Saturday 26 November 2016

Amy's Wedding


Simple and sweet. Amy is my younger sister's elder daughter. She has two girls. Beautiful. Outgoing. Confident. Smart. Thus she made a beautiful, radiant and happy bride. The wedding was like the card. Simple yet with under stated elegance. Alhamdulillah. Everything went well. From the solemnisation ceremony. The wedding reception on both sides of the couple. The weather was kind and it did not rain although slightly cloudy towards the evening. The food was nice and personally, everybody had a good time. Since she had the caterers took care of everything, we did not have much to do except helped out in welcoming and ushering guests. The last wedding was Ain's (another sister's daughter) which was back in 2008. Akmal came back all the way from Sabah as he was the official photographer and Amy's best cousin. Thus, I wish both much happiness, compassion, patience and tolerance in leading a life full of ups and downs together. Whatever happens along the way, just remember this day. The day it binds you as husband and wife. For better or worse ... ;-))

The gifts (hantaran) for the groom 
Some of the trays of five gifts for the bride
The beautiful wedding dais (pelamin) fit for the couple 
The gifts to be given away to guests
The rows of bottles containing peanut cookies for guests
The kittie cookies for children ... yummmy
Thus, the inevitable question - when will it be the boys turn??? Hmmm ... when it is time.. ;-))


Saturday 12 November 2016

What A Year ... 12 NOVEMBER 2016



Another year. It's been five years since I maintain this blog with my ramblings, incidents, events, thoughts, perceptions, observations, opinions ... and sharing whatever passes my mind and things I have done or gone through. As of today, I have 35,345 reviewers who had visited and read my postings. Thank you everyone. I hope all of you have enjoyed reading them and maybe be inspired, motivated or lifted up your spirits ... make you smile, cry, reminisce, reflect or just something worth your while when you pass through my blog.

It is so cliche to say "How fast the year has gone!" but it really has. For me, anyway. It is almost a year of my retirement. I thought I would retire in peace (RIP) but Allah has other plans for me. So many well-meaning folks have asked what am I going to do to fill my time ... I honestly have no plans at all. As my sons used to say - "just go with the flow." There are busy times and there are times when I really have to think hard to have something to do. More often than not, Allah has already laid his plans for me. Most times I just accept and go with it.

11 months into retirement. What have I accomplished? After all that have happened, the most significant thing that happened to me is cultivating patience. Tolerating waiting. Endurance. Acceptance.



I am involved with a group of seven young ladies who formed "GOODDEEDS" albeit inactively. A small organisation which started their simple charity work directly in contact with youngsters - under privileged primary school students in our district. They started free tuition for about eighteen slow and underachievers Year Six students at a sub-urban school. Sometimes they asked for suggestions on how to handle kids and lessons. They started "mealsforschool" to provide lunch for thirty selected students so they could stay for extra classes with a "happy" tummy. They also provided "food box" project for eight deserving families with basic necessity food items to enlighten those families' burden. Before the school ends for this year, they are already starting their "School Aid" programme by providing school uniforms, shoes, stationery and school bags for fifty-four selected students. I am very honoured to be involved directly with one of the co-founders and I like their way of approaching direct contact with the schools concerned. I am still indirectly involved with education and  making students' lives a little easier. It is fulfilling and very satisfying. Donations of cash and kind are very much welcomed to finance the various projects that they have planned. Just refer to "Gooddeeds Malaysia" facebook for more information.

Besides that, I dedicated more time for my Creator. Taking things slow and making time for everything - friends and families. Spending more time with my partner by accompanying him to almost everywhere whether it is business or leisure. Making time for my sons ... although they are old enough to drift away from me, we have discovered a closer bond together. Even though we enjoyed a close relationship as mother and sons, now that I am not working , we created more time out together whenever they came home or I was visiting them. Especially with Syafiq's accident and Akmal's problems which pulled us closer as a family instead of pushing us apart and what all of us were willing to do and face whatever came our way as one. Alhamdulillah.

I am honoured and privileged that past students contacted me and wanted to forge the teacher-student relationship again. To be appreciated is such an uplifting morale. Students from the past and present still wanted to keep in touch and asked for advise, opinions and motivation. I am very touched.

I am truly blessed. Whatever trials and tests that come my way are always given ease and help from unexpected quarters. There are always helping hands, ears, words, love and advise to put me back on the right path. SubhanAllah. I feel like I have been given so much for so few trials. I feel that I have so much that the more I give, the more I receive from Allah. I can only recite again and again - "which favours of Allah do you deny"?

Honda (car company) sent me a sweet birthday card. The wish was so meaningful ...


No, I shall not write what I wish for but I do wish it will come true because I truly deserve it. Hahahah ... :-))  May I have a peaceful, calm, adventurous, meaningful and blessed year ahead.
In shaa Allah. Have a lovely day on my behalf .... ;-(0)



 And I hope I will still continue to learn ... life is after all a journey of educating oneself ...