He couldn't play his game. The result? He got beat, so early in the tournament.

My favourite mosque

Since I retired from the rat race, with a lot of time on my hand, I have tried whenever possible to say my daily prayers at a mosque. Because of that, I have been to many mosques or Surau, in Sg Buloh, Shah Alam, Gombak, Cheras, Ampang, Subang Jaya etc. One mosque in particular that I like is the Sultan Salahuddin mosque in Shah Alam. For one thing, the mosque is wired. Wi Fi is freely available. There's also many activities going on at this mosque, from classes for children to adults to seminars to bazaars and carnivals. Unlike others, there's plenty of place for you to lie down for a rest, if you want to. They are relax about it, just like in Mekah and Madinah. The toilets are clean and many while food is available within the compound of the mosque. In short, its a nice place to relax and unwind.

The truth will prevail

With all the resources at their call and with no intimidating presence of the police, they still cannot muster enough people to match that of Bersih 3. So, does this say something? Definitely yes but with the election the way it is now, chances are they will still win. The fight is unfair. There's a lot of cheating and hanky panky going on but how long can this go on? These are the days of the internet, where information are freely available. Some day soon, the truth will prevail. 

Three days of mystery

This morning I was surprised when I take a look at my blog. The last time I wrote anything was Tuesday, meaning I had not written anything for three days. I am just wondering what was I doing the last three days that caused me not to write anything. Lets see. On Wednesday I went to Shah Alam to attend to some urgent things. Later in the night I went to Gombak. On Thursday, I was in the house the whole day except going to the mosque for the daily prayers. Friday was much the same. So, I was not busy actually. How come I let those three days come and go without writing anything on my blog?

Power of the mind

Now I am really sick. My nose is running while my body aches all over. Perhaps it is due to all the negative things I have accidentally read on Bersih. My mouth has been saying the sick word too many times until it registered in my mind. When the mind says sick, it effects the whole body, such is the power of the mind. Now I have to counter it by saying I am not sick, by reading all the positive things about Bersih, by ......... 

Sickening

Its sickening watching the news on TV. The newspapers as well. I don't understand why people are still watching or reading them. Come election time, it will get worse, going by past experienced. Aren't they afraid of Allah. Allah says slander is worse than killing but it don't seem to worry them. They continue to churn out, slander after slander. Or do they think that Islam is only confine to praying, Haj, Zakat and fasting? Other than that, its free for all?

Unfair fight

It certainly is difficult to win the mind game especially when the odds are against you. The national newspapers are all owned by parties allied to the government. The television companies as well. They have been churning out propaganda non stop, trying to win over the minds of the rakyat. If what they have been giving are true, I do not mind but the trouble is they are all bias, one sided, even to the point of lying. But what to do, people are susceptible. Drum it to them over and over again, surely they will believe you. That's why Bersih is needed. The fight need to be fair and square. Otherwise it is illegal, or better still, Haram.

Morning blues

Heavy rain greeted me as I woke up this morning. Had to abandon any plan to go to the mosque for the morning prayer. Over in the US, Ricky Fowler hit a beautiful shot to the green on the eighteen hole in the playoff, setting up a birdie putt to secure his first US PGA tour win. In France, the reigning president Sarkozy was ousted after one term in office. He played a leading role in the Libyan conflict but couldn't win over the French people at home.
Outside, the rain has stopped somewhat. Bersih 3 is still making the headlines everywhere. So much has been said about it but for me it is simple. All we want is a fair and free election, that's all. Bersih 3 is Haram, so says the Fatwa but what about a government built from winning election through unfair means? Is it not also Haram? 
Its been three days since my fifth child was born. At my age, having another child was furthest from my mind but its a gift from God. Who am I to say no? I'm going to have plenty of enjoyable days ahead, that's for sure.
Meanwhile, my mind is thinking of Mekah and Madinah. My elder children are there now performing the Umrah. How I wish I could be with them but some things cannot be had. This is one of them. I  wish them all the best. May Allah grant them the best of time in the holy land.
Owh.......My stomach is churning now. Its time for breakfast! Bye........

Insha Allah

There are days when I would get this lonely feeling. The feeling of emptiness just overwhelm me. I begin to wonder could I have done anything different? If I can take a step back, will I move forward again exactly as I have done? But alas! time waits for nobody and things happened for a reason! What is done is done. I made my decision then. I have to stand by them now. There's no turning back. After all, life in this world is only temporary. Its the hereafter that I really want because its forever. I was guided by that objective then. I will continue to be guided by that objective, now and forever, Insha Allah.

Last day drama

Man City on the way to the premier league title after beating Newcastle 2-0. Four weeks ago they were down and out, eight points behind United with just seven games to go. Who would have thought that United would stumble, given their experience in this sort of situation. Unfortunately for them, that's what happened. They slipped badly, losing to Wigan, drawing against Everton and finally, losing to City. Eight points gone, just like that. Still, the drama ain't over yet. The last day of the league gonna be interesting. City, United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, QPR, Bolton. They all have everything to play for.

Still struggling

Woes of the tiger see no ending. He has just missed the cut. That's news. Gone are the days when he will be in contention whenever he plays. Now, he is just one of them. No more Tiger Woods, the number one player in the world. At this rate, winning five more majors looks like a distant dream.

crap

Now the Fatwa council has come up with a fatwa basically saying demonstration is forbidden. This is on top of one Mufti coming out with a statement saying going against the government is forbidden. Then there's one doctor saying Bersih 3 was an attempt to topple the government. There's only one word to describe how I feel about all of the above. crap!

Another busy day

Its another busy day. I left the house as early as 6.30 am in order to avoid the jam. Reached my destination at Amcorp Mall by 7 am. I had an appointment there  at 8.30 am. Vehicles were a plenty on the road but miraculously, the going was smooth. Left Amcorp Mall for the airport at 10 am. At about 12.45pm, rushed for the mosque near the airport for Friday prayer. Then went to a car accessories workshop to do up my car a bit before washing it at a wash up. By the time I reached back home, it was well past 5 pm. That's retirement for me!

????

At the end of the day, when you think about it, life is about making good deeds in this world in order to receive just reward in the hereafter. Its as simple as that. Yet, many people get lost along the way, seduced by the offering of this world. They forget that this world is only temporary while the hereafter is the permanent life. No matter how long you live in this world, at the end of the day, it all seem so short. Time never stops, even if you desperately want it to. Before you knew it, you are already old! Then you start wondering, where have all the years gone to?

Can we believe them?

It has been a tiring one week. From taking home a second hand car on Friday to attending Bersih 3 on Saturday to rushing to hospital on Monday night in anticipation of an imminent birth to the actual birth on Wednesday, I had not the time to catch a breather until today. Tomorrow its to the airport to see off my children flying to the holy land. All the news on Bersih 3 from the national newspapers and TVs are bias, to say the least. This is only to be expected off course. When the police say they will investigate police brutality, can we believe them? When the PM say the police will come out with a video to tell the real story of what happened that day, can we believe them?  

Its a new world

My joy

A sad state of affair

No matter what the provocation was, the police had no right to act like they did. Firing chemical water, shooting gas canisters, beating, kicking and punching, it was pure brutality. It was unbelievable. At times I thought I was in a police state. Hours after Bersih 3 has ended, I was still scarred to go out on to the streets of KL. I was afraid I might accidentally cross their path and ..... When I read some of the reports on Bersih 3 about how brutal the police were, I know they are true because I had seen one myself.

I saw a beating

It was about seven in the evening on the day of Bersih 3. I had just came back from buying some light food from an eatery at Masjid Jalan India, near the hotel where I was staying. I was about to enjoy my food when suddenly I heard some commotion outside. I rushed to the window to see what it was all about. What I saw make me sick in the stomach. A gang of policemen, numbering more than ten, were beating up a man, using every force they can. They kicked him and punched him until he fell to the ground. Even then, they still kicked and beat him with a rotan. The poor guy must be in terrible pain yet the police continued raining blows on him. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The police were behaving like thugs and hooligans. They were also shouting at the top of their voice, warning those who were watching not to get involved. I was shocked and scarred at the same time. I felt helpless, wanting to help the guy but not daring to.

Later in the evening, I had dinner just beside my hotel. I dare not venture far, for fear, not of the Bersih supporters, but of the roaming gang of policemen who were running riot. More than three hours after Bersih 3, the police were forming gangs to roam around KL looking for victims.  Later, as I read some of the personal accounts of Bersih 3, I can't help but remember what I had seen.