Happy New Calendar.

It has always been an exciting moment for people when they have finished going through the dates of the current calendar and changing to a new one. Having countdowns to the change of the year count. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for 4-5 hours party.

Of course what the New Calendar Year really is for adults like us, is nothing. Other than that change in the year numbers. It's still another day, another hour, another minute, another second, forward, doing the things we do just the day before or the week before.

It'll be different if the mark of the new calendar means you no long have to work, or you're free from prison (literally, physically, mentally or spiritually). That is something to celebrate for - even then, agak2 lah.. not to overdo it.

But this is how we are now, right? We do absurd things.

I enjoyed reading Age of Absurdity. Recognising all the absurd things we do in these modern times. It was quite a best seller. But the irony is, we still do it anyway. Most of our actions make no sense. We are like zombies being swayed here and there in a drunken state, whichever way suits the money making plans of the corporations and government. Sometimes it's just following the unexplained trends, without questioning at all.

People no longer do things because it benefits others or benefit them. They do it because the media tells that it's cool, they were ask to do it, or everyone else is doing it.

I went off topic.

What I'm trying to say is.. relax lah, take it easy. It's just another calendar, another year.

Shouldn't we celebrate every single new day, that Allah has given us, with solat and the aim and effort to be better. insyaa Allah.

In any case.. Happy New Calendar, you all.

Charlie Kaufman talks about screenwriting - and intention of writing. :)

Patience is beautiful

"Sabar pun cantik ah"

..is the Malay slang that always comes to mind when I read " فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ " (fasobrun jamiil) - as in The Qur'an, Surah Yusuf, 12:18 & 12:83. Because the literal meaning of those words to me is 'patience is beautiful'. And that Malay slang literally means 'patience is also beautiful'.

If someone says something like that, he would really be saying, 'patience is best'. That is also how it is translated in Qur'an translations. Other translations include 'patience is most fitting' or 'it is best to be patient'.

In any case, don't you think, patience IS beautiful?

Answering irritating sales calls

I have grown tired of the world's cunning and dishonest ways in selling products. In almost every advertisements and every call, products and services are exaggerated or fine prints or additional charges not mentioned until you have signed up for it. There is always an element of dishonesty in their selling.

I'm also tired of answering calls from banks offering credit cards and loans, from spas, gyms, insurance companies etc.

I have been responding to these sales calls in different ways.

1. I don't pick up calls from unknown numbers.
2. I hang up at 'Hi maam!' or 'Is this... '
3. I answer in a lazy, monotonous tone and one word answers.
4. I lecture them back about how loans bring more problems to people.
5. I talk about One God to them.

I guess the above is in order of my energy level.

The Final Message

From the time God put man on earth, God has always given him guidance.

God kept on assigning messengers among men, to teach us about our Maker, to worship only One God. Therefore we have known messengers like Noah A.S. and Abraham A.S. and Moses A.S. and Jesus A.S. - they all preach the same religion that is the religion of worshiping ONE God, the Maker.

However, a lot of people either don't believe in the message brought by the Messengers or diverted away from the True Message. Satan made sure of that, because he promised God that he will do all he can to divert people from the true worship of One God.

God sent the Final Messenger, Muhammad SAW, with the Final message for the people of all nations and all times. God has promised to guard this Message from being changed or distorted.

This message now remains intact and relevant for man till the end of time.
Our last hope and source for True Guidance. To God we belong, and to Him will be our return.

Read the Final Message.
Read the Qur'an.

easily distracted?

How easily distracted I am now.
I strongly believe it's due to my usage of facebook and twitter.
The mind is slowly conditioned to process small amount of information before moving the attention to the next one.
So after daily conditioning, it responds to most situation that way.

Okay, perhaps it's not just FB and TW. Basically our modern life is designed that way. Look at how the news is being presented on TV.
We're given the news about war and in the next few seconds, some happy news at home. There is no time to ponder or react emotionally.

Alhamdulillah, we still have our prayers and Qur'an reading to train our mind to stay focused. I hope. insyaa Allah.