keeping in check

"I think, you must go, 'mandi air bunga' ah.." my good neighbour, Sam said. We were in the lift, and talking about the cash card theft. "..that day, M'sia accident, then now this.. i think maybe sometimes.. you got to believe in these things la ah.. " Hubby and I, just laughed at that.

I'm not going to 'mandi air bunga' - unless it's only to make me smell nice.

I've been thinking about the events happening over the past few weeks/months.

When we got the keys to the new house, we were elated. Then, we managed to sell our current house at our intended price... very happy. We planned and prepared for the new house. I got a new camera. We both have jobs, we can afford reasonable things we want. We were excited, buying things for the new house.. So many things to thank Allah for. All seemed well.

"Then, when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded."
Al Quran, Al - An'am 6: 44

Na'udzubillah. I don't want that to happen to us. As such, I'm strangely kind of glad, or relieved, these things happened - and within what I can, with Allah's help, handle. Now, I know God is keeping me in check. Alhamdulillah. I should be more worried if there were totally no trials for us.

BUT STILL, we pray...

"Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those before us. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us against those who deny the truth."
Al Quran, Al Baqarah 2:286

Ameen, ya rabbal a'lamin.

first time after two years

Finally this morning, I took the company bus to work.  (last evening, tak jadi).  It was.... quite relaxing, because instead of keeping my eyes on the road and the back of other vehicles, I can look out the bus window and enjoy the view.  View of people on the street, people in other vehicles, buildings, constructions, trees, factories.   I also managed a 5-10 mins nap.  And the best part of it is, I reached office early.  

Let's see if I feel the same way by the end of the week.

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my life is NOT boring

Yup. My life is NOT boring. That's for sure now.
Some more 'interesting' thing happened to me.

I was going to go to work yesterday morning - not enthusiastically. I approached the driver side of the door. Then I saw it. The driver's side window, was smashed. Bits and pieces of glass on my seat, and just outside the car.

MasyaAllah. I couldn't BELIEVE it was happening to ME.. Took me a few seconds to register 'Biar betul?!?!' I stood there for a few seconds more.. confirming what I'm seeing. I took a deep breath. Ya Allah, this is truly a test. And I am determined to be among those who, when a tragedy befalls them, they say, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun". I'm going to remain calm.

I looked at the IU unit, the thief, had taken my cash card - that was covered by the IU cover actually. IU cover was also missing.
Ok then.. what to do next? Oh yes, of course. Call husband.

He told me to call the police. I asked him.. "call '999'? "
"Ya lah."
Oh ok.. i thought perhaps there were some other numbers to call for 'not-such-an emergency' case.

And so, I called them, the policewoman who answered said, the police will be at my place shortly. I had time to ask Rus to come down with my camera. So I got a few pics, here's one.



The police arrived 10 mins later. They interviewed me : No, I have no suspect in mind, yes, I topped up the card just yesterday and this place and at this time.
After that they spent the next 30 mins or so investigating around the vicinity, taking pictures of the smashed window, taking fingerprints and what not.

In the meantime, I was thinking.. masyaAllah.. MY car.. out of the tens of cars around here.. the thief picked MY car. The one that is among the smallest, and with an IU cover. And NO OTHER car, suffered the same fate. Qada' and qadar. Remain calm, and life goes on.


On the bright side of yesterday.. I inevitably took the day off from work. I had lunch with hubby, AND the car was repaired on the same day.

So, I have the car today.. but only for half a day, because after that.. hubby is using it for the next two weeks till his car is repaired.

I'll be looking forward to taking 'green' transportation home this evening - and learn to live again, with some inconveniences.
Come to think of it, it's a bit like fasting... hmm.

OK lah..have a nice week ahead everyone!

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the thing about packing/moving

"I think we should start packing already".  
We have been saying this for a few weeks now.   But we haven't start.

Dadha also asked about 2 weeks ago, "Have you started packing?  or are you going to call us all down to help pack, when it's time to move?"
I told her I'll call them down.  I was a quarter serious. Still considering.

But I HAVE made progress.  I have put up a list of big stuff to bring over and exactly where to place them, in the new house.  The big stuff are easier.

It's the small, tiny stuff that is the headache.   Things like clothes, toys, books, DVD/VCD/CDROMs, stationaries, kitchen utensils, pots and pans.  
Hmm..that's about it... the small stuff list. Doesn't look that bad.   Did I miss anything out?

I've been thinking about the process of packing and moving.

The thing is, you can't do it too early.. like clothes, utensils.. - kan.. we will still be using it till the day before we move?  So THOSE, will still have to be done at the last minute.. perhaps the day before we move.  Of course some stuff like books and toys can be packed earlier.

The packing itself is quite simple.  It's just taking those stuff you are suppose to bring, and placing it in the boxes.  How difficult can that be?

The tricky part is, organising which box to place what in, naming the boxes properly, so that we can easily instruct the movers, in which rooms to place the named boxes, AND not lose stuff.

The time consuming part is.. making decisions.  Deciding what to bring, what to throw, or who to give stuff to.

So this time consuming part, is the one that we need to tackle from NOW.

Yeap.. I should start on that soon.est.

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getting what you're NOT looking for

On saturday, we went out with the intention to get dining table lights for the new house.  We spent almost half a day going in and out of light shops, looking for a suitable one.  We did not manage to find any.  Instead, at the end of that shopping trip, we ended up in a mattress shop, confirming our set of mattresses.

Then on sunday, we went out again to look for the dining table lights.  
At the end of that day's shopping trip, we were in a furniture shop, confirming the dining table instead.  And I'm tired.

Perhaps, this weekend we should go out looking for a couch or something - and hopefully we'll end up getting the dining table lights at last.

Blossom's Law on furniture shopping.

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the green retribution

Last Thursday, when I met pink, i told her, "my life is boring.. nothing happened."

Well, on Saturday SOMETHING happened.

I was driving my hubby's car to Melaka, with my parents, Rus, Eema and Nadhrah. It was raining heavily. Vision was only up to 100-200m. I was on the right lane.

Suddenly, I saw the red brake lights come on, on the Singapore car in front of me. I hit on my brakes, fully, but i could feel the car was still sliding.. Then just as it was stopping right behind the car, BANG! a Malaysian car hit the back of our car, causing my car to inevitably hit the car in front. And then BANG! a small lorry hit the car that hit me.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.

...errm.. i think i'm too stoned from flu medicine and too tired to type long long right now...

see pictures.




Despite all, Alhamdulillah, everyone is perfectly fine.

Of couse I feel guilty that now my husband has to use a replacement car while his car stays in the workshop for 3 weeks. The free replacement car is only for 14 days. Which means that I will have to let him use my car after that. Which MEANS that... I.. will have to 'go green' for a week or more!

And to think that I was complaining so much about going green for just one day.
ceh.

being green

The company has sent out an email to all staff, about the Green Transport Day campaign, which is to take place this Thursday. We have been asked to confirm our participation by clicking on one of the two buttons provided. For staff who usually come by car - "Yes, I will take Green transport!", and for those who normally commute by public transport - "Yes! I'm a Green commuter!"

Since I am driving, that leaves me with only one choice - "Yes, I will take Green transport!"........... Believe me, I have been hovering my mouse over that button for the longest time, but I have not been able to click it just yet. I have been trying to convince myself to participate. BUT what if I'm late that day?? ..and I usually am . And what a drag, to think of rushing to board the company bus, alighting at the crowded train station, squeezing into the train, spending 1.5 hours just to reach home, when I can reach home in approximately 20 mins, by car.

I know I sound selfish. :( But shoots.. what's the point of taking 'green' transport for one day and driving for the rest of the 364 days??

I'll be green in other ways. I think I AM being green in other ways :
- I do not waste paper - I think 10 times before printing anything. In fact i hardly ever print anything - I prefer softcopies.
- I re-use envelopes - especially those new ones sent by tree-killer banks who send LOADS of waste paper asking people to get into debt or more debt.
- Whenever I remember, or when it's not too late, I refuse plastic bags from shops.
- I have been conscious about energy usage at home. I didn't turn on the lampu lap lip last Raya in a bid to save energy. When equipments are not in use I switch off the main points, rather than have it on standby. I switch off lights in empty rooms.
- and...come to think it, other than the trip to work and from work - I DO try to cut down on using my own transport. I try to avoid having to travel long distances to meet friends (especially when petrol prices are increasing). AND I use unleaded petrol.


About Thursday, I am still trying to convince myself. Though on the other hand, I am also justifying the point of my actually doing it, IF I do it. Just like, what is the point of having a 'dinner with your family campaign - ONE day out of 365 days?? So, I still cannot click on that button just yet, or else I'll have to paint my car green, in order not to be lying.

BUT insyaAllah, I pledge to be green in most other ways, 365 days, consistently.

:-S

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for my wife

After almost a whole day being away for golf, he was having dinner with the family.

he : for your info, just now, my friend asked me to play golf tomorrow. he said, 'it's free, you just come and play'. Then I told him no, tomorrow is for my wife.

she : awwhh.. you said that? that's so sweeet.

Pause.

he : well.. actually.... those were not my exact words to him lah..

she : oh? then how did you tell him?

he : i said to him.. 'kau nak mampus?!!'