I'm yours

Pink asked me to listen to this song, and I immediately fell in love with it.
Hadi too.

And if the song is good, the lyrics of the song is decent, no desperate-half-naked-women prancing around - high chance I'll like it. To top that up, it shows God consciousness, nevermind IF he is Christian (I don't know).

By Jason Mraz (i've omitted all the repeats)

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
and now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon its again my turn to win some or learn some

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
It's your God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

I like this live version.

the alchemist & Islam at the Crossroads

I have to admit, I was first excited about the book, more because of the hype. It is said to be THE book and was read by a lot of famous and/or good people - people like Bill Clinton, Julia Roberts, Afdlin Shauki, good Muslim brothers and sisters I know.

It's a folklore. With interesting philosophical statements about life. The story itself is more or less simple and somewhat mystical.
Interesting and thought provoking - is how I would describe it. And I like the idea of being a shepherd. Our prophet was once a shepherd.

3 interesting phrases/word, from the book, that I still remember.

1. Maktub
It's arabic - it means 'written' or in this context, fated.
Being a Muslim - of course I agree with this. Memang everything da tertulis.
This word was being repeated by a Muslim character in the book.

2. Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself
I agree with this also. So often, it is true. And as long as you don't try - you'll never know.
Anyhow, insyaAllah, we will be able to withstand it, because Allah will never burden a soul, more than it can handle.


3. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it
Ok.. this one... I appreciate the motivation, but even when I first read it, i felt like it doesn't sound quite right.
Then I read Mohammad Asad's : Islam at the Crossroad. I found something similar, but more accurate. It says:
The religious human being knows that whatever happens to him and within him, can never be the result of a blind play, of forces without consciousness and purpose. He believes it to be the outcome of God conscious will alone, and therefore, organically integrated within a universal plan.

When i first read that, i let out a sigh of contentment - i couldn't agree more - and it is so beautifully written.

how to start a fire

I feel macam malap aje..
I need to start a fire - in me.

Car battery went dead on me last week.
But the uncle who came to fix it was nice and sweet, leen almost asked him for his number.

We had company dinner last thursday. it was mostly rude, obscene, pointless. Except for the 3 LCD TVs they gave away, of which, I didn't get any.

But I HAD more fun last weekend, at a bungalow in Changi. Alhamdulillah.
It was a waste though, that the camera battery went dead on the FIRST day at the bungalow, and I forgot to bring the charger. No actually i brought the wrong charger. It was just not meant to be, masyaAllah.

The cake below, is by.... who? Yes.. Cik Alin. :D
I think I can have a standard note to reader already : All cakes featured on this site is by Cik Alin, unless otherwise stated. Hee.

Happiness

I was sad yesterday, when I read about how Bhutan, was the last country in the world to have access to television in 1999. I was sad not because they were slow, but because... there goes the last unpolluted set of minds.  Introduction to television, many in Bhutan complained, has affected their Gross National Happiness.  Crime wave also followed.*

I remember reading about another similar case before, in a book about global economy. About how a small village, i think around Nepal, used to have people who were generally HAPPY and contented with the little, simple things they had.  They had shelter and enough food, for everyone.

THEN, global economy was introduced. They were promised more 'happiness', more money (which previously they had not much need for).  And after that, people grew 'poorer' and found that they are not able to live with the new standards.  There were less happiness and everyone starts to envy the other one, for something that the other have.  

Is it a surprise that happiness does NOT lie in the LV bag or the clothes from guess?;
NOt also from wealth or anything from the west?


*source
http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905655

so many thoughts, so little time & mood

yah. like that.

maybe i'm just too busy thinking. just thinking.

Let's see some pics.

Ni time drive up to Melaka with my dad and mum and girls and rus. Yang stuck in 2 hour jam tu. One night only.

Ni masa lela sis in law, but nasi ayam penyet kat rumah dia..

ni erwin - founder of rubiks club kat office =D

n2f,red, blue, green

hey neighbour


oh yes, we live in a 'fine' city.

the escapee

As some of you may know, the ex leader of a terrorist group in Singapore named Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) has escaped. His name is Mas Selamat.

It has affected us, Singaporeans a bit.

Most Singaporeans received MMS from the telco companies sending us pictures of him, to keep alongside with pictures of our family and friends on our handphone.

And leaving Singapore is quite trying. I was stuck in a jam at the Tuas Checkpoint for 2 whole hours! last Sunday, because of police checks. They require the thumbprint of every single adult going out of Singapore. Perhaps, inspired by western movies like Face Off, they are afraid that Mas Selamat may disguise himself as someone else. Nevermind if you are an old, hunched chinese lady with small eyes - you still have to get your thumbprint taken. Hey.. who knows..

The choice of colours for clothes worn by Singaporeans are also affected. I don't think anyone in Singapore will put on any yellowish top and brown pants, so as not to be mistaken for the escapee (he escaped in those).

And if you have just injured your leg during a soccer game or something, it's not a good idea to go out and be seen walking with a limp. A Bangladeshi guy who is here to have his bad leg treated, had the police on high alert and on a search mission around the place where he is staying, because someone saw him walking with a limp and alerted the police.

In the meantime, some Singaporeans have started a whole string of jokes via sms and via email. This normally happens when there is a big issue in the country. I guess it's their way of overcoming their fears or frustrations or... Examples below.

SMS example:

"He is believed to have escaped to Malaysia or Indonesia, because the governments in these countries have signs up "Selamat Datang!"

And this one by email :



Harmless jokes aside, I thought about how his family is doing, with the news of his escape. They must be worried sick. They would be more relieved if he was in prison, not because they would like him to be there, but just because it is more dangerous for him to be out there. I can't imagine how he'll find food and clothes and where he sleeps.

May Allah save us from unwanted bombing incidents like those happening in Pakistan and other Middle Eastern countries. Ameen.


*Update (2 hrs later)*
No, no..he has not been caught.
But I just read the papers just now and I feel guilty. I was complaining about how i was stuck for 2 whole hours!. Apparently the truck drivers mostly from Malaysia, have been stucked in the jam on both exit points for a lot more longer than I have. Some were stuck since Tuesday, and they are not even near the customs checkpoint yet. It's quite an eye opener actually - how difficult some people's job is. Their pay is affected, they are being scolded by the bosses who don't believe that anyone could be stuck in a jam for that long. I wonder how long more we will be faced with these things.

Maybe Singapore should just announce to stop all exports by road.
Even now it's crawling out. Then, the drivers need not have to wait there for days.
Yes, that one man's disappearance, it seems, can affect the country's economy.