Kismet

That’s how we ended in Manila. God’s plans have always been great in retrospect. Sometimes what we think we need (more of want/desire/wish) may not be the best for us.

The call was unexpected but that seemed to be the norm in our lives. Our approach to decision making is simple. We seek Allah’s guidance through prayers and if it’s meant to be, He will ease our affairs. Thus when the company got back to us with a mosque and the assurance that the husband would be able to perform his Friday prayers, it was a clear sign that this assignment was Godsend. They would also provide him with daily halal lunch in the canteen. Coupled with acceptance from the whole family from both sides, we quickly took steps to reorganize our lives.

The husband left the following month to start his overseas stint. Since I was taking the graduating batch, I could only take my no pay leave after they were done with O levels. We sold our car but kept the flat. We did not shipped over a lot of our belongings. We are still unsure about what the future holds for us. On paper, we will be overseas for quite some time. Nonetheless, life is completely unpredictable.

Always be ready for CHANGE and have faith that God provides and guides.In the meantime, let’s enjoy the moments.😘

Selamanya quirky

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Tiada yang hakiki
Jasadku pasti kaku mati
Janji sehidup semati tinggal mimpi
Tak usah makan hati

Kematian suatu yang pasti
Relakanku pergi bertemu illahi
Tak perlu berjanji sumpah akan sendiri
Tiba masa nanti merana diri

Bantal pelukku pengganti diri
Sampai saat ditemui pengganti
Buat peneman harimu yang kian sepi

Coretan ini mungkin syok sendiri
Kala semua asyik mengejar mimpi

Maafkan semua kekurangan diri
Kata – kataku yang menyakitkan hati
Aku hanya ingin jadi bidadari
Yang menunggumu di taman Firdausi

Andaikata esok aku pergi
Semadikan memori di sanubari
Jangan pernah lupa kekasih hati
Kau dan aku selamanya quirky.

Ban Sainai Resort, Krabi

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The hubby’s review:

It was our first trip to Krabi and we had stayed 2 nights in another hotel before switching to Ban Sainai. It was an even more awesome experience from the moment we reached the reception area until we checked out. The ambience was just perfect for those who wants to be away from the city noise.

Surrounded by nature, overseeing cliffs and the call for prayers all together takes you to another place. Regardless of what religion you believe in, this place is a must stay if you are looking for spiritual serenity and peace!

Wake up early for breakfast and get a table in the open area. You will soon realize that the sun rises perfectly on your side, overlooking the pond. Just the place you want to be enjoying the sun rise without the need to walk up mountains or hills.

P.S On weekend evenings, the night market is just a 5 mins walk out from the hotel.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g1507054-d4061895-r198513230-Ban_Sainai_Resort-Ao_Nang_Krabi_Town_Krabi_Provinc.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Travelog Lombok – Gili + Jeeva Beloam

31 March 2014 – Isnin
Abd Kadir Bin Saleh (Ayah)

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Berita Harian, Singapura
Disiarkan Di Ruangan Gah

LOMBOK PULAU 1000 MASJID

Jika Bali terkenal dengan gelaran pulau 1000 kuil, Lombok pula terkenal dengan jolokan pulau 1000 masjid. Sepanjang perjalanan dari lapangan terbang Lombok ke Pantai Senggigi, Lombok Barat masjid-masjid megah berdiri di sepanjang jalan sama ada yang baru ataupun yang lama. Di setiap desa pasti memiliki masjidnya tersendiri.

Jika di Bali terkenal dengan pantai Kuta, di Lombok terkenal dengan 3 Gili (pulau kecil) iaitu Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno dan Gili Air. Untuk ke Gili Trawangan tambang bot penumpang hanya Rp20,000 (SGD $2.00) dari Pelabuhan Bangsal dalam masa 30 minit. 3 Gili ini menawarkan aktiviti air, seperti snorkel, menyelam skuba, meluncur air, memancing atau bersantai di sepanjang pantai mengelilingi setiap pulau. Keluasannya seperti Pulau Sentosa di Singapura. Kita boleh mengelilingi pulau dengan berjalan kaki, berbasikal ataupun menaiki kereta kuda. Pakej snorkel 3 Gili beramai-ramai cuma Rp 100,000 (SGD $10.00) meliputi bot, gogel dan jaket keselamatan. Mula-mula melihat karang laut di GiliTrawangan, kemudian berenang bersama penyu di Gili Meno dan terakhir memberi makanikan roti di Gili Air. Rasakan gigitan ikan di jari.

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Satu yang menarik mengenai 3 Gili ini hampir 90 peratus pemilik hotel, resort, restoran, kedai dimiliki oleh warga Amerika dan Eropah kerana pelancongnya juga 90% warga Amerika dan Eropah. Suasana di 3 Gili seakan di kepulauan Mediterranean atau di Caribbean. Parti, bikini dan minum keras menjadi teras kehidupan. Di Gili Trawangan, laungan azan setiap waktu dua buah masjid seiringan dengan alunan muzik dari café dan bar. IMG_2927

Semasa di Lombok kami juga sempat meredah hutan di pergunungan Rinjani untuk ke air terjun yang terletak satu jam perjalanan melalui lereng gunung yang selebar tapak kaki yang curam dan menggerunkan. Air Terjun Sindang Gile di Senaru yang bertingkat itu benar-benar menggamit kenangan yang sukar dilupakan.

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Selain Pantai Senggigi di Lombok Barat, kami ke Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp di Tanjung Ringgit, Lombok Timur yang menawarkan percutian yang eksklusif. Jeeva Beloam Beach Camp terletak 2 jam perjalanan dari lapangan terbang.

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Pantainya yang bertelok dan di kelilingi tebing tinggi yang curam benar-benar memukau seakan berada di pantai Australia. 

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Rumah penginapan yang dimiliki oleh warga Amerika berbentuk tradisional suku Sasak Lombok yang alang-alang bumbungnya tinggi. Dibuka pada 2012, ia berkonsepkan bersemadi dengan alam. Tiada TV. Tiada Radio. Tiada Wifi. 

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Di puncak tebing yang menghadap ke Australia masih berdiri megah kubu dan meriam Jepun peninggalan perang dunia kedua. Meriam yang beratnya bertan-tan itu dibawa kepuncak tebing curam setinggi Bukit Timah tanpa peralatan moden. 

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Jika 70 tahun lalu warga emas Lombok berperang mempertahankan bumi tercinta dari kuasa Jepun kini warga muda Lombok berperang mempertahankan budaya Sasak daripada dicemari pengaruh budaya Barat. Tanjung Ringgit juga terkenal dengan pasir pantai kemerahan. Pasir putihnya bercampur dengan butiran halus merah, sebab itu dikenali dengan Pink Beach dan menjadi tumpuan penggemar aktiviti air untuk berenang, berkayak ataupun bersnorkel.
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Lombok menawarkan destinasi pilihan yang lebih murah tetapi tetap autentik yang setanding dengan Bali.

Recent foreign adventures

Why do we go away? So that we can be better. Going away allows one to be swept away in reflective contemplation. A moment of silent is actually a loud moment.  Recent adventures have allowed us to think through our lives (count our blessings), dream our future and reflect our roles on earth. Sometimes, we need to look back in order to understand what lies ahead. You and me, our sojourns are brief. Before we share the details of our travels, here are some highlights.

1523015_10151848814060922_1274760046_oHorton Plains, Sri Lanka, Dec 2013.

1501580_10151848816445922_529245973_oMaldives, Dec 2013

1689713_10151941271845922_71746547_nTanjung Ringgit, Lombok, Feb 2014

To the people we met on our journey, thank you for the life lessons shared. For a moment, they maybe passing clouds in our lives but surely, God does not do things for fun. We met and parted after we have impacted each other the way it was supposed to be.  Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forward. We are all passengers on board the same ship called life. Till the next update. 🙂

Forever in my broken heart

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“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”― Anne Lamott

I don’t think one will ever forget one’s dead parent. My late mum missed hers even after 30 years have passed.

Silkroad (China Leg) Day 9

Yahximusiz,

On our back to Singapore via Urumqi, we spent a good hour trying to check in our flights because the airport staff was uncooperative. We nearly missed our flight. Nonetheless, Alhamdullilah, after 13 hours of flight and transit, we reached home. That’s the end of my Silkroad 2013 travelogue. For more pictures of Day 6-9, click on Silk Road (China leg) III 2013. Happy viewing. 🙂

Just a short reflection which I shared on my Facebook wall dated 25 June 2013:

A friend shared a similar observation gained through her travels about the fact that we should not take for granted the fact that we are able to practice our faith with so much ease here. Yet, can we claim our faith is stronger or even on par with those who struggle to practice their faith on a daily basis? Suffering is indeed a gift. In it is hidden mercy.

Uyghur translation of Alfatihah.
Uyghur translation of Alfatihah.

I read with tears that my fellow Muslims in Xinjiang are facing further restrictions this Ramadan. Like I said before in the previous post, Allah knows best. For the latest news, click here.

Silkroad (China Leg) Day 8

Yahximusiz,

Kashgar is where time stops, a throwback to another time and era. It was our last day in Kashgar before flying to Urumqi in the evening, ending our Silk Road journey. Abdul Wahab invited us to lunch with his wife and daughter. His wife has been wanting to meet me after she saw my emailed passport photo. Little did I know, my emails were shared with his wife who knew she would love me before she even meet me. Cheesy right but hey, I have a “Nur Jeti’ fan club in Kashgar. Aaaargh, yup my name was mispronounced but I was thrilled to know that she had been praying for me to come there since 2012. She told her students about me and I was embarrassed when they looked up to me. After all, “Nur Jeti” is not the smartest and coolest Muslim lady. There are others who are worth the respect. Come on Muslimahs, please inspire the Uyghur ladies by coming here.

A typical Uyghur Muslimah is engaged and married off in her late teens to a Muslim who has been carefully selected by the family. Rarely, a love marriage takes place. After marriage, the wife is expected to take care of the household chores since the onus is on the husband to work to support the family. Generally, not many Uyghurs are highly educated, working professionals or even get to travel the world. And the fact that Chinese authorities have imposed travel restrictions on them, travelling out of China is actually a difficult feat. So it was no wonder that I was ‘admired’ by my said fan club.  I pray the Uyghurs continue to be bestowed with the wonderful gift of Iman, the gift of Faith, to illuminate their ways through life’s challenges. Insya’allah, Allah has better plans for them.

Even though we were strangers meeting for the first time, Abdul Wahab’s wife welcomed us wholeheartedly. She invited us to her house and even insisted on buying souvenirs for us. We were touched by her warmth and sincerity. Insya Allah, one day we will meet again. And so we left Kashgar that evening with a heavy heart as we bade farewell to our new found friends.

Kashgar Id Kah Mosque

The mystical poet, Jalaluddin Rumi says that “Suffering is a gift. In it is a hidden mercy.” Suffering teaches us patience, Sabr, and it also teaches us Redhaa, which is total reliance on Allah, and serene acceptance of whatever He has decreed. It teaches us to persevere, to work hard to seek Allah’s good pleasure, his Ridwaan. It teaches us humility, it teaches compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h said, “How fortunate is the Believer, he endures hardship, and it is good for him [it teaches patience]; then he enjoys relief from hardship, and it is good for him [it gives a chance to be grateful to Allah]. Indeed, the true Friends of Allah are always overflowing with gratitude, in good times and in hard times.

Silkroad (China Leg) Day 7

Yahximusiz,

Waking up to a sunrise at 5am in the Taklamakan desert (Xinjiang) was unforgettable. It was summer. The sun rose slowly and as the colours of the sky changed, I did my happy dance to the tune of Coldplay’s Paradise. – The Husband.20130705234842_1062200_101515246053_000p

Fajr was 4am Xinjiang time. I can hear Ayah reciting Quran verses in a distant after his subuh prayers as I ended mine. I was having many conversations in my head as I watched the skies changed colour, dark blue hues making way for orange ones.wpid-IMG_20130621_122326.jpg

Reflective mode ON. Thoughts about hopes, fears and ‘would my presence in this world made a difference at all?‘ kind of questions flooded the brain. Questions with no answers. Oh well, I will just learn to let go and keep the faith in God. Keep calm and let God lead. Since God has led me to this path, He will surely guide me through it. Insya’allah.

wpid-IMG_20130621_122217.jpgOh by the way, this was our tent in the desert. Instead of spending his limited annual leave in some 5 star hotels, enjoying his hard earned vacation, the husband was game enough to go on the trip. I would not say he went out of his comfort zone. He was never the type who was afraid to try new things and has always respected the cultures and religious views of places unknown. He mingles with anyone with ease. It’s just him. Nonetheless, deep down I know that he is in need of a holiday. His ideal trip would be lying on the beach and veg. So, I promise him December.wpid-IMG_20130621_122355.jpg

Anyway, back to the Silk Road – this was the husband with part of our breakfast. We had a light breakfast of boiled water, eggs and bread after sunrise. To avoid the summer heat,  we rode our camels back to the base earlier. image

Back in Kashgar, we walked around the old city and dropped by both the vibrant night market and Id Kah Mosque. Id Kah Mosque is one of the largest mosque in China. The mosque could accommodate more than ten thousand people, especially during Friday prayers or festive period, like Eid Fitr.

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We were told that the locals would often take turns to donate for Iftar (break fast) during the Ramadan period. It was heartening to know that the mosque is always full of worshipers and not just another tourist attraction.

SIlkroad (China Leg) III 2013

Strolling around and having a look into the shops is like diving into a time long ago. Time does not seem to move here. Modernization seemed to have skipped Kashgar. Everything is still made by hand.Kashgar Old TownSupposedly, it was here in Kashgar, the feeling of Kabul in the 1970s was successfully recreated for the movie ‘The Kite Runner’. There’s a haunting beauty in the timeless and ancient streets of Kashgar. After a good walk, we treated ourselves to a sweet watermelon to end the day.