Madame Blossom's Book of Poems

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Is God a Mathematician?

When I'm at the library or bookshop kan, sometimes I'd browse through books that I think I am interested in, but don't think I'll finish reading, because it can be too dry.

Like the other day, I was browsing through these 2 interesting books : 'The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI, the World's Most Astonishing Number ' by Mario Livio and the other one is 'Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe' by Martin Rees.

I'm not going to bore you AND ME, with the details, but enough to say, scientists found that the universe were built on VERY specific numbers. If that specific number was any greater or smaller by the slightest bit, the universe would not have existed at all. Everything is ruled by specific numbers from atoms to growths and gases, light, speed, dimensions. Subhanallah! kan??

But we must be reminded, that man has very very LIMITED knowledge, and this is only what they have found. And Allah is All-Wise and All-Knowing.

And I believe, that if we are to increase our iman and aqidah, we need stop looking at our world through our own tiny keyholes pinholes, and start to be aware, and appreciate the creations in the heaven and earth, to understand the precision of it all, in order to understand how GREAT Allah is, to feel it, when we say 'Allahu Akbar'.

Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,

Al Quran, Al-Imran 3:190



Then, one of the chapter titles in the book, The Story of PHI, caught my attention. 'Is God a Mathematician?'

I didn't bother reading that chapter, because I know, whatever is going to be said in that chapter, is the conjecture, the guess, of a mere single man, this author.

And at once, when I read that question, I know I have the answer already, because God told us in the Quran.

Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure

Al Qamar 54:49


Glorify the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High,
Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion;

Al A'la 87:1-2



Allahu Akbar!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

shopping center story

I went shopping yesterday, during the Christmas holiday. This is the FIRST time I went shopping on Christmas day. I think it may be my last.

I think some Singaporeans can be quite crazy (yesterday, that includes hubby and me). The queue at payment counters were like.. 100-200 meters long - i think - i'm not good with guessing the length in metrics, but ok..imagine having to walk about 1 min, just to get to the end of the queue.

So, we went around in search of the shortest queue. Found it at the cosmetics level.

While queueing, there was this older (than me) chinese lady in front of me. Suddenly she was greeted by somebody who seems to be her ex colleague - a man, carrying a small boy. The man chatted with her, asking her how she was, and where she's working now.. blah blah blah.. yada yada yada.. AND he continued chatting with her as the queue moved along.

Now, I was thinking.. baik nyer some colleauges.. so concerned and boleh berbual panjang2 macam ni dengan an ex colleague.

Then, I'm beginning to wonder..bini dia ni, nanti tak marah ke nampak dia diri dengan perempuan lain tengah line up.. berbual panjang2.. sampai ikut jalan dengan queue semua?
The lady must be wondering the same thing, cause she asked,'where's your wife?' He said, she's probably shopping for her stuff. Then the lady told him.. the queue is quite long, he'd better start lining up for his wife. Then he said, 'let her finish everything she wants to get first'. and he continued chatting with her.

Sampai kat depan cashier, the wife suddenly appears! and said 'oh hi' and all that.. and asked if she could also PAY TOGETHER!.. CEEEEEH!!! ada udang sebalik batu rupanyer. After chatting with the guy nicely all along the queue, i guess the lady pun macam da tak boleh nak reject kan.. Sick.

Cutting queue like that, was not the worst part. It's the insincerity of his whole chat with her and the how-are- you crap. He was just making use of her.

He should have just told her his intention from the start. Or, he could have just queued up, i think there were only 10-20 people behind us in the queue when he first appeared.

What can I say.. there exists such a group of people.

a tag

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.
->My hubby.

2. What were you doing at 0800?
->About to put my leg on the floor.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
->posting a blog entry.

4. What happened to you in 2006?
->a lot.
(ok..i have a feeling this questions were meant for new year's eve of 2007)

5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
->Isogashi desu ka?

6. How many beverages did you have today?
->Two.

7. What color is your hairbrush?
-> Black.. and I don't see the point.
(..in fact, i don't see the point to all the questions)

8. What was the last thing you paid for?
-> Lunch.

9. Where were you last night?
-> On my bed lah.

10. What color is your front door?
-> Brown - why?

11. Where do you keep your change?
-> In my purse or in my pocket.
and the other one's giving a high five.

12. What’s the weather like today?
-> Fine.

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
-> Vanilla

14. What excites you?
-> Beautiful sceneries.

15. Do you want to cut your hair?
-> You know a hairdresser?

16. Are you over the age of 25?
-> Yes.

17. Do you talk a lot?
-> Guess.

18. Do you watch the O.C.?
-> What's that?

19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
-> Yes.

20. Do you make up your own words?
-> naeh.

21. Are you a jealous person?
-> No.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.
-> Ants

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
-> Kangaroo

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
-> Hubby

25. What does the last text message you received say?
-> Ok Yey! Thanks so much.

26. Do you chew on your straw?
-> No.

27. Do you have curly hair?
-> Yes

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
-> home.

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
-> Can't think of anyone.

30. What was the last thing you ate?
-> Leen's pie.. or something like that.

31. Will you get married in the future?
-> Allahu'alam.

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
-> In the past 2 weeks aje kan.. 'Enchanted'

33. Is there anyone you like right now?
-> Of course lah.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
-> Yesterday

35. Are you currently depressed?
-> No

36. Did you cry today?
-> No.

37. Why did you answer and post this?
-> a. Because i was tagged by a nice blue lady.
-> b. because I had nothing better to do.

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey:
-> hmm.. let's just stop here and save others from misery. :P

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

so near, yet so far

* --> updated 20/12/07 *

Disclaimer : very very very long post.

There is another lesson I learnt while in KL this time, from the following incident.

I was alone, in a cab, on the way to meet Anis at the Curve. I was suppose to msg her when I reach the place. The last msg I just got from her was '.. be safe'.

InsyaAllah, only in just a few minutes, I'll see her.

When the cab reached there, I paid the driver and got out of the cab.
As the cab moved away, I realise I had *#@(#$@ left my handphone in the cab!
I felt like running after the cab, but it moved away too fast. Takde traffic jam pulak, when I needed one!!

Hubby said later, I should have taken off my shoe and throw it at the cab. Now, i imagine THAT would have created quite a scene, plus I don't know if I can aim well. My shoe would probably end up NOT hitting the cab, I'd be lucky if it didn't hit any other car. It'll end up on the road, getting run over by other cars - then trying to get into the middle of the road to retrieve it - now, that would be another daring act.
So, NO, i didn't think of that.

err.. wait. I think I DID think of that for a split sec. But I stopped at 'THAT would have created quite a scene' and dumped the thought.

My first second thought was to immediately call the msian number I was using, but oh.. the hp is IN THE CAB! I walked into the nearby hotel to get help from the hotel staff. But.. great! I didn't even remember the msian number! Luckily the hotel staff agreed to make a call to hubby's singapore no, because he has that msian number. The first few times, they say they can't get thru, and finally when they did, 15-20 mins must have passed.

I told hubby to call my number hoping that the nice pakcik driver would hear it, answer it and send it back to me.
I paced around the Hotel (must have been like a mad or lost lady), and out of the hotel, to see if the cab has returned with my hp. I bothered the hotel staff again, to call hubby for an update. Hubby said, he called the number - someone picked up and turned it off.

There goes my handphone.

Then, oh.. Anis!..I don't remember her number also! How was I going to tell her that I've reached?? We were suppose to have met by then, I was there, with no way to contact her, and I totally had no idea where she'd be.
I walked around quite aimlessly - walked a bit around the Curve to see, if MAYBE she's waiting for me at some coffee joint ke..

MasyaAllah! to think that we were like, going to meet each other in a FEW minutes, and suddenly it seems IMPOSSIBLE to actually meet her, although we were in the same place! There were so many people around. The place was very NICE but i was too worried and anxious, to admire and take pictures (and i can't anyway... i lost my camera AND hp!!).

I was a bit fedup that I had left my hp, and I was worried that there was no way of contacting her and I probably won't meet her! She'd be waiting, worried sick about me! What would she be thinking? I was hoping that she wouldn't think that I'm some psycho who played some silly trick on her.

While walking around, i remembered that sometimes, on YM.. her status wud be 'Im on SMS'. So I figured perhaps if I can logon to yahoo from SOMEWHERE or somebody's laptop, I can msg her!. I approached this pony tailed guy, with a laptop. He doesn't have YM.

I walked around some more and suddenly had the idea of calling Hadi at the hotel and ask him to logon to my yahoo and msg her. But there is no PAY phone around!! I ended up at Border's Starbucks, tired from worrying and being anxious. Ordered my drink, then dengan muka tebal, asked the not-so-bad-looking-barista, if I could use his handphone. He was very nice, and let me use the hp twice, then let me hold on to his handphone, for almost as long as I was there.

I sat near the window, hoping that IF she was walking around, she'd see me. I still can't believe at how close I was to meeting her, before it suddenly became almost impossible.

Hadi said, there was no reply to the YM msg.

I was also thinking about how I could pass the stuff I brought for her, since I would probably not be seeing her, this trip. I decided to pass it to the barista at Starbucks, so that she could perhaps come on another day to pick it up.

I sat there for nearly an hour, contemplating on the events of the day. Lost my camera in the day, lost my hp, and wud probably not meet Anis. All, not according to MY plan, but according to His. MasyaAllah.

I gave up hope on meeting her that night. So I wrote a note and put it with the stuff. I left it with the barista, who kindly agreed to hold on to it until it's collected, and gave me his number.

It was 9pm already, and a cab was going to pick me up at 930pm. Before I left that place, I decided to repay the barista's help, by buying him a prepaid reload coupon. So I walked out, looking for 7-11.

"Kat sebelah Maybank aje" a couple of boys said, when I asked them.
Then, they gave me directions, on how to get to Maybank/7-11.

I walked slowly to the store, got in, bought the reload coupon, walked out. I wanted to get to Starbucks the shorter way, so I walked in front of Maybank.

Then I saw this lady, just outside the bank.
Oh my God. That can't be Anis...

MasyaAllah, but it WAS!!

She saw me too. and of course we were both surprised and soooo relieved. We hugged each other, like some long lost sibling who just met. Questioning and explaining, very fast and in high pitch voices..(.and I suddenly wondered what the people at the ATMs were thinking, looking at us.)

Then we both let out a loooong sigh of relieve, as if on cue. (..which happened again in the car, on the way to KL)

NOW, what seems impossible just a few minutes ago, has suddenly happened! I met her, - just out of our so-called coincidences! - more like..by Allah's plan and will.

Until today I am still awed, at how, masyaAllah, the possible became impossible, then the impossible became possible all in one night.


To cut the already-very-long-story short, she finally sent me back to KL and we had LATE dinner there instead. hah.

After the ordeal, it was EXTRA nice and sweet to have met her and spent some time with her. Alhamdulillah. :)



1, 2, 3.
*long sigh of relieve*


p.s. 20/12/07 --> actually I'm reminded of an ayat:

If Allah do touch thee with hurt, there is none can remove it but He: if He do design some benefit for thee, there is none can keep back His favour: He causeth it to reach whomsoever of His servants He pleaseth. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Al Quran, Yunus 10:107


:| Subhanallah.

Monday, December 17, 2007

on a losing streak

*si-----gh*

This trip to KL (ikut hubby pegi kerja kat sana), was like.. a losing streak for me.

1. I lost my camera on the 2nd day, left it on a bench in Times Square - I think. Nowhere to be found.

2. I lost my hp on the 2nd day ALSO - left it in the cab *more on this later.
(yup! 2nd time, losing it in KL, last time on a bus.)

3. I lost Eema on the last day - kat KLCC - tempat yang BESAR macam apa tu..
She was left behind when we (maryam, faris, hadi, hanaa, nadhrah and me) moved on from petrosains to Kino. And I only realised it at Kino.

I felt like...totally useless....sick.
tak boleh harap.. itu ini.

Alhamdulillah, she was smart, as to approach the security officer, who brought her to the customer service counter.

I couldn't control my tears when I got her back. MasyaAllah.

After all the losing streaks..I'm so glad I got this PRECIOUS one back. MasyaAllah, Alhamdulillah!!!



I still remember the ayat from Al Quran, Al Baqarah 2:155-156.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun - to the phone and camera.
It's nothing in comparison to Eema, although i AM a bit sad.

I'm moving on.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

my password

my office is very serious about ISM - Internal Security Management.

Every morning, I have to go through 4 passwords, just to get to my emails.

Not only that, these many many passwords that we have, must be regularly changed. some ONCE A MONTH! and some 3 months once. It's quite a chore to think of new ones. My colleague was saying that he's run out of passwords that he can remember, "I already used my father, mother, daughter, grandfather, grandmother's name, birthday all!".

*Of course, family names are actually not good passwords.

So anyhow, for me, I remember most of my passwords.
Except for the HRMS system.

Because I seldom log into this system. But everytime I did, I'd have to reset my password, because I just don't seem to remember it.

I decided to do something about it. The next time I reset my password, I recorded the new password, so that I can check later. But I cannot stick my password on my desk, it'll fail ISM. It has to be in a safe place. To remind myself, I indicated the reminder in the URL bookmark.

A couple of weeks later, I had to use the HRMS system. I remember I saved my pw somewhere but don't remember where. I click on my internet bookmark, and there it says 'HRMS system - check email-reference for pw.'

"Aaaahh..smart!", I thought to myself. =D

Went to my email inbox, under reference folder, found HRMS reset password

I opened the email.

When I saw it, macam nak ketawa jugak. In the email, it says 'Look in drawer under cards for password'.

I seriously forgot that I did that.
True enough, I opened my drawer, and there under the cards, was my password.

Macam treasure hunt pulak.

Hmm..I amuse myself, sometimes.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

would you sit by the river with me?

"Would you like to go to raffles place with me, maybe go on the boat ride or just sit by the river and do nothing?", i asked hubby.

"No."

"Ha? Why!?"

"It's not even a river..it's a very big drain."

Okay, so he is PROBABLY, technically, right.
But I still like it - it's a nice big drain.

moving to an island

This morning I had quite a nice dream. It involves us, moving into a house supposedly near 'nature'. Then, it seemed to me like we moved onto an island, because to the right of my house, I noticed people arriving by boat (the kind like on the river big drain at raffles place ) and I somehow knew that they came from the mainland.

I was also very happy to note that the convenience store (macam old kampung style one) was just 10 steps away from my back door.


On that small island, there were buses to bring people around. But the buses were soooooo old, it's rusty and some part of the bus roof were missing and it wobbled like it can break apart at any moment. Then, my father was telling me, "the bus can still move and before it really breaks down, some rich people will buy a new bus to replace it.

There were two very old cinemas on that island, but they are far apart, you'd have to take the wobbly bus to go to the other one.

And then, I turned around to look at another wobbling bus driven by an old chinese man. I took out my camera and wanted to shoot some pictures of the old man and the bus. I told him to hold his pose. He came very near. Then he started doing gymnastics!

Then I heard Rus knocking and calling, "Kak, kak! Tak pergi kerja, kak?"

These few days, I only have my dreams to tell about, because nothing VERY exciting is happening in my real life, except that I went to town last weekend (pictures later, when the mood comes). Spent quite a lot on books and scrapbooking materials. And I started playing Sudoku, Scrabulous and Smartermind on Facebook. exciting kan? Yea, i know.

Oh, and editing a wedding video that took place more than a year ago. And I'm looking for the am-pe-3 for lagu siti - 'kau ku sayang' for this video. So if anyone has it, or knows of anyone else who does - PLEASE contact me. I NEED it.
Thank you so much in advance.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

i flew again

Ok. ermm. I just wanted to record this - before i totally forget about it.

It's not as vivid as the last flying experience I had. It's also not as long, or as fun.

But anyhow, I dreamt that I flew again. This time through space. And I WAS flying with somebody, although by now I totally cannot remember who it was. I just remember, flying macam superman through space - seeing stars against the black background, all around me. Don't remember feeling any wind, just the speed.

Yeah.. that's all i remember. flying through space for that 5-10 secs.
Still didn't beat that previous flying experience.
Alhamdulillah for this nice dream.

Ok. Belajar.

with pink and nur, by the river

while i was brushing my teeth just now, I remembered somebody said, :
I have to be ready by 7plus, then I'll go to the toilet, brush my teeth, and be ready to sleep by 8pm.

But I couldn't recall WHO said it. And I was thinking about it, the whole time I was brushing my teeth.
Well, ok lah.. 'the whole time' tu takde la lama sangat... ada la dalam 2-3 minit.

It could have been someone at the office.. but i can't imagine any of the guys from the office telling me THAT. OR it could have been in one of the movies I've been watching every night, just to fall asleep. But which movie?

I finished brushing my teeth, laid down on my bed, still thinking about it, disturbed that I don't remember WHO said it.

Suddenly I remembered, as the scene played back in my mind.
It was Cik Anis, whom I visited at the hospital just now.
And she didn't even say it in omputeh.
How strange the mind works.

Anyhow, I had fun tonight.
when I REALLY should be studying.



*some shots by Pink.

May Cik Anis recover fast and be able to run asap. And may we ALL have a sweet and wonderful week.

Ameen.