The 1st time ever and I'm doing it away from home!

Assalamualaikum wbt

Yesterday I had my 34-weeks appointment with the midwife. Alhamdulillah everything is fine; my blood pressure's normal, baby's heart beat is fine, uterus growth is spot on (34cm = 34 weeks) and the urine test turned out ok.

I've written before about my anxieties, but I suppose my main concern is that, I'm pregnant for the very 1st time, and I'm away from home, and guess what I'm going to take care of the baby (and myself) without help from Mak or Mok (my mother-in-law) after the birth during confinement period (as we called 'waktu berpantang'). Both of us (me & my husband) know this is going to be very challenging, but we both agreed this is another process of maturity; becoming parents.

I'm not sure about other countries, but here in the UK everything is paid for by National Health Service (NHS). From consultation to prescriptions, from conception until birth, everything is free of charge. For us, oversea students with limited fund, this is very helpful. The procedures and services provided are presumably different from Malaysia; UK being a developed country therefore has better health service than any developing nations.

What strikes to me as different here is that all mothers-to-be have to prepare Birth Plan and this Birth Plan will be discussed with the midwife, of course before the birth take place. I've discussed mine during my appointment with the midwife yesterday and Alhamdulillah everything is in place.

How did I manage to come up with this plan? During my 1st appointment with the midwife, she provided me with few booklets (again for free) to help me through pregnancy until birth and after the birth. By the way, here the midwives are the main person who deal with pregnant women, as compared to Malaysia whom you are dealt with doctors (GP or gynea). However if you are experiencing rather complicated pregnancy, you'll most probably have to work with O&G doctors or consultants.

Lately, I've been writing a lot about my pregnancy. I hope I didn't bore you in any way, but if I did, do accept my deepest apology. When you're happy+nervous+worried+overwhelmed, I guess by writing about those feelings will help to ease everything down. :)

These what Ibu & Ayah bought for you so far...

My dearest baby-in-my-tummy,

Although with limited funds & tight budget, Alhamdulillah Ibu & Ayah managed to buy some few things for you honey (at very reasonable prices!).

A brand new cot (from Ikea at a very reasonable price) and some 'friends' for you.

Some 'friends' for you which we bought from the car boot sale
(Don't worry honey, Ibu had washed them for you..)
Patrick Starr - £0.50
Teddy bears - £6.00 (for both)
Cot mobile - £3.00

Fluffy books & Bath time book (We can read this when you take your baths!)
Fluffy books - £1.50 (each)
Bath time - £1.00

Chunky Safari & Pets (when you a little bit older)
Ibu & Ayah bought them because they only costed £0.50 each!


More books for you cost only £0.50 each!

Ibu's hospital bag is packed, your car seat & pushchair are already in the car,
now, we're just counting the days to your expected arrival.

Ya Allah, please make safe for my husband and me, and of course our baby. AMIN.

Salam Aidil Adha

Assalamualaikum wbt

Kalau Malaysia berhari raya Isnin, sama lah kami di Oxford. Walaupun kami tidaklah berapa ramai, tetapi sambutan Hari Raya Aidiladha tetap meriah. Terubat kerinduan pada keluarga dan sanak saudara di Malaysia. Dalam hal ehwal makanan, kami di Oxford tidak ada masalah. Pelbagai juadah ada; nasi beriani, nasi Arab (ala-ala nasi bukhara), nasi tomato, rendang daging, sambal goreng, lodeh kering, kuah kacang, ayam masak merah, nasi impit, dalca kambing, rendang kambing, laksa asam, 'blueberry cheese cake' dan sebagainya. Semuanya dimasak sendiri oleh warga Malaysia di sini. Walaupun tengah sarat mengandung, saya tetap menyumbang sedikit juadah, sekadar yang termampu.

Solat sunat Aidiladha berjemaah turut diadakan. Alhamdulillah, kali ini berpeluang berjemaah, oleh kerana solat sunat Aidilfitri terlepas tahun ini memandangkan ada tuntutan kuliah di Brookes. Semoga dimurahkan rezeki, dipanjangkan umur untuk bertemu Ramadhan, Syawal dan Zulhijjah pada tahun-tahun yang akan datang. AMIN.

Nota : Sila abaikan wajah penulis yang semakin tembam dan 'chubby'.

Being Plump

I've been over-weight since 19 years old, and since then I've been 'bruised' by others' criticism and worse, even I criticised myself. I hate looking at mirrors, and even in my worst condition, I would punch my flabby tummy to release the disappointment and grief.

But it was then. Now, despite of the occasional criticism that I get once in a while, I'm more positive about it. I'm over-weight, that's the fact but Alhamdulillah, I'm healthy; normal blood pressure, normal level of cholesterol, normal sugar level and above all I'm happy with my life.

I'm still plump, even more plump than before. I'm 31 weeks pregnant and so far Alhamdulillah, a healthy mother-to-be....

Disclaimer: The following photos might be 'hazardous' to some viewers, especially if you have a perfect slim body or you personally disgust fat people. :)

Me @ Nandos Cowley Road for Abang's 27th birthday
24 weeks pregnant

Me @ home - 30 weeks pregnant

Our Weekend 22 - 23 Nov 2008

They visited us in Oxford somewhere in August this year. So, we decided to return the visit last weekend. It took us around 2 hours to get to their place and my first impression was "this is a lovely neighbourhood!"; a good place to stay indeed.

We were greeted with warm welcome from the hosts and hot-delicious 'mee kari' (thanks Fara!). Later, Kak Gee and family joined us for lunch. Then, Fara and Mosan took us to Loughborough University. It is a campus-like university, very much similar to UTM Skudai back home, plus with excellent sporting facilities. Took some photos of us in the Civil & Building Engineering building and at the front gate. It was extremely cold, so we cut our visit short and headed back to their place.


Later in the evening, Dino & Maz (friends of Fara & Mosan) came to the house. Very friendly and bubbly couple. It's good to be acquianted with nice and modest people. After a long day, we retired at 10pm for our early day tomorrow.

Sunday morning. Had our English breakfast and we were off to the car boot sale. The weather was not promising though, and as expected, the boot sale was a bit disappointing. However, we managed to get ourselves a toy for the upcoming baby, a cookbook and 2 motorcycles models. Then we decided to continue our shopping spree at IKEA Nottingham, and it was very fruitful. We bought a bookshelf, baby's cot (with mattress, mattress protector and cover), a jar and frying pan. Well, it was a bargain, and we seemed to forget that we drove (only) a saloon car. So, as expected, Fara and Mosan had to sit (uncomfortably) on the bookshelf and baby's cot for almost 40minutes (Sorry guys! We were over excited!).

We went to Kak Gee's house for a short visit. Had a lovely 'bihun goreng' (even had seconds! hehehe) and long chat. Then, we headed back to Fara & Mosan's place and packed our things for home. Fara prepared lunch (it was delicious!! and of course I had seconds! heheh) and after Maghrib prayer, we made our move to Oxford.

It was such a lovely weekend; spending time with good friends as well as meeting new people. We will come again (Insya-Allah) to Loughborough, and we hope our friends there will come visit us here in Oxford.

To Fara & Mosan, thank you very much for the warmest hospitality. Semoge dimurahkan rezeki.

P/S : Fara, aku x serik ok.. Next time kite gi serang Stoke-on-Trent plak.

My Definition of Romantic

I've been thinking about this entry for quite some time actually, but I can't really decide on the actual title and the language (if you realise, I tend to use Bahasa and English for my entries, depending on the mood).

Generally speaking, most women would want to be loved, pampered and cared by men, romantic men; how may that woman defines romantic to her taste. I myself have been constantly changing my own definition of romantic since I could understand what being romantic is.

From puberty (at 11 years old) till 16 years old
Romantic = give flowers and gifts , surprises (good ones, of course), gestures (hold your hands while walking and crossing the road, pulling the chair for you sit on, etc), lovely and 'flattery' words (which best when you least expected) and anything else that you can dig up from the long lists of chick flick's movies since 1992.

From 17 to 25 years old
Romantic = caring, loving, modest, remembers special dates (birthday, anniversaries, etc), giving flowers and gifts, respect your opinion, accept you for just being you.

From 26 till this moment;
Romantic = caring, loving, modest, responsible, respect your opinion, accept you for just being you, always encourage you to be a better Muslim, wakes you up every morning for Subuh prayer, and above all, prays for your well-being in life and in the after-life after every prayer, every day.

And I'm pretty sure, I'll be holding to this definition for the longest time possible, Insya-Allah.

Minggu beranikan diri

Assalamualaikum wbt

Pada awal minggu, bersemangat sgt nk buat research sejak mule bekerja dgn 2nd supervisor. Bygkan progress dlm mase 2 minggu lg memberangsangkan dr keje 5 bulan seblmnye. Sepanjang 7 bulan bekerja dgn 1st supervisor, boleh dikatekan tiap kali jumpe mesti nangis. Tension, sakit ati... lps tu terus jd malas (teruk kan saye ni?). Alhamdulillah ade pemangkin semangat, suami dan baby yg asyik menendang dlm perut ni.

Cume minggu ni, sgt la depressed. Lps berpk panjang, bincang dgn suami, saye ambil keputusan utk jumpe Research Tutor (mcm penasihat la lebih kurang) utk ceritekan masalah saye ni. Dah nekad dah ni. Ape nk jd, jd la.. drpd menanggung sengsare 3thn yg akan dtg. Td mase jumpe RT dh plan dh "jgn nangis, jgn nangis", skali tu terburai gak ayer mate. Sensitif btol sejak pregnant ni (sblm ni pon mmg sensitif..).

Keputusannye, RT akan bincang dgn 1st supervisor. Lps tu, saye kene bekerja dgn die for another 2 months, kalau x boleh gak, RT akan tukarkan ke supervisor lain. Harap2 inilah penyelesaian yg terbaik utk saye, suami & baby.

Doakan saye ye. Thank you.

Becoming a Mother..

Assalamualaikum wbt

The fact that in less than 3 months I'll become a mother, I guess it is normal to have few anxieties every now and then.

1. Will I be a good mother (according to Islam)?
2. Will I be able to raise a child?
3. Will I be able to care for my husband and our child?
4. Will I be able to cope with my studies?

Honestly, I'm worried. Why?

I'm worried thinking about the challenges of being a mother in a time when people are no longer care about religion and cultural values.

I'm worried thinking that it won't be enough just to send your children to the religious school hoping that they will become a good Muslim.

I'm worried thinking that our society (the Malay Muslims) are now 'proudly' showing their arrogance and ignorance towards Islam.

I'm worried for we are only human, who are not born (and never will be) perfect.

But, at the same time, I'm hoping that Allah will forgive our sins and continue to save us from His wrath (Nauzubillahiminzalik).

Ya Allah, kurniakanlah petunjuk kepada hamba-hambaMu. Ampunkan dosa-dosa kami Ya Allah. Peliharalah kami dari kemurkaanMu Ya Allah.

Amin Ya Rabbal Aalamin.

Wahai anak bangsaku..

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Minggu lalu, salah seorang anak murid saya bertanyakan pendapat tentang biasiswa PNB. Nasihat saya, kalau dapat biasiswa bagus lah. Ada jaminan kerja (Insya-Allah) dan yang lebih baik, tak perlu pening kepala bayar balik pinjaman.

Saya teringat salah satu 'entry' dalam blog suami tentang komen beliau di atas cadangan MB Selangor membuka kuota 10% kepada pelajar bukan bumiputera menuntut di UiTM. Begitu banyak tentangan, antaranya mempersoalkan tentang hak keistimewaan bumiputera. Namun seperti yang dinyatakan oleh suami, ada baiknya kuota 10% itu untuk mewujudkan persaingan sihat di kalangan penuntut IPTA di Malaysia sama seperti IPTA lain. Apa yang lebih penting, pemberian biasiswa kepada pelajar bumiputera perlu dipertingkatkan memandangkan kebanyakan pelajar bumiputera datang dari keluarga berpendapatan sederhana dan ramai juga dari golongan yang kurang berkemampuan.

Terkenang kembali semasa menuntut di UTM Skudai suatu masa dulu, pada ketika itu skim pinjaman PTPTN baru diperkenalkan. Boleh dikatakan hampir 90% rakan sekelas mengambil pinjaman tersebut, kecuali saya dan beberapa rakan lain. Pada awalnya, memang niat di hati nak memohon pinjaman yang sama, namun Ayah menegah. Katanya, kalau biasiswa baru terima. Alhamdulillah, berkat penantian selama 3 bulan, saya berjaya mendapat biasiswa dari JPA dari peringkat diploma hingga tamat ijazah pertama. Mungkin ramai yang berkata, bukan semua yang layak dapat biasiswa (berdasarkan keputusan SPM). Namun, saya merasakan badan-badan kerajaan dan badan berkanun seharusnya memainkan peranan yang lebih baik dalam memberikan biasiswa kepada pelajar bumiputera khususnya. Walau bagaimanapun, bagi pihak kerajaan pula bagi memastikan biasiswa yang diberikan dimanfaatkan sebaik-baiknya, beberapa syarat (seperti mengekalkan keputusan baik sepanjang pengajian, mempunyai rekod displin yang baik, dsb) perlu ditetapkan supaya pelajar-pelajar tidak mengambil mudah bantuan kewangan yang diberikan.

Saya sebenarnya ingin mengucapkan tahniah kepada anak murid saya yang terpilih menerima biasiswa untuk pengajian ijazah pertama di UTM Skudai. Semoga bantuan yang diberikan digunakan sebaik-baiknya untuk diri sendiri dan keluarga.

Penerima biasiswa JPA - Mohd Najmuddin bin Nawi
Penerima biasiswa PNB - Abd Hafiz bin Abd Razak, Muhd Akmal bin Ahmad, Zulkhairi bin Kidam

Kepada yang lain-lain, saya sentiasa mendoakan kejayaan anda semua (Insya-Allah). Saya harap anda semua turut mendoakan kejayaan saya dan suami. AMIN.

Wahai Supervisor ku

En J,

Hari ini saya sangat sedih.
Kenapa? Kerana semangat saya sudah semakin letih.
Kenapa? Sebab En J tersangatlah memilih.

Hari ini saya penat.
Kenapa? Kerana semangat saya pun semacam semakin tenat.
Kenapa? Sebab En J cerewet yang amat.

Hari ini saya menangis.
Kenapa? Kerana semangat saya semakin terhakis.
Kenapa? Sebab tiap kali bersemuka dengan En J, hati saya terguris.

Tapi, hari ini juga saya sedar.
Setiap dugaan, ada hikmahnya.
Tabahkan hati, tetapkan jiwa.

Hari ini saya bertekad.
Buat suami, keluarga yang berharap sangat.
Supaya hati ini tidak mudah patah semangat.

Nota : 'Entry' ini sempene hari aku yg agak gelap semlm. Siap ade hujan air mate skali. Mujur Alhamdulillah, ade org tenangkan perasaan tension ni. TQ abang, ayah n mak...

My Atok Bak

Assalamualaikum wbt

I have such wonderful grandparents both from my Mak & Ayah's sides; however, I hardly had the chance to see my Tok Wan & Tok (Mak's parents) often as Mak's hometown is in Ayer Itam, Kedah and Ayah's in Pontian, Johor (yup, I've riden from Bkt Kayu Hitam up north to Johor Bahru down south and I once can even name all the R&R in PLUS highway, how freaky is that?!). The best memories that I had with both my late Tok Wan & Tok, was when Mak & Ayah were away in Makkah to perform Hajj back in 1990. Tok Wan was originally from Siak, North Sumatera and he came to Kedah to pursue his dream of a better life. With only 25 rupiah in his pocket, he worked his hardest in paddy fields and attended local religious school (sekolah pondok) at the same time. Through hardship and perseverence, he managed to own a mini-market and even bought few 'relung' of paddy fields. Tok was the only grandmother I've known as Mak's biological mother passed away years before due to child birth, but Tok was never a 'stepmother' to Mak.

As for Ayah's parents, Tok Bak & Tok Mak have been always the closer grandparents as they occasionally come to KL (once in one or two months) for visits, but as both of them got older, Ayah advised them not to take the bus from Pontian to Puduraya anymore, instead we'll visit them in Pontian. Tok Bak is a retired policeman, and Tok Mak is a full-time housewife. Tok Bak is a strict father but a very jovial grandfather. He even taught us simple mathematics when we were young and used to tell us horror stories during our nights in Pontian. Tok Mak is such a loving grandmother to her (almost) 40 grandchildren. She will laugh to all Ayah's slapstick jokes even no one else might not find them funny at all (no offense Ayah, :)).

I've lost Tok Wan & Tok years ago, and still I miss them. And now, I've lost Tok Bak just 2 days ago due to breathing complication and old age. I received a phone call from Mak (crying at the other end, as Tok Bak was the only father that she still have) at 6.07am (UK time) informing me a rather bad news about Tok Bak. I cried (still am while writing this entry) instantenously when I heard the news, but deep down I knew it was already the time for him to go as he gradually became more and more ill each day.

I pray to Allah to grant Tok Bak forgiveness and better life in hereafter. Tok Bak, you'll always be loved and remembered by us as long as we shall live.


Al-Fatihah.

20 weeks 5 days

Assalamualaikum wbt

Yesterday, we had our 2nd appointment for ultrasound scan at the Women Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital.

Being able to see what's really happening inside this bulging tummy of mine was such a treat. Alhamdulillah, our baby's normal and in good health.

Ibu & Ayah loves you very much.

It's life..

Assalamualaikum wbt.

As we are approaching Ramadhan in just approximately 3 days time, I've been doing a lot of self-thoughts; reflecting on my life from as long as I can remember until now, as a wife, a research student and a mother (soon, Insya-Allah). Perhaps, my life is not much different from others; once the rebellious teenager and daughter, few heartbreaks, humiliation, rejections, made a total fool of myself, did lots of things which I've regretted, excelled in major exams (Alhamdulillah), being blessed with parents who will accept and support me even after their hearts are constantly being hurt, did my masters in UK, traveled to foreign countries, met lots of friends along the way, met and married to a wonderful man, and now pursuing the highest degree that I've ever imagined.

There are times when I was being hard of myself; being overweight and obese most of the time, not attractive and anything similar to inferiority complex issues. I thought I was the most miserable person at that moment, with constant criticism from people around me. I've even thought of over-dosing myself with diet pills just to make myself thin instantly. When I thought about it, oh.. how did I manage to make a fool of myself to that extent? Life is too precious to be treated in such manner.

It's good to have people around you who have gone through bigger obstacles in their life; lost a parent or both, lost a child, once living in poverty (and managed to get out of it with hard work and perseverance), and even involved in life-threatening situations which later ended up with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. These people's experience will make you appreciate your life even more. Heartbreak from a never-meant-to-be relationship will hurt you, so very much especially when you put your whole self into it, but the feeling is nothing compare to the hearts who have lost someone dear to a tragic accident or sickness.

No one's life is perfect, including (especially) myself. The key is to never give up, you can cry and lock yourself from others for perhaps few days/weeks/months/years, but NEVER LOOSE YOURSELF. Take the time to reflect the things that you've done, and you've gone through and try to improve yourself (note to self). And always remember, the hardship will make you even stronger and more appreciative towards what you already and still have. Allah has planned our life from the beginning until the end, and He is the only one who knows how will our life turn out to be. I'm not a preacher, as I'm also still learning, but I just want to share my thoughts and perhaps be able to inspire my friends who are now facing the hardest time in their life.

To whom it may concern, I really admire your courage and strength, and I hope that you'll continue to be strong and optimistic towards your days to come. I hope you'll never give up and embrace the gift of life which we've been blessed for all these years. I'm not going to say that I understand how you feel, because I might not, but as a friend, I would not want any of you to feel that you've failed in life as there are still so many things for us to venture which later will help us learn more about ourselves and others.

As for me, I'm still working on self-improvement; trying to be less-opinionated (especially with my parents and husband), be more attentive towards my research, more responsible (and have more control) on what I'm going to spill from my mouth, and be a better Muslim, Insya-Allah.

Again, "Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan Al-Mubarak..."

August 2008

Dear readers (if I have any..),

Sorry for the long silence. Not really in the mood of writing. Perhaps being too critical in choosing a topic to write on, is holding me back. Oh well, throughout August;

1. I've been progressing rather slowly in my research work (tension headache occasionally + extreme laziness + not in the mood of writing, yes it has been the theme of the month). Plus, my supervisor is currently on his long holiday for the summer.

2. We've attended a 'majlis doa selamat' organised by Abg Sham & Kak Faiz in Wolfson College, Oxford Uni. Came back home with one satisfied tummy and happy feelings.

3. Both of us went to London (not our first trip) but it was our first trip to Portobello Market. At first, we intended to find new addition to our miniature house collection, but we only managed to get ourselves signature postage stamps and some old stamps for Ayah. From there we proceed to Msian Hall, where we had our lunch (sambal paru + rendang daging, nyum2) and met our friend from UTM KL who is currently in Newcastle. The highlight of the day, we had GBP100 extra in our pocket courtesy from a very generous stranger (a fellow Msian) who we prayed for long lasting prosperity and good health, Insya-Allah.

4. We are now slowly leaving summer and approaching autumn, and I'm having a bad flu and slight fever occasionally. Being pregnant, I was advised not to take Panadol Soluble which contains 500mg Acetaminophen (I've checked with my midwife). Not to take any chances, I'm sticking to Paracetamol (period).

Well, nothing much as you can see, but having a blog, I suppose I'm obliged to update it (aku ingat pesan ko Yeb).

To my family and friends, no matter where you are,
Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan Al-Mubarak. Semoga Ramadhan kali ini membawa keberkatan dan keinsafan kepada kita semua. AMIN.

The happiest day.. to date

Assalamualaikum wbt.

For the past 12 weeks, I've missed my monthly periods, feeling nauseated almost every hour, having disturbed good night sleeps due to back pain and sensitive bladder. Yes, I'm pregnant! Alhamdulillah (Praise to Allah). Today, I had my 1st scan (dating scan to determine the Expected Delivery Date-EDD), and it was so overwhelming. We're both very happy, and words can't describe our feelings right now. We're praying for the best, for our child to be healthy, physically and mentally (AMIN).

Ibu and Ayah love you so much!!

My all-time favourite Asian love story

I found this video from YouTube (you can find almost anything from YouTube nowadays). Really brought me back to my teenage years in STF; waiting for the bell to ring at 4.00pm everyday just to make it on time to watch my favourite Japanese love story, Tokyo Cinderella Story. Myself and others would even run from our classroom on the 3rd floor all the way to the common room. Ahh, those days, when I'm 40kg lighter (hehe..).

*Theme song : Meguriai by Chage & Aska

10 years after STF

On this coming 19th of July, my fellow 948 Srikandis will be organising the '10-year-after-leaving-STF' reunion in Cyberjaya. I love gatherings and am dying to join them, but unfortunately I'm far away from home. :(

5 years with only girls in the classroom (and of course, in the dormitory) are definitely memories that I won't trade to anything else. We had our fun and laughter (most of the times), sadness and humiliation (to my ever-lasting regret), but of course I've learnt a lot from the bitter-sweet experience growing up from a 12-year-old kid to a 17-year-old young lady.

At this particular moment, I still manage to remember every single memory during my secondary education years in STF; the teachers' faces, the smell of 'nasi lemak' at the dining hall, the day my parcel was torn apart by the notorious monkeys (and ate all my biscuits!), and of course, the people I've met and made friends, in fact my sisters even after 10 years.

To all my 948 sisters, hope you guys will enjoy the reunion. May all disputes resolved, differences put aside, and most of all, may our friendship become stronger and last forever, Insya-Allah.

Love you guys!

Maju, maju, maju, segera maju..... Serikandi Tun Fatimah.

Raikan cinta.

Lame rasenye x menulis dlm bahase melayu. Mule2 ingat nk gune BM baku, tp terase mcm x bebas plak, idea mcm tersekat2. Lame x menulis, bknnye ape.. xde idea sejak akhir2 ni. Tp hari ni, terase plak nk menulis.

Sejak akhir2 ni, byk dpt berite psl kawan2 yg akhirnye bertemu cinta, yg nk mendirikan rumahtangge.. Alhamdulillah, seronok kite dgr kwn2 bahagia. Bile terkenangkan blk, seronok betol mase bercinte ni (walaupon kite x bercinte lame.. kenal + bercinte + bertunang + kahwin = 1 thn). 1 thn ke, 10thn ke.. tu x menjanjikan ape2, sbb kehidupan selps perkahwinan yg lebih patut diutamakan.

Berckp ttg cinta, terkenang zaman2 mude remaje dulu. Bile dipk2kan blk, terase mcm bodoh pon ade, tp sume org buat silap. Yg penting, kite belajar dr kesilapan. Bkn sume org, bernasib baik dlm pencarian cinte ni.. kdg2 amik mase berthn2, dikecewakan berkali2.. baru jumpe yg sejati. (Insya-Allah). Ade yg x jumpe langsung. Jodoh pertemuan ketentuan Allah. Sape la kite utk melawan takdir.

Kpd mereka yg masih mencari, jgn putus asa. Insya-Allah, kalau dah jodoh tak ke mane. Cume perlu bersabar dgn mase dan ketike bile nak bertemu cinta. Dlm mase yg same, jgn la menyimpan angan2 yg blom tentu tercapai, cukup sekadar menepati ciri2 lelaki/wanita yg mampu membimbing/dibimbing dalam pelayaran bahtera rumahtangge nnt. Mgkn ade yg akan kate, "ko senang la ckp, ko dh kawin..". Utk berlaku adil, kite pon penah berade di situ; terpk setiap hari bile lg nk berkeluarge. Alhamdulillah, berkat doa keluarge & kwn2, bertemu juge dgn suami tercinte.

Kpd mereka yg tgh bercinte, kite doakan smpi ke jinjang pelamin, Insya-Allah. Dugaan mmg byk, (x lupe godaan syaitan..), jd berhati2 la. Kalau perkahwinan halatuju yg diidamkan, jgn ditangguh lame2. Kalau duit yg jd mslh, percayelah, ade je niat nak kawin tu, ade la rezeki Allah sediakan. Cume kite x tau lg dlm bentuk ape.

Kpd mereka yg akan berkahwin, kite doakan masjid yg dibine kekal hingge ke akhir hayat, dikurniakan zuriat yg baik2..

Cukup la rasenye smpi di sini. Nukilan kali ni bknnye utk membuktikan kematangan, tp sekadar berkongsi pendpt. Kite nk ucapkan pd sume yg membace, semoge berbahagia selalu.. dan cinte bknnye semate2 sesame manusia.. cinta kpd yg Maha Pengasih & Penyayang adalah yg plg bermakne.. (ingatan utk diri sendiri..).


Wassalam.

A day at the park.

After a long cold winter, the weather now is much better, hot and sunny almost like back in Malaysia. We've been planning to go to the park for a picnic since last week, and we finally did it today.

The park



A round of 'Scrabble Scramble'

The happy faces

New in Our Humble Crib

My favourite room in a (any) house is definitely the kitchen. I really enjoy cooking (and eating..), and a clean and organised kitchen is important to me.

We rarely find a washing machine right under the kitchen top in Malaysia, but this is the standard arrangement for kitchens in the UK (unless if you have a laundry room).

New addition to the living room. We bought these for only £1! By the way, we went to Primark yesterday.

A dish from the heart..

My husband is not much of a cook, but he helps occasionally in the kitchen, mainly with the dishes and preparing hot coffee in the morning. He's been saying a lot about cooking for the past two weeks, and yesterday morning it finally happened..

A very delicious 'nasi goreng' for Wednesday's breakfast.

Thank you, abang..

New addition to the collection

Previously, I've wrote something about my 'so-called' reading habit. When it comes to academic or scholarly materials, I get easily bored and distracted, but a good fictional book implies otherwise. I started reading fictions in my early college years (UTM), and started with something easier to 'digest'; Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux,..

Later, I tried to jump into something more 'serious', e.g. John Grisham's, but I found them boring and too factual. Then I started reading Sidney Sheldon's Morning, Noon, Night, and I instantly fell in love with his work.

Now, my collection has expanded to Jodi Picoult's, and I love most of her books. Other than Jodi's, I'm willing to try any author's work which storyline represents the reality of life, which reminds me how fortunate I am; being blessed with a wonderful life, Alhamdulillah.

I'm currently reading this right now. (Based on true story)

Next on the my reading list.

Our Humble Crib.

For £600 per month, we got ourselves 2 rooms (one's converted into a living room/guest room), a decent bathroom & a lovely (but small) kitchen. Yes, it's expensive but believe it or not, we are the lucky ones, trust me. If you're thinking of Oxford as your destination, be prepared with lots of pounds.. But, insya-Allah, we'll manage..

Please bare with the furnishing touches.. It's not much, but it's home.. Our home.