our meager knowledge

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Scientists have come to realise that : "..we've so far, glimpsed but a meager slice of reality."

- The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene.


Subhanallah. What can I say.

in their opinion

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

"I had to make a decision based on what I thought was appropriate for my daughter and for my wife.." Obama, was explaining to the press about his absence from a General Assembly, where an important bill was being voted for. Before that, he had left his family on their own for a lot of times, and during that time, he was on his shortened vacation in Hawaii and his daughter fell sick.

The writer of this book, also a journalist, went on to write :
Most of the roughly fifty seniors who listened to Obama seemed to buy his explanation of a sick child.... I however was more cynical. Using the excuse of a sick toddler while vacationing in Hawaii seemed a bit hard to swallow. THUS, I began my story the next day in the Tribune this way: Proving the political principle that one memorable public decision can define a politician for some time, state Sen. Barack Obama called reporters to a senior citizens' home Sunday to unveil a health care proposal but soon found himself explaining his controversial Christmastime vacation.

See, he did not even mention about the fact that Obama had been leaving his family on their own, due to his tight schedules before that, that his family vacation was actually already cut short to allow him to return to office earlier, and that his daughter fell sick at that time.

What I'm trying to prove and highlight here, as I have mentioned before, is that, how stories in the newspaper are being portrayed to the public is heavily dependent on the journalist's opinion - he writes according to his OWN opinion. Most journalist are not neutral. And that is why, when we read stories in the newspaper, about anything that is not straightforward, we always need to have an open mind, when we read these stories - and remember that we are reading this based on one single (probably unimportant) person's OPINION.

E.g. of a not straightforward story is, "Mr A seemed to shy away from reporters, when he was asked about the incident." or "Mr B said that he does not care about the issue that was being raised". - these can be subjected to the reporter's perception. For all you know, Mr A needed to get to the toilet fast, and Mr B have not looked into the issue just yet.

E.g. of straightforward is, "In an accident on the BKE this morning, a motorcyclist got flung and was hanging on the branch of a tree, until help arrived." In this line, there is little room where the reporter could have slipped in his opinion about what happened.

hornbill surprise

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

It should be no surprise, since we are staying next to the (mini) jungle. But it was still a surprise!

When I first saw it yesterday, at the block across ours, I thought it was the home owner's pet... until we saw it flew off back to the trees!

Today, it came to visit again. The children enjoyed watching the bird. :)

on ideas and doodles

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

So, yesterday was our English exams, and we had to choose a topic to write on, betweeb 60-80 words.

Actually I hate writing. For many many years before I took this course, I have VERY SELDOM write. I've always typed. So now, that I have to write.. my handwriting is... like a student's scribblings on rough paper. I just have no patience to write one by one letter or word nicely. Especially during exams, I want to write as fast as I type.. hence the bad handwriting.



I listen to my young and single friends telling me about their experiences abroad, with envy. Some of them went abroad to study, while others go for an extended holiday.

If I could turn back time, I would have packed my bags and go on a study trip. Even if it's just for three months, just to pick up a language.

I believe the experience of being in another country, especially of those with different cultures, blending into their everyday life, is an invaluable lesson in itself.


Oh yes, I came across this youtube video on from another blogger, which I think is awesome! The doodles, animation and the interview with John Lennon.

p.s. Of course I don't agree that a person is square, if they dont' agree with drugs. ceh.

peace

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah : for He is the One that heareth and knoweth (all things).

Al Quran, Anfal 8:61

Hidden Food II

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

While having sandwich for lunch at MB's desk..


FUZZ
Eh? I thought we bought two bananas kan tadi?

MB
(Looking around her table...and then..)
.. oh ya.. I da sembunyikan kat belakang laptop.

FUZZ
=D Tak terlupa ke nanti?

MB
Tak. (illa masyaAllah), every hour or half hour before 3pm nanti, mesti I teringat. :p

hidden food

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

I'm not that strong sometimes. I have to resort to hiding my food, from view - so that I don't get tempted to eat them when I'm not hungry.

Yesterday, I bought red bean bun (that reminds me of the hot cross bun poem), wrapped in plastic. I hid it behind my laptop, as I usually do when I'm not hungry. But alas, I didn't hide it well enough. I could still see the plastic end. I tried to resist it. I couldn't. I ended up tearing up the plastic wrap and having 1/3 of the bun. By 3pm, the intended time of consumption.. I had already finished it.



Today I bought a fruitcake - and I've hidden it behind my laptop, totally hidden. Let's see if it stays there until 3pm.

3pm is my self declared tea break.



The Red bean bun poem
- to the beat of 'Hot Cross Bun' -

Red bean bun, red bean bun;
Go put in front, now buey tahan;
Sudah telan, red bean bun.

p.s. 1.5 hrs to go

Six Degrees of Separation

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

I've seen a book about this before. I considered buying it, but I had other books I wanted to read too, so I didn't get to that.

It is said to have been proven, that by only 6-7 chains of acquantainces or less, to the right chain of people if I might add, I can actually be introduced to Tariq Ramadan or Barrack Obama or Jason Mraz or M Nasir or Afdlin Shauki. M Nasir and Afdlin Shauki being closer to us, I believe it could be even just 2-3 degrees of separation or less. Wow.

But then again..do I have the TIME to be introduced to those other 1,2,3,4,5-6 people in between? As it is now, I am already having a hard time, trying to catch up with everyone that I'm close with, not even those that I know.. but close with.

I guess with acquantances or even within a non-immediate family - we move on. We will not continuously and always be available to catch up with everyone. We get to know new people, and we inevitably lose touch with some whom we have been close to before. It's not that we don't appreciate them or we don't love them.. it's just the circumstances change - the degree and nature of our need for each other's company, change too. But I do pray and hope, that I will continue to be available to those who genuinely needs me, to those whom I can be of some positive effect.

Yes, the end of this entry, does not seem to be totally related to the beginning - but you know. that's how our thoughts go. That's how our actions are too, sometimes. We aim for something.. we go ahead and do it, and end up achieving something else... and I know I'm wandering further.

To cap this entry, this knowledge about the six degrees of separation, is like a trivia thing. It used to intrigue me a bit, but not anymore. It's so not important and doesn't affect me at all. I guess I won't be buying that book.

bite size

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1) keeping fit
Thanks to the A-Team, our neighbour, who are basically sporty people - I have now started to work out regularly. My most favourite part of the whole workout activity, is the briskwalk around the vicinity, then stopping by al-azhar for a drink. That's like my motivation and reward :p

2) comfortable silence

You know you're that close to someone, when you can have comfortable silences. You don't feel the need to yak, when you have nothing meaningful to say, and just enjoy the silence. Yup, that's when you know you're THAT close.

3) In my dreams..

I was reading about education in a country of which the name I don't even know how to pronounce, Kyrgyzstan. The kids study 'part-time' cause they spend most of their time herding their livestocks, half of the year, at the mountainous areas. They've come up with the idea of mobile kindergartens, neighbourhood schools that would go to where they are. Wouldn't it be interesting to teach there.. Yeap.

a movie plot

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Add some accompanying music, put some poetry, and our lives are just as interesting as those we see in movies. Most dramas are just a detailed analysis of one person's thoughts and/or experience over one or several events, from their entire life.

The thing with movies is that, they almost always have good endings - but not so in real life. But it's because their ending is actually just the end of that one particular event or experience, portrayed in the story. But their life, has not ended. What follows, if we imagine, would be more issues and tests. And these only end when a person dies.

Real happy endings are those achieved, upon death, when the person is in a state of iman and realisation about the real meaning of life.

I guess good endings in movies, sometimes, just help give some kind of motivation for people to deal with their own situation. Some movies motivates others to do more for themselves. Some movies are bad for you.

I should just sleep.

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;




I love this movie.

Nadhrah Graduation Video

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

To enjoy the video embedded in this scrapblog, you should click on Play, then once it starts playing, you click on Pause. Come back 5 minutes later to view it without the glitches.

dreaming big

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Last night, I dreamt big. I dreamt that I grew...sideways. I think I looked like the girl who turned into a blueberry, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie.




This is the image of the dream that I had. I really thought I had grown that big. So real and vivid was my dream that when I woke up, I sighed with relief to see in the mirror, that I am still the way I am.

I guess I dreamt that, because I knew I ate too much the night before.

I had 2 packets of cereal for breakfast because I was famished yesterday morning. Then I had rice with fish, for lunch. And then Aida, my good neighbour, bought some ugly and humongous Old Chang Kee curry puff for us, after work. At home, I ate one.

Then I went into the kitchen and saw that actually Rus had already cooked for us - and we have been missing dinner quite a lot lately, and I felt bad. So I ate a little bit of rice.. again.

Then Hanaa, made me a piece of smore............. which I ate also. And at that point, I had the image of me, eating and eating and eating and eating. Then, the dream.


I'm going to put that image of my dream, on my desk, so as to remind me of what I do not aim to be. So that I don't snack when I am not hungry.

Wonderful marriage

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

this weekend, marlina a.k.a. Pink & Alfian got married. I don't have anything to say, except ALHAMDULILLAH. Oh and my doa's for their happiness, and contentment with each other, till the next World. Ameen. Yes. I'm kind of tired.














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