A Ramadhan Weekend

And so it is already the end of the first week of fasting.
Nevertheless I am still looking, searching for the ketenangan that is associated with the holy month. Which seem so elusive at this instant.

Mungkin kena banyak lagi berdoa. Mungkin beramal dengan jasmani tapi tidak dengan hati.

I am looking forward for a better Ramadhan than last year. Bukan ke kita pun berdoa, semoga Ramadhan ini lebih baik dari yang sebelum nya.

Mungkin hakikat nya, terlalu sibuk dengan urusan duniawi...

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Taking A Different Turn; Singing A different Tune

And how do you like this?

This is the team at the new division. I think this is cool - I dont think any of my previous GMs would take a team photo like this. Take a guess who the GM is.

Life sure is different outside the toxic office.

We were also talking about appraisal in the office yesterday; I said, being able to leave the previous org is already like achieving a '5' for this year!

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Losing Patience (Again!)

I wonder why I cant teach myself to be quiet sometimes. Calm. Patient. Serene. You know like the very epitome of a lady (Mia, the misfit trying to be a princess comes to mind - thus the photo).

This is like the second time in so many days that I was like an angry lioness in the office. I mean I am a Leo; but does that mean I have to act like one? (or is that a given question?)

Ramadhan pulak bulan ni.. Help (I am feeling so small..)

Lepas ni nak buat diam je, jadi baik2 gitu (is someone laughing?) Can you see me behave like that? I think I can, but inside I would be full of exploding fireworks surely..

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The First Day

And how was your first day in Ramadhan? Ironically I cant think of writing about anything but iftar aka food.

It's nice that it is Sat so there is ample time to prepare a good spread for the children's buka puasa. It is a tradition in my home that the first day is always a buah melaka day where the kueh is concerned. And preparing the kueh is a boy's thing - meaning that the boys will get the dish ready. And that is always an outrageous ocassion (but always special to me). They sometimes come up with weird shapes and deliberately omit sugar from a couple or so buah melaka. It'll be hillarious to see who would be unlucky to eat those.

I am still trying to get into the right frame of mind for Ramadhan - kept hoping it would be better than last year. I love my previous Ramadhan - I did all I thought I wanted to do - and more.

Insya'Allah this would be a great Ramadhan. For you too.

Love this photo too - from flickr.

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Salam Ramadhan al-Mubarak 1430H

That is my wish to everyone. Mohon maaf di atas semua kesilapan.

Kata ustaz, war-warkan lah kedatangan bulan Ramadhan. Rebutlah kelebihan yang diberi sebaik-baiknya. Semoga Ramadhan ini lebih baik dari yang sebelumnya.

That gambar cantik is from here.

ps - I am thinking that wow, it HAS been a while since I blog. You know what? There's nothing to whine about - life must be a bliss at this time!

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The New Office

And yes, I do notice that it has been some time since I have posted anything - nothing to whine about, maybe. What else is there to write on the blog otherwise? Heh-heh..

Anyway, I read through my posts (sebab dah lama tak blog kan..) and thought (please excuse me) I do have a nice blog actually. ha-ha (Mengilai gitu.)

So I am already in the new office but the hours are still divided between the new and old jobs. I did my handover and am slowly letting problems / issues be solved by the successor.

The new office. It is a small org, but parked at the strategy level it definitely cant be as big as an operational department. It feels nice. The environment is nice. The bosses seem ok. What more can I ask for?

I told the boss that I look forward to "grow" here - that could mean anything under the great blue sky. But I mean it in the sincerest way. Insya'Allah.

And I have a new category on the blog today - the new office (instead of the toxic office). Let's hope this doesnt change.

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Trying To Stay Quiet About It But Cant

I am ecstatically happy but anxious at the same time. My boss stopped by my desk early this morning and said that my transfer letter is actually sitting on the PD's table. I go like Masya'Allah, Alhamdulillah.

The talk about the career move has been going on for the past couple months or so; but with the school holidays and the problematic upgrade thrown into the equation, it has seem like forever.

The people executing the job had promised 1st Aug as the official transfer date; but takdir semua di tangan Allah. I have actually quietly cleared some stuff and taken them home / thrown some out; dont want to keep everything as last minute. But dont want to make noise about the whole thing at the same time.

My boss had said, Can you delay your transfer? and Do you have to go? and even, I can ask the PD to cancel the approval. I said No, Yes and Please dont. I felt humbled that she wants me to stay but quietly said no one is indispensible.

I told her I said to the PD that at certain time in life you feel like the time is right, the decision is right and that you just have to do it. And this feels exactly like an instant like that.

It could be a total mistake down the road, who knows? Let's be pragmatic about that.

The photo is like I'm heading for a clear, bright future on a straight path under the blue skies, like happy days in the horizon. Insya'Allah.

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Buses & Trains

I was going to write about Eirfan's exams; but decided to write about public transports after reading Zana's comment on the rush for the trains after the Man U match on Sat.

After years of avoiding public transports, I actually took the train these last two weeks - a few times, mind you. If you know me, you'd know how I avoid public transports - even cab rides - like the plague. Things just happen when I take the bus, train or cab.

I wasnt scratched (yikes!) like Zana was - I was travelling in the early evening so there's not much rush. On the ride I saw a woman with a scarred face. She bent her head all the time. I said a thankful prayer that my family is blessed with "perfect" features.

There were a couple of guys who boardered the train together. The second guy wrapped both arms around his friend's shoulders from behind. Then around the waist. Needless to say there were hard stares from those on the train. I pray keluarga tidak diduga oleh Allah sebegitu. Takut ya Allah. I averted my gaze from them. I wondered if it is possible to call the police - tangkap ataupun dikenakan hudud (?).

I suppose there is nothing like a train ride that can make you feel lucky, blessed and fortunate. And terasa takut and humbled at the same time.

There was a lady sitting and reading on the train but kept pulling up her neckline so that her chest wasnt exposed to the eyes of those standing. Siapa suruh cari pasal?

There was also a lady who was standing in the train who opened her plastic bag and took out her newly purchased sweater. She put the sweater against her body and look at herself in the train windows. Come on la. Nak try baju pun tunggu la sampai rumah.

And I especially hate people who do not have the courtesy to stop talking on the phone while in the train. I dont want to hear / know all the details of your conversation (which managed to haunt me while I was trying to fall asleep that night).

I wonder what my entry would be like if I were to take the train at peak hours. I actually salute those who can tolerate the stress commuting in trains / buses or even cabs. Me? Give me traffic jams any time!

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Dari Surah Al-A'raaf (One Of The Zillion Significant Things I Didnt Know)

And as I was reading in the quest for peace and food for the soul, I found this, dari surah Al-A'raaf :

46. "Dan di antara keduanya (Syurga dan Neraka) ada tembok "Al-A'raaf" (yang menjadi) pendinding, dan di atas tembok Al-A'raaf itu ada sebilangan orang-orang lelaki yang mengenal tiap-tiap seorang (dari ahli-ahli Syurga dan Neraka) itu, dengan tanda masing-masing. Dan mereka pun menyeru ahli Syurga (dengan memberi salam, katanya) : Salaamun'alaikum (salam sejahtera kepada kamu). Sedang mereka sendiri belum masuk Syurga, padahal mereka ingin sangat memasukinya.

47. Dan apabila dialihkan pandangan mereka kearah ahli Neraka, mereka (berdoa dengan) berkata : Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah engkau jadikan kami bersama orang-orang yang zalim.

48. Dan orang -orang yang berada di atas tembok Al-A'raaf menyeru beberapa (ketua kaum kafir) yang mereka kenal dengan tandanya, dengan berkata : Nampaknya kumpulan kamu ramai (atau kekayaan kamu yang besar) dan juga segala apa yang kamu sombongkan dulu - tidak dapat menolong kamu.

49. (Mereka bertanya pula kepada ketua-ketua kaum kafir itu dengan berkata) : Itukah orang-orang yang kamu ejek-ejek dahulu dan kamu bersumpah bahawa mereka tidak akan beroleh rahmat dari Allah? (Sekarang dikatakan kepada mereka) : Masuklah kamu ke dalam Syurga, tidak ada kebimbangan (dari berlakunya sesuatu yang tidak baik) terhadap kamu, dan kamu pula tidak akan berdukacita.

50. Dan (Tuhan menerangkan pula kehinaan ahli Neraka dengan firman Nya): Ahli Neraka menyeru ahli Syurga (dengan berkata): Limpahkanlah kepada kami sedikit dari air atau dari rezeki (makanan) yang telah dikurniakan Allah kepada kamu. Mereka (ahli Syurga) menjawab : Sesungguhnya Allah telah haramkan kedua-duanya atas orang-orang kafir.

51. (Tuhan berfirman : Orang-orang kafir itu ialah) orang-orang yang menjadikan perkara-perkara agama mereka sebagai hiburan yang melalaikan dan permainan, dan orang-orang yang telah terpedaya dengan kehidupan dunia (segala kemewahan dan kelazatannya). Oleh itu, pada hari ini (hari Kiamat), Kami lupakan (tidak hiraukan) mereka sebagaimana mereka telah lupa (tidak hiraukan persiapan-persiapan untuk) menemui hari mereka ini, dan juga kerana mereka selalu mengingkari ayat-ayat keterangan Kami.

Esok Isra' Mikraj; Insya'Allah kata nak puasa. Is that surah Al-Buruuj cerita pasal Isra' Mikraj ni? (I checked but no, it is not Al-Buruuj; kena cari yang mana. Mungkin sempat malam ni; sekadar mengingati & menghayati perjalanan Rasulullah saw. Happy fasting to you too).

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Blog Update

And I decided to change the background to a cute pastel color. I usually avoid these particular shades - I dont think they are my color. But on days when the moon hides behind the clouds (eh, macam werewolf pulak..) or when there's an eclipse of the sun I somehow would choose pink or shades thereof.

Go to this website to find the sweetest templates as the name implies; http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. Personally I love Special Day Blue (on page 12) or Clover Vineyard (on page 5) and Barefoot Beach (on Page 1).

I'd love to make the blog more artful (interpret that as you will) but do not have the time to explore, the inclination and most importantly - nor the talent actually!

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