Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Teaching.
I wish I was better in teaching. In preparing lessons.
I'm not doing the thing I love honestly.
My heart is not with teaching.. Everyday is like a struggle.
But I'll just try my best...

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

I hope I can one day forget AND FORGIVE what this man did and do to us - my mom and sisters.. and our family. No need further explanation cause it still hurts and this is my biggest sadness. 
Root to all of my sadness. 

I'll just stop there.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I'm passionate about travelling and I have too many places in mind! It's unfair to write about only one place but I'll just pick the country where I'm planning to go in Winter 2014. Still a long way to go, hopefully this backpacking plan will be successful in sha Allah. And the place is....

SOUTH KOREA! 

I must admit that the variety show Running Man influences me a lot to travel up there. 

The places look beautiful in the series and really they make their city looks wonderful. Plus I have been wanting to try Korean food (luckily there are few halal restaurants here in KL but haven't had the chance to go yet). So when a dear friend invited me to go for a backpacking trip there next year, I, without any hesitance said "Yes!". I just need to satisfy my craving and curiosity for Korean food before I go though cause there are not many or none Halal Korean restaurants there.   Please make du'a that everything will turn out fine, amin. If I get to go there, in sha Allah I'll update here.

And yup, I have a folder full with apps to learn Korean on the go on my iPhone. After few attempts to memorize, I ended up remembering only 'annyeong haseyo' (hello) and 'kamsamnida' (thank you). Guess that would do, for 10 days aye? 

Day 19 - A picture and a letter (choose any photo and write short entry to explain why you've chosen it)

My favourite kind of apple

To be honest, I don't really eat fruits that much. Especially apples. I hardly finish eating an apple as I get so muak besides it hurts my palate when munching them. Hence whenever I buy a whole bag of apples, they will end up rotten -- and to the bin.

However, the other day I went to my doctor for regular check-up and she reminded me to eat lotsa fruits and vegs in my everyday diet. So, that afternoon I popped into Woolies and luckily this one pack of apples were on sale. It was $2.99 per pack. What attracted me was the caption on the packaging.



So I said to myself, "This could keep me going, apples that taste like tarts". I was a bit sceptical of the ad but I bought em anyway. I was surprised that Pink Lady apple was really yummyyyy and my housies loved it too. If I were to buy apples in the future I would definitely go for this one instead of Granny Smith or Royal Gala for instance (which frankly I never know the difference anyway). It really tastes different, and the skin is really crunchy. I can't wait to eat them everyday. It changes my view of apples in instant.

And as the saying goes 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'..  Let's strive for a healthy life!

;)

The whole point of writing this up is I wanna say eat lotsa fruits in your everyday meal! By the way, is it just me or apples really do taste like 'something' if you eat them right after you brush your teeth? Just curious.

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

My biggest insecurity! Hahaha. Weight scale isn't really my best friend. Tried few diets, went to the gym and I ended giving up. I love my self, I love myself, I love myself. Okay I can't say anything more, this is totally my anxiety. And to those who ever make jokes of me, please look at the mirror first, ARE YOU THAT HANDSOME that you can laugh at other people?

Okay emotional. Haha. Thanks for reading. :)

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Maher Zain - Sounds of Light Sydney concert 2010

Maher Zain. I bet everyone should have known this man by now. It's his song Open Your Eyes and the story of how Ruben Abu Bakr embraces Islam in the video <Open Your Eyes> touches my heart deeply. Click on the link to watch the video. It only takes 6 minutes, do watch okay friends? :)

The song is about seeing the life and the world differently. No matter how tough the problems we are facing, how depressing our lives might be - just look at the world around us. OPEN YOUR EYES and see the world. The green leaves, blue skies and all living things around us. In fact inside us; our beating hearts. Aren't they amazing? Can't we just be grateful enough?.. And the story of how Ruben Abu Bakr embraces Islam really makes me shiver.. All the miracles of Allah are in front of us, can't we just be grateful enough?

The first time I watched this video was somewhere early last year.. And I immediately fell in love with it. I cried a tear watching it, reflecting all my ignorance towards Allah and His beautiful world.. May He always shower His love and mercy upon us all..

Then I started to listen to all of other Maher Zain's songs. Beautiful lyrics. He really opens my eyes and affects my life. Striving to be a good person, a good Muslimah. InsyaAllah.

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

This bloke is truly inspiring!

He's my senior at Macquarie Uni. Reasons for him being an inspiration?

He keeps reminding me to prioritize. To know which work is better done earlier or later. He always gets good grades and that's a result of his effort. Well-known for completing assignments earlier than the due date; as he says to me - it is like a reward by finishing assignments early. He has like 7 drafts for his assignments! Me? I don't have time for even 1 draft. Yeah last-minute work, you got it right.

Usually after Subuh he won't get back to sleeping yet he does revisions. However he is not the nerdy-all-the-time-with-books-type (tapi boleh kata sedikit skem lah hehe) as he knows how to enjoy and have fun too but he knows the limit.

The first thing that I notice about him is his soft-spoken-ness and modesty. Although he is the High Distinction
kind of student, he never boasts about it. Yet he always refers everything back to Allah by saying Alhamdulillah. ... *** "Jangan lupa nikmat iman dan Islam" - an advice he gave to us before he left Australia for good last year. I bet he doesn't remember this one, does he? Hmm. Although he said it not really seriously but I believed he meant it.

He teaches me (indirectly, that is) that good things don't come rolling. There's a price to pay - and they are called 'effort'. A personal inspiration to me, as his existence proves it is not impossible to achieve success, be organized and have good attitudes. At the same time to always be thankful to Allah and be a good Muslim.

To Farouk: Thanks for being a good friend. Sorry if I tell out too much info about you. You inspire me alot! :)

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

SKYDIVING!

I wanna do this like seriously! But at the same time... I don't really have the guts. Err.

They have it here in Sydney and I have few friends who would like to do it as well. I want to but deep down I'm scared!

Guess why I wanna do it badly? So that one day I could say to my children - "Mom jumped off a plane before!"

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

I simply cannot imagine my life without him. He's a true inspiration, an idol, that one should adore.

He's Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him.

I can't imagine my life if he wasn't sent by Allah to guide us, to be true Muslims. Prophet Muhammad teaches us about Islam and asks us to follow the Quran and to live a life as a Muslim. Although he lived hundred years back, but his teachings remain as a guide. Without him fighting for Islam back then, will I be here - standing, breathing, living my life as a Muslim?

I know that there is still a lot for me to learn to be the perfect Muslimah but Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, I was born as a Muslim, am still a Muslim and will always be a Muslim, a true Muslim, insyaAllah.

Nevertheless.. we sometimes forget him although the Prophet until his last moments on earth never forgets us.. We need to remember that Prophet Muhammad is the one who has the syafaat to save his ummah from the hellfire on the Judgement Day, provided we are the believers and never set up partners in worship with Allah.

Say the selawat always. May we be among those who get the syafaat... InsyaAllah...

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

Allahuma Salli ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhammad (SAW) 

which means 

May Allah send His praise upon Muhammad and upon the Family of Muhammad

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

 I just came back from Adelaide for a nice short getaway so that kinda explains my absence here. *wink*

So, day 13. A picture of your favourite band or artist.

COLDPLAY!!

Good band, good songs. I just adore them muchoz. I am all head over heels for them cause their songs are just amazing with deep and meaningful lyrics and their live performance is cooolll. My favourite song always and forever - Yellow. The song is like .. magic. Sad or happy, it just fits. I just think it's cool how when you listen to a song, you need to think awhile what it means and interpret it your way; like you 'own' the song.

If they were to perform anywhere near me, I would definitely go! :)

Day 12 - Picture of your favourite memory

Nyah at the back, me and Atak at the front
- 1994 - 

Childhood time definitely!

I miss the carefree joys of childhood.. Just play and play and play, nothing else to think of! 

I remembered playing dolls with my childhood friend Aida (wonder where she is at now), fought with my neighbour Kak Rina and Lina to see who got the slide first, played rounders every afternoon and picking up biji saga at the school's gate during recess time.. During my time, the slide at the playground was made of woods and it was realllly high. Unlike now where it is just slightly above the ground and is plastic-based - BOOO! I always went up the stairs and pretended like I was about to get on an air plane. I loved playing the swing too. I remembered this one incident at my kampung in Ipoh, where I was wearing skirt and played the swing. Then the wind blew off my skirt and I fell down because I let my hands off the chain to cover the skirt. P/S: Kids, please don't wear skirts to playground, okay?

Time grows, so do people. I do miss my childhood time but I am happy being an adult. It's my time to contribute to the world.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

I honestly hate those three words. They appear like zillion times in my EDUC 371 assignment and I .. TRULY. HATE.THEM.

Enough said.

Day 10 - A picture of your most treasured item

My one and only favourite brooch!

I've been wearing this same old brooch for the headscarf since I entered maktab around mid-2007. I do own few other pretty brooches that people give as gifts but this particular one is my favourite for a reason I don't know why.

It doesn't have a beautiful design and I actually kinda forgot where I get this from. Very high sentimental value I would say. An item I treasure most!

This one rang a bell about my childhood days where I had a little brooch with a big red flower on it which I wore on the neck of my school's baju kurung. That one was really a favourite cause although the flower was already tercabut from the pin, I kept on continuing using it until the pin became rusty then only I changed.

Maybe it's because I don't enjoy familiarizing myself with a new thing again and again so I stick to one until it gets lost. Really hope this one would last! Haha. But the pin at the back macam nak patah dah sebenarnya..

Day 9 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 9 - A picture of  the person who has gotten you through the most

Mi mama! :)

Mak on the right side, with Opah..

She got me every time when I feel down or sad or frustrated, she just knows best! Just hearing she says 'Hai Min' on the phone, could already make me teary. She knows everything though I don't say a word to her. And she knows too whenever I have a crush on someone.. Err. :P

I'm sorry for every stupid thing I've ever done.. I still remembered you once chased me around the dining table with a hanger in your hand.. I was around 8-9 years old and couldn't quite remember what I did that time.. but I knew I pissed you off terribly.. I'm sorry.. For everything that I've done that make you sad.

You mean the world to me. Love you Mak.
See you in few months time. Don't miss me too much, okay? :)

Just a little sharing with all of you. From the Holy Quran:

( Al- Isra’17: 23 )

Maksudnya: “ ... Janganlah engkau mengatakan keduanya ( ibu bapa ) perkataan “ ah ” dan janganlah engkau membentak keduanya, dan ucapkanlah kepada keduanya perkataan yang baik.”

Day 8 - A picture of your hero / knight / heroine

Shrek and Friends! 

I am a big fan of Shrek movies!! :) :)

Why Shrek? He is an ordinary being (okay put aside the ogre blood in him).. Which I can relate a lot to humans. He is just a being with normal feelings; high egocentricity, couldn't care less about others and yeah he is ugly, some would say but I think he looks just fine. Cause that's what unique bout him. 

Nevertheless, the thing I adore bout him is.. Hidden underneath his negative attitudes, there lies a person with a beautiful heart in him. His motivation in life is his love towards his family and friends.

Gingy, Donkey, Puss in Boots and Shrek (with Woody) - my collection

Go watch all 4 Shrek films. You'll know.

Day 7 - A picture of the person you do the silliest things with

I wouldn't really say stuffs that I did was the dumb-kind of silly. They are more to cute-kind of silly. Err get what I mean? Anyways.. Here they are.. :)

The Hawtties!

Day 7 - A picture of the person you do the silliest things with

Us - the all-grown-up version (2011)
from left: Zati, ME, Dyl, Aida, Jaja, Nana and Iylea

Yeah the name was kinda gedik, but that's what we call ourselves, whether you liked it or not. Hahaha. Gedikness alert!

We were besties in Matriks K.Pilah, all the way from 2006 until now. We did lotsaaaa silly stuffs together but the one that I truly remembered was an event that took place back in 2007 - on the 15th of February. 

We were lepaking in my room (at the hostel) on the afternoon when suddenly a super brilliant idea came - to have our own post-Valentine's dinner party. So we divided tasks amongst us and I handled the room err excuse me the dinner hall decoration and menu for that night.

What we had that night was amazing.

Around 8pm the party started, lights were switched off and only tealight candles were lightened up. The guests (us!) walked on the red 'carpet' (made from a red-netted piece of cloth I found out of nowhere).. from the room door to the dinner place  - which was just about 5 metres away. Hehe. And.. Okay we actually ate on the floor. =_='.  

All of us needed to wear a wrist band each, to indicate us as the VVIP guest, as in the picture below. The flower-like shape was made of facial tissue and the same netted clothes as the red carpet were used to tie them up on our wrists.

Not so matang (2007)

The menu? Mihun goreng dengan lauk sardin which I ordered from Makcik Cafe A. Hahaha. Simple, yet 

delicious. For students like us, it was great enough to have sardines for dinner.

We also had award give-away. Each of us received an award according to our personality.. 

1- Jaja got herself the 'Miss Kasih Sayang' for she was the most caring and loving person in the group - ala2 mak-mak gitu..  

2- Dil- Miss Sleeping Beauty as she loved to sleep :P

3- Aida the most rajin person - Miss Workaholic.

That's all I remembered.. Sorry guys and girls.. And my award? Hehehe. I was given the title 'Miss Hawt '- for a reason which I still couldn't figure out why until now. Hahahaha. I didn't make this up, really. :P

Kinda silly and impromptu, but I treasured those moments lots.

See you tomorrow. :) 

Day 6 - A picture that makes you laugh

Need I say more?

Hahahaha. This one really got me every time.

Sorry Ms Hilton but this is hilarious. Hehehe.

So that's my Day 6 - A picture that makes you laugh.


:)

Day 5 - A picture of something you love

Commitment is drifting away, seriously.
However, the race is still on.
Fighting! :)


Day 5 - A picture of something you love.

STAR-GAZING!

I just love to star-gaze. Walk outside at night, do nothing, just to see the stars shine. The feeling is so good, to sit back and relax, enjoying the amazing view. SubhanAllah. Plus, Sydney's sky is very clear and the air is pretty clean to breathe in.


The last time I went star-gazing was last two weeks with my roomie Mira but that was actually to see the 'supermoon' (and girl talk of course!) *Though in the end, the size of the moon that we saw that night was normal like usual*. However, it shone a bit brighter and clear that night, SubhanAllah, amazing. :) 
We walked at around 8.30 pm from our house to Macquarie Centre (about 20 minutes walk) and then walked home. Takda kerja.

Me and Mira <3

My dream since I was small (which is not accomplished yet) .. Is to witness a shooting star. The sad thing about Macquarie Park - the area that I lived in particularly, it is really quite and kinda dangerous to go outside and 'ambil angin malam-malam' especially after 8pm because people here sleep very early. 

Anyway, I love the painting below alot. The moment I first saw it in my Arts in Early Childhood class last semester, I immediately fell in love with it. Stars are everywhere and you can see the reflection in the water.. The thing that caught my eyes was the two people in the picture on a beautiful starry night. Simply mesmerizing.

Vincent Van Gogh - Starry Night

So that's what I love to do, always. Star gazing. :)

Day 4 - A picture of something you'd like to do again

Day 4 - A picture of something you'd like to do again

Superman Escape, MovieWorld - Gold Coast. (Winter 2010)

I wanna be Superman again!

Hihi.

Yeah I would definitely want to ride the Superman Escape roller coaster again! Ini lah roller coaster paling tinggi, paling curam dan paling laju I've ever ridden! The best part of the ride was.. It moved a bit slow at the start (with a background voice telling the situation -- people in a subway (us!) were having an emergency so Superman had to come and save us fast)... And it accelerated suddenly at the speed of 100km/h (or so) -- when he 'came and pushed the train from the back'. Yeah, it was launched suddenly! I could literally feel blood rushed to the head when riding this. Loved the adrenaline rush!

Located at the Movieworld theme park in Gold Coast, this was a must for those who enjoyed riding roller coasters. I think it was Pidi who sat next to me during the ride. And oh, we took the front seats!! I loved sitting at the front row as I could see clearly the view from the peak and the steepness of the track. I held my arms out of the coach all the time during the ride although they warned earlier not to do so. Felt like flying! Love, love, love the feeling! I screamed out loud too! (til I had no energy at the end of the ride)

This is Pidi.
picture taken during our flight to Gold Coast.

I really felt like being saved by Superman at that time! By the way, my arms hurt for about a week after that. Maybe it was because of the gravity pull since the ride had 2 upside down turns and it was really fast.

Day 3 - A picture of the cast from your favourite show

Hello guys and girls. It's the third day and today's theme is "A picture of the cast from your favourite show".

My favourite show ever is ... UGLY BETTY!

I am a die-hard fan for this television series and have been following the episode since it first came out, when Betty was still like this.

Betty in 2006.

Before she turned to...

... THIS!
(Betty in 2010)

I watched the whole four seasons but now it had ended.. And I sometimes watched it again and again during my free time. Yeah, never got bored of it although I already knew the ending and even memorized some lines!

Back in maktab, I had my own television in the room. Despite having my own tv, I switched it on only once a week. Yeap, only for Ugly Betty. My ex-roomie Asrin was the witness, go ask her. Hihi. Luckily, I shared my passion for Ugly Betty with my other two partners in crime so we watched tv illegally together in my room every Tuesday.

My two partners in crime.
Left: Farah and me. Right: Mek Sya.

Just a little side info. My room was actually next to the hostel's tv room.

Back to Ugly Betty.


I could laugh, giggle and even cry watching Ugly Betty. Yeap, I cried watching the last episode when she finally left Mode - the place where she learnt about life which sometimes treated her the hardest way - in order to pursue her bigger dream... Cause Mode was the place everything started and it had to end..

I somehow could feel a connection between me and her. Despite her erm say... not so stylish figure, Betty was indeed a very confident girl! I envied her high-spirited self and her affection towards the people around her. I watched her fall and got up again -- she really was a true motivation for me.

Love, friendship and family were all the issues being raised in the series. It was really hilarious, fun, sad and an 'all-in-one' drama comedy and I always laughed out loud even though I watched it alone.

Betty might just be a fictional character and why should I feel so connected to her?
I believe there are parts of Betty in me. The positive ones, which I still need to dig deeper in my journey to really succeed in life.

Nevertheless.. I guess.. A truly happy girl can laugh and smile though no one's around her to actually make her happy, right?

:)

See you on Day 4.