Dear God,
Today is the second last day of 2009 and I would like to thank you for all these:
Thank you for all the blessings that you've showered upon me
that had made realise that I'm a very, very, very lucky girl.
Thank you for all the wonderful and not-so-wonderful people that you've sent in my life
whom had taught me what kindness, forgiveness and uncoditional love are all about.
Thank you for all the bad things and failures that I have to go through
that had made me stronger, wiser, better.
Thank you for all the dreams that had come true,
for all the prayers answered AND unanswered,
because I know for sure now that you won't give me what I really want
but what I really need instead.
Thank you for giving me a good brain, a good heart, a good health, good 'rezeki' AND good teeth.
Thank you for giving me the ability to breathe and to think, to sleep and to sing, to cry and to laugh, to love and to let go.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
YOU, are indeed EVERYTHING.
The rest, well, they don't really matter.
xoxo
**********************************
A PRAYER
(by Anggun Cipta Sasmi)
Thank you for blessing the road I walk on
That I’m walking on
I’m sorry for every mistake I fall on
Can’t help but fall
You’ve changed this heart in me
And I know, I can always count on you
To give me the signs
In the wind on my face
Each time I try to run
From the sight of your grace
From the wrongs I have done
You shine down your light
Each time I need a guide
I say to hearts in despair
There’s an answer to a prayer
Give me true love in my life, a peaceful mind
Save me from harm
Pull me back if I ever try to walk away
Don’t let me stray
You’ve changed this heart in me
And I know I can always count on you
To give me the signs
In the wind on my face
Each time I try to run
From the sight of your grace
From the wrongs I have done
You shine down your light
Each time I need a guide
I say to hearts in despair
There’s an answer to a prayer
Say to all hearts in despair, there’s an answer to a prayer
You’ve changed this heart in me
And I know I can always count on you
To hear my prayers
You shine down your light
And I know there’s an answer to a prayer
You shine down your light
Each time I need a guide
I say to hearts in despair
There’s an answer to a prayer...
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Haiku - Part I
Bulan sembunyi
Di balik tirai bintang
Merentas malam.
Lembut sang bayu
Bak sayap bidadari
Menghembus sunyi.
Engkaukah itu?
Muncul menghulur tangan
Memimpin daku.
Bertatih langkah
Namun tetap ku gagah
Menuju cahaya.
-nly-
December 16, 2009
*Image credit: 'Starry Night Over The Rhone' - by Van Gogh
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Legends of Granada (Continued...)
*Taken from Don Quijote's website (http://www.donquijote.org)
Secret chambers, revengeful massacres, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens… many of Granada’s spots tell the story of legends and fables, turning it into a magical city.
THE MOOR'S LAST SIGH
There is one popular legend that relates how Boabdil, a pacifist and the last king of the Moors, surrendered Granada without a fight to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain in 1492. The Catholic monarchs exiled Boabdil and immediately hoisted the banner of Christian Spain above the Alhambra, marking the end of the last Moorish city of Spain. Boabdil began to weep as he handed King Ferdinand the keys to the city. His mother Ayesha, in disbelief and anger, reproached him for his tears by exclaiming:
“You do well to weep like a woman for what you failed to defend as a man.”
It is not at all difficult to understand why poor Boabdil wept. The tears he shed were his realization that he was going to abandon paradise on Earth. So when Boabdil paused at a mountain top to glance one last time at the beautiful city he had lost, he sighed.
HALL OF THE ABENCERRAGES
The Hall's name derives from a tragic legend in which 36 members of the noble Abencerrage family were invited for a banquet at the Alhambra palace by the Sultan Abu Al-Hassan (Boabdil’s father). The Sultan wanted revenge after finding out that Hamet, the chief member of the Abencerrage family, was courting Zoraya - his own favourite concubine. During the banquet, he had his guards come into the intricately carved hall and cut the throats of every member of the family. Afterwards, the victims’ heads were thrown into the fountains. Legend holds that the stain visible at the bottom of the fountains today is the blood left behind as a permanent reminder of the horrible massacre.
THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER
Don Vincent was a student in Salamanca, who enjoyed travelling around villages during the summer, playing his guitar and singing for money. He once arrived in Granada on the eve of St. John. Noticing a fully armed soldier standing guard who went unnoticed by everyone, Don Vincent asked him who he was. The soldier replied that he had been taken prisoner in an attack against the Moors 300 years earlier. A spell had been cast upon him to guard a Moorish treasure and keep it from falling into Christian hands.
He was only temporarily freed every 100 years, on the eve of St. John, when the spell allowed anyone to see him and free him. The desperate soldier promised Don Vincent half of the treasure in exchange for his help. His quest was to find a fasting priest to call off the spell and a pure maiden to open the treasure chest. Setting out and willing to help, Don Vincent found an unfortunate insatiable priest and a chaste girl. The priest did his best to ignore his insatiable appetite.
Once Don Vincent, the priest and the girl reached the foot of the tower, the vault appeared. Once inside, the spell seemed broken. As Don Vincent began to fill his pockets with gold, the gluttonous priest ate some fruit. In the glimpse of an eye, Don Vincent, the maiden and the priest found themselves outside of the tower. St. John’s Eve was over and the spell wasn’t undone… the priest had eaten too early!
So, the legend claims, the soldier remains imprisoned in the tower, where he can still be seen guarding the treasure of the Alhambra…
Secret chambers, revengeful massacres, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens… many of Granada’s spots tell the story of legends and fables, turning it into a magical city.
THE MOOR'S LAST SIGH
There is one popular legend that relates how Boabdil, a pacifist and the last king of the Moors, surrendered Granada without a fight to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain in 1492. The Catholic monarchs exiled Boabdil and immediately hoisted the banner of Christian Spain above the Alhambra, marking the end of the last Moorish city of Spain. Boabdil began to weep as he handed King Ferdinand the keys to the city. His mother Ayesha, in disbelief and anger, reproached him for his tears by exclaiming:
“You do well to weep like a woman for what you failed to defend as a man.”
It is not at all difficult to understand why poor Boabdil wept. The tears he shed were his realization that he was going to abandon paradise on Earth. So when Boabdil paused at a mountain top to glance one last time at the beautiful city he had lost, he sighed.
HALL OF THE ABENCERRAGES
The Hall's name derives from a tragic legend in which 36 members of the noble Abencerrage family were invited for a banquet at the Alhambra palace by the Sultan Abu Al-Hassan (Boabdil’s father). The Sultan wanted revenge after finding out that Hamet, the chief member of the Abencerrage family, was courting Zoraya - his own favourite concubine. During the banquet, he had his guards come into the intricately carved hall and cut the throats of every member of the family. Afterwards, the victims’ heads were thrown into the fountains. Legend holds that the stain visible at the bottom of the fountains today is the blood left behind as a permanent reminder of the horrible massacre.
THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER
Don Vincent was a student in Salamanca, who enjoyed travelling around villages during the summer, playing his guitar and singing for money. He once arrived in Granada on the eve of St. John. Noticing a fully armed soldier standing guard who went unnoticed by everyone, Don Vincent asked him who he was. The soldier replied that he had been taken prisoner in an attack against the Moors 300 years earlier. A spell had been cast upon him to guard a Moorish treasure and keep it from falling into Christian hands.
He was only temporarily freed every 100 years, on the eve of St. John, when the spell allowed anyone to see him and free him. The desperate soldier promised Don Vincent half of the treasure in exchange for his help. His quest was to find a fasting priest to call off the spell and a pure maiden to open the treasure chest. Setting out and willing to help, Don Vincent found an unfortunate insatiable priest and a chaste girl. The priest did his best to ignore his insatiable appetite.
Once Don Vincent, the priest and the girl reached the foot of the tower, the vault appeared. Once inside, the spell seemed broken. As Don Vincent began to fill his pockets with gold, the gluttonous priest ate some fruit. In the glimpse of an eye, Don Vincent, the maiden and the priest found themselves outside of the tower. St. John’s Eve was over and the spell wasn’t undone… the priest had eaten too early!
So, the legend claims, the soldier remains imprisoned in the tower, where he can still be seen guarding the treasure of the Alhambra…
At the top of Asabika, I lost my heart...
I'm currently doing a research on the former Islamic Kingdom of Spain as it is going to be the base for my work-in-progess novel (yes!!!). Am truly excited about this project and I hope I will have all the discipline, courage and determination to ensure that the book will finally materialise, one fine day (insya-Allah...) Can't tell you yet what it's all about, but all I can say for now is that the novel is going to be part-fiction and part-history, and I've already imagined the whole book as something really lush, enchanting and ethereal. :):)
Anyway, here are some of the materials that I found on the Islamic History in Arabia and Middle East website (http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Sec5.htm). Am putting it here as a reference of sorts.
ISLAM IN SPAIN
By the time 'Abd al-Rahman reached Spain, the Arabs from North Africa were already entrenched on the Iberian Peninsula and had begun to write one of the most glorious chapters in Islamic history.
After their forays into France were blunted by Charles Martel, the Muslims in Spain had begun to focus their whole attention on what they called al-Andalus, southern Spain (Andalusia), and to build there a civilization far superior to anything Spain had ever known. Reigning with wisdom and justice, they treated Christians and Jews with tolerance, with the result that many embraced Islam. They also improved trade and agriculture, patronized the arts, made valuable contributions to science, and established Cordoba as the most sophisticated city in Europe.
By the tenth century, Cordoba could boast of a population of some 500,000, compared to about 38,000 in Paris. According to the chronicles of the day, the city had 700 mosques, some 60,000 palaces, and 70 libraries - one reportedly housing 500,000 manuscripts and employing a staff of researchers, illuminators, and book binders. Cordoba also had some 900 public baths, Europe's first street lights and, five miles outside the city, the caliphal residence, Madinat al-Zahra. A complex of marble, stucco, ivory, and onyx, Madinat al-Zahra took forty years to build, cost close to one-third of Cordoba's revenue, and was, until destroyed in the eleventh century, one of the wonders of the age. Its restoration, begun in the early years of this century, is still under way.
By the eleventh century, however, a small pocket of Christian resistance had begun to grow, and under Alfonso VI Christian forces retook Toledo. It was the beginning of the period the Christians called the Reconquest, and it underlined a serious problem that marred this refined, graceful, and charming era: the inability of the numerous rulers of Islamic Spain to maintain their unity. This so weakened them that when the various Christian kingdoms began to pose a serious threat, the Muslim rulers in Spain had to ask the Almoravids, a North African Berber dynasty, to come to their aid. The Almoravids came and crushed the Christian uprising, but eventually seized control themselves. In 1147, the Almoravids were in turn defeated by another coalition of Berber tribes, the Almohads.
Although such internal conflict was by no means uncommon- the Christian kingdoms also warred incessantly among themselves- it did divert Muslim strength at a time when the Christians were beginning to negotiate strong alliances, form powerful armies, and launch the campaigns that would later bring an end to Arab rule.
The Arabs did not surrender easily; al-Andalus was their land too. But, bit by bit, they had to retreat, first from northern Spain, then from central Spain. By the thirteenth century their once extensive domains were reduced to a few scattered kingdoms deep in the mountains of Andalusia - where, for some two hundred years longer, they would not only survive but flourish.
It is both odd and poignant that it was then, in the last two centuries of their rule, that the Arabs created that extravagantly lovely kingdom for which they are most famous: Granada. It seems as if, in their slow retreat to the south, they suddenly realized that they were, as Washington Irving wrote, a people without a country, and set about building a memorial: the Alhambra, the citadel above Granada that one writer has called "the glory and the wonder of the civilized world."
The Alhambra was begun in 1238 by Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar who, to buy safety for his people when King Ferdinand of Aragon laid siege to Granada, once rode to Ferdinand's tent and humbly offered to become the king's vassal in return for peace.
It was a necessary move, but also difficult - particularly when Ferdinand called on him to implement the agreement by providing troops to help the Christians against Muslims in the siege of Seville in 1248. True to his pledge, Ibn al-Ahmar complied and Seville fell to the Christians. But returning to Granada, where cheering crowds hailed him as a victor, he disclosed his turmoil in that short, sad reply that he inscribed over and over on the walls of the Alhambra: "There is no victor but God."
Over the years, what started as a fortress slowly evolved under Ibn al-Ahmar's successors into a remarkable series of delicately lovely buildings, quiet courtyards, limpid pools, and hidden gardens. Later, after Ibn al-Ahmar's death, Granada itself was rebuilt and became, as one Arab visitor wrote, "as a silver vase filled with emeralds."
Meanwhile, outside Granada, the Christian kings waited. In relentless succession they had retaken Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville. Only Granada survived. Then, in 1482, in a trivial quarrel, the Muslim kingdom split into two hostile factions and, simultaneously, two strong Christian sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, married and merged their kingdoms. As a result, Granada fell ten years later. On January 2, 1492 - the year they sent Columbus to America - Ferdinand and Isabella hoisted the banner of Christian Spain above the Alhambra and Boabdil, the last Muslim king, rode weeping into exile with the bitter envoi from his aged mother, "Weep like a woman for the city you would not defend like a man!"
In describing the fate of Islam in Spain, Irving suggested that the Muslims were then swiftly and thoroughly wiped out. Never, he wrote, was the annihilation of a people more complete. In fact, by emigration to North Africa and elsewhere, many Muslims carried remnants of the Spanish era with them and were thus able to make important contributions to the material and cultural life of their adopted lands.
Much of the emigration, however, came later. At first, most Muslims simply stayed in Spain; cut off from their original roots by time and distance they quite simply had no other place to go. Until the Inquisition, furthermore, conditions in Spain were not intolerable. The Christians permitted Muslims to work, serve in the army, own land, and even practice their religion - all concessions to the importance of Muslims in Spain's still prosperous economy. But then, in the period of the Inquisition, all the rights of the Muslims were withdrawn, their lives became difficult, and more began to emigrate. Finally, in the early seventeenth century, most of the survivors were forcibly expelled.
Anyway, here are some of the materials that I found on the Islamic History in Arabia and Middle East website (http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Sec5.htm). Am putting it here as a reference of sorts.
ISLAM IN SPAIN
By the time 'Abd al-Rahman reached Spain, the Arabs from North Africa were already entrenched on the Iberian Peninsula and had begun to write one of the most glorious chapters in Islamic history.
After their forays into France were blunted by Charles Martel, the Muslims in Spain had begun to focus their whole attention on what they called al-Andalus, southern Spain (Andalusia), and to build there a civilization far superior to anything Spain had ever known. Reigning with wisdom and justice, they treated Christians and Jews with tolerance, with the result that many embraced Islam. They also improved trade and agriculture, patronized the arts, made valuable contributions to science, and established Cordoba as the most sophisticated city in Europe.
By the tenth century, Cordoba could boast of a population of some 500,000, compared to about 38,000 in Paris. According to the chronicles of the day, the city had 700 mosques, some 60,000 palaces, and 70 libraries - one reportedly housing 500,000 manuscripts and employing a staff of researchers, illuminators, and book binders. Cordoba also had some 900 public baths, Europe's first street lights and, five miles outside the city, the caliphal residence, Madinat al-Zahra. A complex of marble, stucco, ivory, and onyx, Madinat al-Zahra took forty years to build, cost close to one-third of Cordoba's revenue, and was, until destroyed in the eleventh century, one of the wonders of the age. Its restoration, begun in the early years of this century, is still under way.
By the eleventh century, however, a small pocket of Christian resistance had begun to grow, and under Alfonso VI Christian forces retook Toledo. It was the beginning of the period the Christians called the Reconquest, and it underlined a serious problem that marred this refined, graceful, and charming era: the inability of the numerous rulers of Islamic Spain to maintain their unity. This so weakened them that when the various Christian kingdoms began to pose a serious threat, the Muslim rulers in Spain had to ask the Almoravids, a North African Berber dynasty, to come to their aid. The Almoravids came and crushed the Christian uprising, but eventually seized control themselves. In 1147, the Almoravids were in turn defeated by another coalition of Berber tribes, the Almohads.
Although such internal conflict was by no means uncommon- the Christian kingdoms also warred incessantly among themselves- it did divert Muslim strength at a time when the Christians were beginning to negotiate strong alliances, form powerful armies, and launch the campaigns that would later bring an end to Arab rule.
The Arabs did not surrender easily; al-Andalus was their land too. But, bit by bit, they had to retreat, first from northern Spain, then from central Spain. By the thirteenth century their once extensive domains were reduced to a few scattered kingdoms deep in the mountains of Andalusia - where, for some two hundred years longer, they would not only survive but flourish.
It is both odd and poignant that it was then, in the last two centuries of their rule, that the Arabs created that extravagantly lovely kingdom for which they are most famous: Granada. It seems as if, in their slow retreat to the south, they suddenly realized that they were, as Washington Irving wrote, a people without a country, and set about building a memorial: the Alhambra, the citadel above Granada that one writer has called "the glory and the wonder of the civilized world."
The Alhambra was begun in 1238 by Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar who, to buy safety for his people when King Ferdinand of Aragon laid siege to Granada, once rode to Ferdinand's tent and humbly offered to become the king's vassal in return for peace.
It was a necessary move, but also difficult - particularly when Ferdinand called on him to implement the agreement by providing troops to help the Christians against Muslims in the siege of Seville in 1248. True to his pledge, Ibn al-Ahmar complied and Seville fell to the Christians. But returning to Granada, where cheering crowds hailed him as a victor, he disclosed his turmoil in that short, sad reply that he inscribed over and over on the walls of the Alhambra: "There is no victor but God."
Over the years, what started as a fortress slowly evolved under Ibn al-Ahmar's successors into a remarkable series of delicately lovely buildings, quiet courtyards, limpid pools, and hidden gardens. Later, after Ibn al-Ahmar's death, Granada itself was rebuilt and became, as one Arab visitor wrote, "as a silver vase filled with emeralds."
Meanwhile, outside Granada, the Christian kings waited. In relentless succession they had retaken Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville. Only Granada survived. Then, in 1482, in a trivial quarrel, the Muslim kingdom split into two hostile factions and, simultaneously, two strong Christian sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, married and merged their kingdoms. As a result, Granada fell ten years later. On January 2, 1492 - the year they sent Columbus to America - Ferdinand and Isabella hoisted the banner of Christian Spain above the Alhambra and Boabdil, the last Muslim king, rode weeping into exile with the bitter envoi from his aged mother, "Weep like a woman for the city you would not defend like a man!"
In describing the fate of Islam in Spain, Irving suggested that the Muslims were then swiftly and thoroughly wiped out. Never, he wrote, was the annihilation of a people more complete. In fact, by emigration to North Africa and elsewhere, many Muslims carried remnants of the Spanish era with them and were thus able to make important contributions to the material and cultural life of their adopted lands.
Much of the emigration, however, came later. At first, most Muslims simply stayed in Spain; cut off from their original roots by time and distance they quite simply had no other place to go. Until the Inquisition, furthermore, conditions in Spain were not intolerable. The Christians permitted Muslims to work, serve in the army, own land, and even practice their religion - all concessions to the importance of Muslims in Spain's still prosperous economy. But then, in the period of the Inquisition, all the rights of the Muslims were withdrawn, their lives became difficult, and more began to emigrate. Finally, in the early seventeenth century, most of the survivors were forcibly expelled.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Shakira at Oxford
Amazing speech by my favourite mega-star Shakira, who spoke about the work of her charity, Barefoot Foundation at Oxford University's world-famous Oxford Union on December 6, 2009.
Fluent, eloquent and with tonnes of substance, she talked about the importance of education to underpriviliged children. *Kindly take note that Shakira only learned to speak (and write!) in English barely a few years ago - and just look at how GOOD she is!. *Malaysian artistes, do take note!*
Fluent, eloquent and with tonnes of substance, she talked about the importance of education to underpriviliged children. *Kindly take note that Shakira only learned to speak (and write!) in English barely a few years ago - and just look at how GOOD she is!. *Malaysian artistes, do take note!*
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Keep The Faith
I find it really weird (and ironic) that a lot of Muslims out there in Malaysia could get so defensive about their religion YET remain so ignorant about what Islam is all about at the same time.
They might pray five times a day, yet they don't know the meaning of the Qur'an verses that they're reciting - not even a single word.
They fast, yet they don't solat.
They solat, yet they 'mengumpat'.
They cover their hair, yet they flash their cleavage.
They keep their 'goatee' in a bid to follow the Prophet's sunnah, yet they try to hit on non-Muhrim women while their docile wives are looking after their kids at home.
And they are quick to label others who are not like them as 'kafir', and the uncovered women as 'sluts' who will fill the slots in hell in the Afterworld.
Or to quote a friend of mine about her ex-husband: "Oh dia tu, kalau kena pilih antara perempuan yang tak pakai tudung tapi baik & tak tinggal sembahyang, dengan perempuan yang pakai tudung tapi mengandung anak luar nikah, he will still pilih the one yang pakai tudung tu."
That's how shallow people can get.
Religions, I noticed, have become more about rituals and appearances, rather than what it's supposed to be: FAITH.
As much as rituals are important (solat, fasting, paying alms, performing the hajj, etc), faith is indeed the core that underlies all these rituals.
Without faith, the rituals would become MEANINGLESS.
After all, there IS a difference between a 'Mukmin' (a man of faith) and a 'Muslim' (a man whose religion is Islam).
You can be a Muslim yet NOT be a Mukmin, but if you're a Mukmin, then you're definitely a Muslim.
To me, a person of faith is a kind, considerate and loving person.
And rather than use the term a 'God-fearing person', I'd rather say that a person of faith is a 'God-loving person.'
Plus, God, in all His Glory, is kind, compassionate & loving.
Jika tidak, masakan kita memulakan membaca al-Qur'an atau melakukan sesuatu dengan kalimah: Bismillahirahmannirahim (Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang.)
Out of his 99 names in the Asma-ul-Husna, these two were the ones chosen for this sacred sentence.
Speaking of faith, I strongly believe that you would only appreciate your faith/religion once you've done a deep study on it, as well as on other religions as well.
Truth be told, even though I studied in Islamic boarding school previously, I only learned to appreciate my religion after studying the sacred texts of other major religions during my university years in the US.
That being said, I believe ALL religions promote peace, love and harmony among all of mankind.
So, let's just pray that everyone of us will learn to respect each other, by learning FROM each other and learning ABOUT each other.
After all, ignorance is cancerous.
'Lakum dinukum waliyadin (To you, your religion; and to me, mine.)'
- Al-Qur'an, 109:6
They might pray five times a day, yet they don't know the meaning of the Qur'an verses that they're reciting - not even a single word.
They fast, yet they don't solat.
They solat, yet they 'mengumpat'.
They cover their hair, yet they flash their cleavage.
They keep their 'goatee' in a bid to follow the Prophet's sunnah, yet they try to hit on non-Muhrim women while their docile wives are looking after their kids at home.
And they are quick to label others who are not like them as 'kafir', and the uncovered women as 'sluts' who will fill the slots in hell in the Afterworld.
Or to quote a friend of mine about her ex-husband: "Oh dia tu, kalau kena pilih antara perempuan yang tak pakai tudung tapi baik & tak tinggal sembahyang, dengan perempuan yang pakai tudung tapi mengandung anak luar nikah, he will still pilih the one yang pakai tudung tu."
That's how shallow people can get.
Religions, I noticed, have become more about rituals and appearances, rather than what it's supposed to be: FAITH.
As much as rituals are important (solat, fasting, paying alms, performing the hajj, etc), faith is indeed the core that underlies all these rituals.
Without faith, the rituals would become MEANINGLESS.
After all, there IS a difference between a 'Mukmin' (a man of faith) and a 'Muslim' (a man whose religion is Islam).
You can be a Muslim yet NOT be a Mukmin, but if you're a Mukmin, then you're definitely a Muslim.
To me, a person of faith is a kind, considerate and loving person.
And rather than use the term a 'God-fearing person', I'd rather say that a person of faith is a 'God-loving person.'
Plus, God, in all His Glory, is kind, compassionate & loving.
Jika tidak, masakan kita memulakan membaca al-Qur'an atau melakukan sesuatu dengan kalimah: Bismillahirahmannirahim (Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang.)
Out of his 99 names in the Asma-ul-Husna, these two were the ones chosen for this sacred sentence.
Speaking of faith, I strongly believe that you would only appreciate your faith/religion once you've done a deep study on it, as well as on other religions as well.
Truth be told, even though I studied in Islamic boarding school previously, I only learned to appreciate my religion after studying the sacred texts of other major religions during my university years in the US.
That being said, I believe ALL religions promote peace, love and harmony among all of mankind.
So, let's just pray that everyone of us will learn to respect each other, by learning FROM each other and learning ABOUT each other.
After all, ignorance is cancerous.
'Lakum dinukum waliyadin (To you, your religion; and to me, mine.)'
- Al-Qur'an, 109:6
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Jottings
Child/Woman
Angel/Demon
Shy/Brazen
Our faith is our salvation
Without it
You know we'll get burnt.
Angel/Demon
Shy/Brazen
Our faith is our salvation
Without it
You know we'll get burnt.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Sleeping With An Angel
Real McCoy, which used to be HUGE in Europe & the US back in the 1990's, was more well-known for their Eurodance brand of music that some might found a tad kitschy!;)
That being said, I personally found that their album: "Real McCoy - The US Album" (which was constanly playing on my CD player when I was studying in Eugene, Oregon) really kick ass! Coming from someone whose music taste leaned more towards the alternative side at that point of time, it was really kinda weird to recall that I actually DIG Real McCoy, heh!heh!
And this, is my favourite track from the CD. The female vocal part is just HEAVENLY. (*Too bad they didn't have an official music video for this track, uhuk!)
'I'm sleeping with an angel
She makes me feel so good;
I'm sleeping with an angel
I never knew I could...
For I've done too many wrongs
Sung too many songs
To be sleeping with an angel
Sleeping with an angel...'
xoxo
That being said, I personally found that their album: "Real McCoy - The US Album" (which was constanly playing on my CD player when I was studying in Eugene, Oregon) really kick ass! Coming from someone whose music taste leaned more towards the alternative side at that point of time, it was really kinda weird to recall that I actually DIG Real McCoy, heh!heh!
And this, is my favourite track from the CD. The female vocal part is just HEAVENLY. (*Too bad they didn't have an official music video for this track, uhuk!)
'I'm sleeping with an angel
She makes me feel so good;
I'm sleeping with an angel
I never knew I could...
For I've done too many wrongs
Sung too many songs
To be sleeping with an angel
Sleeping with an angel...'
xoxo
Monday, 30 November 2009
Sunflowers of Sevilla
One of my most vivid memories during my trip to Spain back in 2007 was throughout our journey by car from Granada heading to Sevilla - both located in the Andalusian region which was once the crown jewel of the Islamic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
As we rode along the highway, we were greeted by the amazingly beautiful sight of the sunflower fields, which stretched for as far as the eyes could see. Too bad that my dinky Cybershot failed to capture the images nicely, as our car was moving quite fast and there were no proper area by the road for us to stop and take photos. (*Note to self: Next time, bring a bloody DSLR, idiot!)
But the image looks something like this:
(Pix credit: travelpod.com)
But frankly, you just have to see it with your own eyes to experience how magical it feels to be embraced by such a surreal sight.
Macam jakun, okay!;P
Have a good day, people!:)
xoxo
SUNFLOWERS OF SEVILLA
- by Elly Yusof
Sunflowers of Sevilla
they greeted me as I arrived
from afar
Oh, how they smiled
under the golden sun
and the endless sky
of Andalusia
Sunflowers of Sevilla
welcoming this broken
stranger
who's running away
from danger
as she basks in your wondrous beauty
in innocent wonder
Sunflowers of Sevilla
as you consoled me
in millions
with your deep green leaves
and cheery yellow tone
I realise in a magical instant,
that all my sorrow
are now gone.
'Muchas gracias y adios, mis amigas!
Hasta luego; en el tiempo futuro(tal vez?)'
As I exhaled my last sigh
for you,
Sunflowers of Sevilla.
As we rode along the highway, we were greeted by the amazingly beautiful sight of the sunflower fields, which stretched for as far as the eyes could see. Too bad that my dinky Cybershot failed to capture the images nicely, as our car was moving quite fast and there were no proper area by the road for us to stop and take photos. (*Note to self: Next time, bring a bloody DSLR, idiot!)
But the image looks something like this:
(Pix credit: travelpod.com)
But frankly, you just have to see it with your own eyes to experience how magical it feels to be embraced by such a surreal sight.
Macam jakun, okay!;P
Have a good day, people!:)
xoxo
SUNFLOWERS OF SEVILLA
- by Elly Yusof
Sunflowers of Sevilla
they greeted me as I arrived
from afar
Oh, how they smiled
under the golden sun
and the endless sky
of Andalusia
Sunflowers of Sevilla
welcoming this broken
stranger
who's running away
from danger
as she basks in your wondrous beauty
in innocent wonder
Sunflowers of Sevilla
as you consoled me
in millions
with your deep green leaves
and cheery yellow tone
I realise in a magical instant,
that all my sorrow
are now gone.
'Muchas gracias y adios, mis amigas!
Hasta luego; en el tiempo futuro(tal vez?)'
As I exhaled my last sigh
for you,
Sunflowers of Sevilla.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Song of the Moment
Just bought Shakira's latest album, 'She Wolf' and totally LOVING the whole CD. This is my #1 fave track and am currently listening to it on loop mode.
Complete review of the album coming soon!:D
*Shakira trivia of the day: Do you know that she wrote her first poem at the age of FOUR-years old? Damn it!!!;D
xoxo
MEN IN THIS TOWN
(Lyrics by Shakira/Music by Shakira, J. Hill, S. Endicott/Produced by Shakira, J. Hill)
Is there a prince in this fable
For a small town girl like me?
The good ones are gone or not able
and Matt Damon's not meant for me
Damon's not meant for me
I got to say,
California is a place that I respect
Come on LA, take advantage
Give me a night that I won't forget
I went to look
From the Sky Bar to the Standard,
nothing took
These boys don't care
Got a handful with their projects
and with their looks
Chorus:
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
Is there a prince in this fable
For a small town girl like me?
The good ones are gone or not able...
and Matt Damon's not meant for me
I never dreamed that I'd come here
to become the next Jolie
But I sure know there is
someone, around somewhere
who's meant to be
Chorus:
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
So they say
it's a suicide, waiting, others say
it's a suicide, waiting, yo no se
it's a suicide, waiting, another day
it's a suicide, waiting
So decide, it's a suicide
waiting, all this time
it's a suicide, waiting, donde estas?
it's a suicide, waiting, so decide
it's a suicide, waiting...
Complete review of the album coming soon!:D
*Shakira trivia of the day: Do you know that she wrote her first poem at the age of FOUR-years old? Damn it!!!;D
xoxo
MEN IN THIS TOWN
(Lyrics by Shakira/Music by Shakira, J. Hill, S. Endicott/Produced by Shakira, J. Hill)
Is there a prince in this fable
For a small town girl like me?
The good ones are gone or not able
and Matt Damon's not meant for me
Damon's not meant for me
I got to say,
California is a place that I respect
Come on LA, take advantage
Give me a night that I won't forget
I went to look
From the Sky Bar to the Standard,
nothing took
These boys don't care
Got a handful with their projects
and with their looks
Chorus:
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
Is there a prince in this fable
For a small town girl like me?
The good ones are gone or not able...
and Matt Damon's not meant for me
I never dreamed that I'd come here
to become the next Jolie
But I sure know there is
someone, around somewhere
who's meant to be
Chorus:
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Where are all the men in this town?
And what's a girl supposed to do?
Did they all run off when they knew
That I was coming round, coming round?
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
Fresh
I'm so fresh and I'm so clean
Got the lips and got the skin
Got the skin, got that thing
I'm so fresh and I'm so...
So they say
it's a suicide, waiting, others say
it's a suicide, waiting, yo no se
it's a suicide, waiting, another day
it's a suicide, waiting
So decide, it's a suicide
waiting, all this time
it's a suicide, waiting, donde estas?
it's a suicide, waiting, so decide
it's a suicide, waiting...
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Retrospect
RETROSPECT
- by Elly Yusof
No turning back
as the past is gone
Left us on its track
under the glorious sun.
No point in regretting
no point in whining
'Cause with every ending
comes a new beginning.
Goodbye dark clouds
it's time for me to play
I've chosen my path
and let me do it my way.
For we are the masters
of our own destiny
And God won't change our fate
if we don't even make our bets.
You can't have the rainbow
without the rain;
you'll never understand happiness
if you never tasted pain.
Oh, heart!
You keep on amazing me
with your strength
and resilience;
how you healed thyself
after all the turbulence.
Forgiveness is the key
to happiness
Once you let go,
you'll be cured of paralysis.
No hate, no bitterness
Only smiles and tenderness
For joy and love are waiting
in every corner,
If only our hearts let them enter.
Oh, just let them enter.
10:28 am
November 28, 2009
(Copyright for text & image - Elly Yusof 2009)
Shoe Song
SHOE SONG
(by Elly Yusof)
Who needs a boyfriend
When you have God, a guitar
and 30 pairs of shoes?
No need for Jimmy Choos
'Coz Vincci is enough
To put me through
But for YOU dear
I'll change my mind
I'll let you rule my world
I'll let you switch my view
Just as long as you don't touch my shoes
Oh, don't you dare touch my shoes!
chorus:
Heels are sexy
Flats are comfy
So tell me, baby
Can you do the same for me?
Blahnik, Louboutin, Weitzman
Nice last name, but
you know I don't give a damn
you know I don't give a damn
Buying them is orgasmic
Wearing them is cathartic
So I guess you should know now,
My expectations are titanic
Silver, pink, red, blue
Gold, cream, also ecru
They look so yum, yum, yummy!
And to me,they'll stay true
Compared to most men,
They make you feel good too!
But for YOU dear
I'll change my mind
I'll let you rule my world
I'll let you switch my view
Just as long as you don't touch my shoes
Oh, don't you dare touch my shoes!
Sexy like a shoe
Oh yeah, I think you're sexy like a shoe...
(*Copyright for song & images - Elly Yusof 2009)
Speaking of the devil...
Friday, 27 November 2009
And for that, we all blessed...
Many, many years ago on this exact day, Prophet Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Eshmael by God, as a test of faith in Him. And he willingly obliged as he had total faith in his Creator.
The rest is history that was nothing short of a great MIRACLE.
And today, Muslims all over the world celebrate the Eid ul Adha festival to commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham in the name of God.
In this regard, how many of us are willing to do what Abraham has done, i.e. sacrificing something/someone that is soo precious and dear to him just because Allah told him so?
He did, and for that he was greatly rewarded.
Yup, folks; Hari Raya Korban is not merely about slaughtering livestock and giving the meat to the poor. It is definitely MORE than that.
For me, the lesson that I've personally learned from Eid ul Adha is that, if you are willing to sacrifice something dengan seikhlas hati and with total faith that God will take care of you, insya-Allah, you will be repaid with great rewards that you could have never imagined at the first place.
Do your best, do the right thing (no matter how painful it is at that particular point of time) and have faith in HIM.
Believe me, you will finally see the light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel.
Happy Eid ul Adha, dear friends. May this special day reminds us the true meaning of iman (faith) and pengorbanan (sacrifice).
God bless us all!
Tuhanku,
ku tahu diriku tidak sempurna
namun Kau tahu
hati ini sentiasa mengingatiMu;
yang ku pinta hanyalah
agar Kau merahmati
diri ini
dan
mereka yang kukasihi.
Amin.
xoxo
The rest is history that was nothing short of a great MIRACLE.
And today, Muslims all over the world celebrate the Eid ul Adha festival to commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham in the name of God.
In this regard, how many of us are willing to do what Abraham has done, i.e. sacrificing something/someone that is soo precious and dear to him just because Allah told him so?
He did, and for that he was greatly rewarded.
Yup, folks; Hari Raya Korban is not merely about slaughtering livestock and giving the meat to the poor. It is definitely MORE than that.
For me, the lesson that I've personally learned from Eid ul Adha is that, if you are willing to sacrifice something dengan seikhlas hati and with total faith that God will take care of you, insya-Allah, you will be repaid with great rewards that you could have never imagined at the first place.
Do your best, do the right thing (no matter how painful it is at that particular point of time) and have faith in HIM.
Believe me, you will finally see the light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel.
Happy Eid ul Adha, dear friends. May this special day reminds us the true meaning of iman (faith) and pengorbanan (sacrifice).
God bless us all!
Tuhanku,
ku tahu diriku tidak sempurna
namun Kau tahu
hati ini sentiasa mengingatiMu;
yang ku pinta hanyalah
agar Kau merahmati
diri ini
dan
mereka yang kukasihi.
Amin.
xoxo
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Happy Birthday to ...Who?
I wrote this lyrics today, in less than 15 minutes. The melodies, however, are not yet completed. Hope to turn it out into a complete song real soon! ;):)
**To someone, 'Happy Birthday!'. Take this as a special present from me to you.
-------------------------------------------------------
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
(by Elly Yusof)
I wish you well
I wish you hell
I wish you all the things
That a cheesy tabloid would tell
I am not mad
I am not sad
I just think that your
phoney persona, is just a fad
chorus:
Oh darling, you know I lived my life for you
You know I'll give you my kidney and my liver
and my last breath for you
But you were never true;
So I cried for three whole nights
and decided to say 'adieu'
Oh yes, baby, adieu to you!
The best revenge
Is living well
That rings a bell, sweetheart
Oh, ain't it swell?
I closed my eyes,
believed your lies
Blamed myself for every crap,
while you kept on with your mishaps
Oh darling, you know I lived my life for you
You know I'll give you my kidney and my liver
and my last breath for you
But you were never true;
So I cried for three whole nights
and decided to say 'adieu'
Oh yes, baby, adieu to you!
Put on my lipstick,
Put on my heels
Coz tonight baby,
I'm going for the kill (oh, yes!)
The world is my sushi joint
The universe is my cigar bar
I'll let God send you the bill
For all that you've done so far
Happy birthday baby!
Happy birthday to you!
(*Copyright for song and image - Elly Yusof 2009)
**To someone, 'Happy Birthday!'. Take this as a special present from me to you.
-------------------------------------------------------
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
(by Elly Yusof)
I wish you well
I wish you hell
I wish you all the things
That a cheesy tabloid would tell
I am not mad
I am not sad
I just think that your
phoney persona, is just a fad
chorus:
Oh darling, you know I lived my life for you
You know I'll give you my kidney and my liver
and my last breath for you
But you were never true;
So I cried for three whole nights
and decided to say 'adieu'
Oh yes, baby, adieu to you!
The best revenge
Is living well
That rings a bell, sweetheart
Oh, ain't it swell?
I closed my eyes,
believed your lies
Blamed myself for every crap,
while you kept on with your mishaps
Oh darling, you know I lived my life for you
You know I'll give you my kidney and my liver
and my last breath for you
But you were never true;
So I cried for three whole nights
and decided to say 'adieu'
Oh yes, baby, adieu to you!
Put on my lipstick,
Put on my heels
Coz tonight baby,
I'm going for the kill (oh, yes!)
The world is my sushi joint
The universe is my cigar bar
I'll let God send you the bill
For all that you've done so far
Happy birthday baby!
Happy birthday to you!
(*Copyright for song and image - Elly Yusof 2009)
Shakira in The Economist
Beautiful, brilliantly talented and big-hearted, my numera una favourite singer/songwriter Shakira writes about her Barefoot Foundation (Fundacion Pies Descalzos) in my fave mag, The Economist.
I say, Viva Shakira! xoxo
************************************************
'SÃ, se puede'
Nov 13th 2009
From The World in 2010 print edition
Experience of teaching the poor in Colombia has lessons for the wider world, says Shakira, founder of the Barefoot Foundation
Nine years ago, at the Millennium Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York, heads of state from around the world agreed on the Millennium Development Goals to reduce global poverty. One of the key goals was to ensure that by 2015 every child, boys and girls alike, would be able to complete primary school. This means that all those finishing primary school in 2015 will be entering school in 2010. It’s a daunting challenge, but if the G8, the G20 and other nations join together to establish a Global Fund for Education, we can make real progress towards this deadline.
Barack Obama promised America’s support for creating this $2 billion new fund just over a year ago. A similar model already exists. The fund will be an independent and innovative institution similar to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It will include representatives of civil society and developing countries as equal partners alongside donor nations in its governance structure. It will link funding to results—ensuring accountability in the way that funds are spent.
A lot is at stake. In the past two years over 600 schools in Afghanistan have been bombed, burned or shut down by extremists. Eighty percent of these have been schools for girls. Why? Because the education of a child is the most powerful form of national security—and that’s why it is such a threat to militants everywhere.
This isn’t theoretical to me. Growing up in Colombia after decades of conflict I saw that the people who are born poor, die poor. With rare exceptions, they never have the chance to improve their lives.
These people have difficulties finding decent jobs and making a decent life—and they often end up involved in doing things they never imagined. No child dreams of becoming a militant or a drug trafficker. But in developing countries sometimes life doesn’t give you any other option.
Education, education, education
Education is the only way to break this cycle. But in today’s world there are still 72m children who are denied the opportunity to go to school and 226m adolescents who don’t attend secondary school.
My foundation in Colombia, Pies Descalzos (“Barefoot”), has proved that the poorest children can be educated. For less than $2 a day per child, our schools provide food, education and counselling services to thousands of students. Our schools help underprivileged children grow in sustainable ways and provide them with the tools they need to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Many people don’t realise that Colombia has one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world. Over 3m people in the country (out of a population of 49m) have fled their homes because of conflict. For this reason we decided that our programmes in Colombia should specifically focus on serving displaced children.
Our work in Colombia combines high-quality academic instruction with recreation, health care and psychological support. We operate six schools in three diverse regions of Colombia: Barranquilla, Quibdó and Altos de Cazucá. Over 5,000 students are directly served in our schools—but approximately 30,000 people benefit from our programmes. For example, in working to combat malnutrition we not only provide students with nourishing meals and evaluate their nutritional status, but we also provide their parents with critical information on health and nutrition.
In addition to physical-health services, the foundation’s programmes support emotional health through counselling and exposure to the arts as well as through advice for families and parenting classes.
We also support the broader community. On any given day our school buildings are hubs of activity—providing a range of services, including adult-literacy classes, youth-leadership development, access to libraries and computer training. Perhaps most importantly, we have also begun to form parent co-operatives focused on teaching parents and on income-generating activities aimed at ensuring that families are financially secure.
We are now in the process of taking this success story to other parts of the world through our non-profit Barefoot Foundation, based in the United States.
If our foundation can bring quality education to some of the poorest children in the world there is no reason why governments can’t do the same thing. Our schools in Colombia are proving each and every day that no matter where a child is from, no matter how poor children are, they can thrive if given the chance.
I refuse to believe that it isn’t possible to educate every child. By establishing a Global Fund for Education in 2010 we will invest in these children’s future—and help to secure our own.
********************
And here's a video of Shakira talking about the Barefoot Foundation on Jimmy Fallon's show last week! :)
I say, Viva Shakira! xoxo
************************************************
'SÃ, se puede'
Nov 13th 2009
From The World in 2010 print edition
Experience of teaching the poor in Colombia has lessons for the wider world, says Shakira, founder of the Barefoot Foundation
Nine years ago, at the Millennium Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York, heads of state from around the world agreed on the Millennium Development Goals to reduce global poverty. One of the key goals was to ensure that by 2015 every child, boys and girls alike, would be able to complete primary school. This means that all those finishing primary school in 2015 will be entering school in 2010. It’s a daunting challenge, but if the G8, the G20 and other nations join together to establish a Global Fund for Education, we can make real progress towards this deadline.
Barack Obama promised America’s support for creating this $2 billion new fund just over a year ago. A similar model already exists. The fund will be an independent and innovative institution similar to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It will include representatives of civil society and developing countries as equal partners alongside donor nations in its governance structure. It will link funding to results—ensuring accountability in the way that funds are spent.
A lot is at stake. In the past two years over 600 schools in Afghanistan have been bombed, burned or shut down by extremists. Eighty percent of these have been schools for girls. Why? Because the education of a child is the most powerful form of national security—and that’s why it is such a threat to militants everywhere.
This isn’t theoretical to me. Growing up in Colombia after decades of conflict I saw that the people who are born poor, die poor. With rare exceptions, they never have the chance to improve their lives.
These people have difficulties finding decent jobs and making a decent life—and they often end up involved in doing things they never imagined. No child dreams of becoming a militant or a drug trafficker. But in developing countries sometimes life doesn’t give you any other option.
Education, education, education
Education is the only way to break this cycle. But in today’s world there are still 72m children who are denied the opportunity to go to school and 226m adolescents who don’t attend secondary school.
My foundation in Colombia, Pies Descalzos (“Barefoot”), has proved that the poorest children can be educated. For less than $2 a day per child, our schools provide food, education and counselling services to thousands of students. Our schools help underprivileged children grow in sustainable ways and provide them with the tools they need to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Many people don’t realise that Colombia has one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world. Over 3m people in the country (out of a population of 49m) have fled their homes because of conflict. For this reason we decided that our programmes in Colombia should specifically focus on serving displaced children.
Our work in Colombia combines high-quality academic instruction with recreation, health care and psychological support. We operate six schools in three diverse regions of Colombia: Barranquilla, Quibdó and Altos de Cazucá. Over 5,000 students are directly served in our schools—but approximately 30,000 people benefit from our programmes. For example, in working to combat malnutrition we not only provide students with nourishing meals and evaluate their nutritional status, but we also provide their parents with critical information on health and nutrition.
In addition to physical-health services, the foundation’s programmes support emotional health through counselling and exposure to the arts as well as through advice for families and parenting classes.
We also support the broader community. On any given day our school buildings are hubs of activity—providing a range of services, including adult-literacy classes, youth-leadership development, access to libraries and computer training. Perhaps most importantly, we have also begun to form parent co-operatives focused on teaching parents and on income-generating activities aimed at ensuring that families are financially secure.
We are now in the process of taking this success story to other parts of the world through our non-profit Barefoot Foundation, based in the United States.
If our foundation can bring quality education to some of the poorest children in the world there is no reason why governments can’t do the same thing. Our schools in Colombia are proving each and every day that no matter where a child is from, no matter how poor children are, they can thrive if given the chance.
I refuse to believe that it isn’t possible to educate every child. By establishing a Global Fund for Education in 2010 we will invest in these children’s future—and help to secure our own.
********************
And here's a video of Shakira talking about the Barefoot Foundation on Jimmy Fallon's show last week! :)
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Lenka Came to Town!
Date: August 4, 2009
Location: Ballroom, Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Event: Lenka's press conference in conjunction with 'Lenka Asian Promo Tour'
Talk about having one of your dreams coming true!:D
It all started one fine day when I was returning from our work assignment at the Parliament together with my colleague. As usual, we were stuck in the traffic jam along Jalan Travers when the radio suddenly played a song that instantly caught my attention.
It was love at first sound.
In fact the singer's voice reminded me of a younger, more sugary version of Jewel!:)
And the DJ later mentioned the name of the singer: LENKA.
The song? Trouble Is A Friend.
I LOVE.
In fact, I love the song soooo much, I actually bought her CD a few days after that - no small thingy, as I normally only buy CDs of the singers whom I'm really, really addicted to, like Shakira.
Lenka's self-titled debut album, featuring the hit songs "The Show" and "Trouble is A Friend"
And oh, if you guys have never heard of her song "Trouble is A Friend", check out this super-cool video that's just been released a few days ago. The earlier version of this song's video clip was made shadow puppet style (cool!), but this new version is wayyyy even more COOL!:D
Anyway, when I found out via her Facebook fan page that she's coming down to KL, I was naturally elated!:D In fact, I was planning to catch Lenka's showcase at One Utama on Sunday, August 2, but had to cancel last minute as I was down with fever. But God was ever sooo kind to me, as I managed to cover her press conference, yippee!!! Even happier that I managed to get her autograph on my CD, double yippee!!!
All in all, the only thing that I can say is: Syukur Alhamdulillah...:)
By the way, here are some photos that I took during the press conference:
Lenka answering a question from a journalist (check out her silk batik outfit!)
Lenka receiving a set of 'dokoh' - i.e., a traditional, three-tier Malay necklace - as a present from Sony Music Malaysia's MD, Adrian
Lenka wearing her brand new 'dokoh - isn't she LOVELY?:D
Anyway, here's the video on Lenka's press conference in KL that we did. Enjoy!
My next mission: Meet SHAKIRA in person!:D
Location: Ballroom, Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Event: Lenka's press conference in conjunction with 'Lenka Asian Promo Tour'
Talk about having one of your dreams coming true!:D
It all started one fine day when I was returning from our work assignment at the Parliament together with my colleague. As usual, we were stuck in the traffic jam along Jalan Travers when the radio suddenly played a song that instantly caught my attention.
It was love at first sound.
In fact the singer's voice reminded me of a younger, more sugary version of Jewel!:)
And the DJ later mentioned the name of the singer: LENKA.
The song? Trouble Is A Friend.
I LOVE.
In fact, I love the song soooo much, I actually bought her CD a few days after that - no small thingy, as I normally only buy CDs of the singers whom I'm really, really addicted to, like Shakira.
Lenka's self-titled debut album, featuring the hit songs "The Show" and "Trouble is A Friend"
And oh, if you guys have never heard of her song "Trouble is A Friend", check out this super-cool video that's just been released a few days ago. The earlier version of this song's video clip was made shadow puppet style (cool!), but this new version is wayyyy even more COOL!:D
Anyway, when I found out via her Facebook fan page that she's coming down to KL, I was naturally elated!:D In fact, I was planning to catch Lenka's showcase at One Utama on Sunday, August 2, but had to cancel last minute as I was down with fever. But God was ever sooo kind to me, as I managed to cover her press conference, yippee!!! Even happier that I managed to get her autograph on my CD, double yippee!!!
All in all, the only thing that I can say is: Syukur Alhamdulillah...:)
By the way, here are some photos that I took during the press conference:
Lenka answering a question from a journalist (check out her silk batik outfit!)
Lenka receiving a set of 'dokoh' - i.e., a traditional, three-tier Malay necklace - as a present from Sony Music Malaysia's MD, Adrian
Lenka wearing her brand new 'dokoh - isn't she LOVELY?:D
Anyway, here's the video on Lenka's press conference in KL that we did. Enjoy!
My next mission: Meet SHAKIRA in person!:D
AL-FATIHAH: W.S. RENDRA (1935-2009)
Those who are really close to me know that I love poetry - be it writing, reading or appreciating them (poems). Hence, the news of Indonesian poet, WS Rendra's death on the night of August 6 - after undergoing treatment for a month for conorary heart disease - came as a sad shock to me. After all, he is well-known not only in his native country, but also in Malaysia as well. But then again, Allah loves him more...
In his memory, I would like to share one of his works with all of you (together with the Engilsh translation of the poem), especially to all the poetry lovers out there. Al-Fatihah.
KANGEN
Kau tak akan mengerti bagaimana kesepianku
menghadapi kemerdekaan tanpa cinta
kau tak akan mengerti segala lukaku
kerna luka telah sembunyikan pisaunya.
Membayangkan wajahmu adalah siksa.
Kesepian adalah ketakutan dalam kelumpuhan.
Engkau telah menjadi racun bagi darahku.
Apabila aku dalam kangen dan sepi
itulah berarti
aku tungku tanpa api.
-WS Rendra-
And here's the English translation for my non-Malay speaking friends (forgive me, if my version does not do justice to the original one...)
YEARNING
You will never understand about my loneliness
having freedom without love
you will never understand about my wound
because the wound has already hidden its knife.
Just imagining your face is sheer torture.
Loneliness is fear in paralysis.
You have become the poison in my blood.
When I am in yearning and in loneliness
that means
I am the heating stone, without the fire.
-WS Rendra-
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Remembering Natrah: An Interview with Datin Fatini Yaacob (Part III)
Oh gosh, I've been sooo busy lately (not to mention sick - literally!) to even upload the videos that we've done!:P
Anyway, here's the video on our interview with Datin Fatin Yaacob, the writer/researcher on Natrah @ Nadra Maarof, or her Dutch name, Maria Hertogh, saga. The whole interview took more than one hours, so we had to be quite selective in terms of which soundbytes we wanted to use, as Internet speed & bandwidth-related concern didn't allow us to upload the whole interview.
By the way, my favourite part is Part 3, where Fatini shared with us the TRUE LOVE story shared between Nadra and her first husband, Mansor Adabi. I was trying sooo hard to stop my tears from falling upon listening to her story...Sedih gilerrr, okay...:(
Anyway, would like to share the end results with you guys! Semoga kita dapat mempelajari sesuatu daripada kisah hidup arwah...
Regards,
-elly-
'A LESSON IN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS'
'HOW IGNORANCE OF THE LAW LEADS TO A LIFETIME OF MISERY'
'SHE SUFFERED HER WHOLE LIFE...'
Anyway, here's the video on our interview with Datin Fatin Yaacob, the writer/researcher on Natrah @ Nadra Maarof, or her Dutch name, Maria Hertogh, saga. The whole interview took more than one hours, so we had to be quite selective in terms of which soundbytes we wanted to use, as Internet speed & bandwidth-related concern didn't allow us to upload the whole interview.
By the way, my favourite part is Part 3, where Fatini shared with us the TRUE LOVE story shared between Nadra and her first husband, Mansor Adabi. I was trying sooo hard to stop my tears from falling upon listening to her story...Sedih gilerrr, okay...:(
Anyway, would like to share the end results with you guys! Semoga kita dapat mempelajari sesuatu daripada kisah hidup arwah...
Regards,
-elly-
'A LESSON IN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS'
'HOW IGNORANCE OF THE LAW LEADS TO A LIFETIME OF MISERY'
'SHE SUFFERED HER WHOLE LIFE...'
Monday, 13 July 2009
Remembering Natrah @ Nadra (Part II) - An Interview with Datin Fatini Yaacob
Once upon a time, back in 1950, Malaya was in the FRONT page of newspapers worldwide. The story: A Dutch girl, adopted by a Malay woman, was taken back by her biological parents to Netherlands against her will. In short, Natrah @ Maria Bertha Hertogh was the country's first ever bona fide, global celebrity.
In 1989, a Malaysian journalist, Fatini Yaacob, tracked her after an extensive 4-month research done all over the globe (during that time, there was NO google, no Internet, no handphone whatsoever!) to do a story on what happened to Natrah back then. Her story on Natrah touched the heart of millions of Malaysians.
And I had the chance to interview her on July 10, 2009, together with other media friends, on what she felt about Natrah's recent passing away...AM.SO.HONORED.
I still remember reading the in-depth stories on Natrah, written by Fatini Yaacob (now Datin) in this magazine back in 1989. And they are still fresh in my mind! Now, that's what you call GREAT journalism!
Natrah on the cover of Dewan Masyarakat in May 1989. Her tale, as written by Fatini, touched the hearts of many Malaysians, with hundreds of them calling the writer crying after reading her story!!!
Fatini holding the legendary copy of Dewan Masyarakat.
With Friday's Kosmo, highlighting the news of Natrah's death in Netherlands on July 8, 2009.
Fatini recalling her story when interviewing Natrah...
In 1989, a Malaysian journalist, Fatini Yaacob, tracked her after an extensive 4-month research done all over the globe (during that time, there was NO google, no Internet, no handphone whatsoever!) to do a story on what happened to Natrah back then. Her story on Natrah touched the heart of millions of Malaysians.
And I had the chance to interview her on July 10, 2009, together with other media friends, on what she felt about Natrah's recent passing away...AM.SO.HONORED.
I still remember reading the in-depth stories on Natrah, written by Fatini Yaacob (now Datin) in this magazine back in 1989. And they are still fresh in my mind! Now, that's what you call GREAT journalism!
Natrah on the cover of Dewan Masyarakat in May 1989. Her tale, as written by Fatini, touched the hearts of many Malaysians, with hundreds of them calling the writer crying after reading her story!!!
Fatini holding the legendary copy of Dewan Masyarakat.
With Friday's Kosmo, highlighting the news of Natrah's death in Netherlands on July 8, 2009.
Fatini recalling her story when interviewing Natrah...
Remembering Natrah @ Nadra (R.I.P.) - Part I
I still remember when I was a little child, I was truly intrigued by the story of Maria @ Bertha Hertogh, or her Muslim name Natrah @ Nadra, a Dutch girl who was adopted by a Malay family in 1940's, raised as a Muslim and later taken away by her biological parents back to their homeland by Court decree. The Court's decision has caused an outrage among the Muslims in the country back then, leading to deadly riots in Singapore back in 1950.
Back then, I was too young to realise that she's actually a victim of situation, a political pawn by the then-Colonial governments.
I only remembered how pretty she was - a young Mat Salleh girl in baju kurung, looking so 'ayu' in her long selendang.
And it really touched my heart to know that she had made a will to donate her body upon her death for research, instead of being buried.
May you rest in peace, Nadra. xoxo
"For many she is still an icon in the battle against British imperialism and an example of what religious differences can lead to." - A statement by Natrah's family on her passing away.
"Her birthday party had a Malaysian-Indonesian theme. Everyone wore Baju Melayu. She talked a lot about her happy days in Malaysia and her heart was very much there." - Malaysia's Ambassador to The Netherlands Datuk Dr Fauziah Mohd Taib.
(p.s . I would like to share with you an article on her death published in New Straits Times today.)
Maria Hertogh, 72, dies of leukaemia
2009/07/10
From Zaharah Othman in London
Maria Hertogh, 72, dies of leukaemia
THE woman at the centre of a legal tussle between her Dutch parents and her Malaysian foster mother that became a worldwide cause celebre in the 1950s died yesterday at the age of 72. Nadrah Maarof, or Maria Bertha Hertogh, died at her home in Huijberhen in southern Holland of leukaemia. Her children and close relatives were at her side.
The youngest of her 10 children, Silvija Wolkenfelt, said there would be no burial as it was Hertogh's last wish to donate her body for research.
"All her life she did what other people wanted. This is her own choice, and it is important we respect that," the 38-year-old said in a phone interview.
"Her life was a struggle, but she was very funny and very sweet. She always tried to make life easier for other people."
A statement released by the family said Hertogh made world news when her parents Adeline Hunter and Adrianus Petrus Hertogh went to court to seek her return after World War 2.
Adrianus had been captured by the Japanese in Indonesia in 1942. Her mother then gave her up for adoption to Aminah Mohamad from Terengganu without her father's knowledge. She was renamed Nadrah Maarof and raised in Kemaman as a Muslim.
After his release at the end of the war, Adrianus began the search for his daughter. Aminah took her to Singapore to see her father, and she was placed in a girls' home in the republic.
Aminah won an appeal to get her back and the then 13-year-old was married to Mansor Adabi. But on Dec 12, 1950, the court ruled she should be returned to her biological father and she went back to Holland where she was brought up according to the religion of her father.
"After the judge assigned her to her Dutch parents, riots broke out between Muslims and Christians in Singapore, resulting in 18 deaths and 200 people injured."
Hertogh returned for the first time to Malaysia in 1999 for a Dutch television documentary. She said her childhood was the only period in her life that she was really happy.
"For many she is still an icon in the battle against British imperialism and an example of what religious differences can lead to," said the statement.
Malaysia's Ambassador to The Netherlands Datuk Dr Fauziah Mohd Taib, who last met Hertogh at her birthday party on March 24, said she looked frail but happy.
"Her birthday party had a Malaysian-Indonesian theme. Everyone wore Baju Melayu. She talked a lot about her happy days in Malaysia and her heart was very much there."
(**This entry was originally posted as a Facebook note on July 10, 2009)
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Paella Perfecto!!!
Are you a Spanish food lover? If yes, then you might want to try out Cava Restaurant!
Location: 71 Jalan Bangkung, Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
What it offers: Catalonian style cuisine with hints of Greek and Mediterranean infusion
Specialties: Tapas, paellas (HEAVENLY!), meat dishes and pasta dishes. For the non-Muslims, this place has an extensive wine selection and it's also well-known for its Sangria.
Ambience/Decor: European-style, yet non-intimidating for a small town girl like me!;) Perfect to entertain business clients.
Price Category: Affordable Upmarket.
Food Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Value-for-money: 4 stars out of 5
Business hours : Mon - Sat, 12pm to 3pm ; 6pm till late. Sunday & Public Holidays, 5pm till late
Elly's verdict:
I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT!!! Its Paella Moriscos (Seafood Paella) is simply the best EVERRR!!!In fact, it tasted even BETTER than the one I had at Valencia, Spain (the original hometown of paella). No joke, folks!:D
For the drink, I had the non-alcoholic Virgin Mojito. It was DIVINE. 'Nuff said.
The BEFORE pix:
HEAVEN IN A PAN: Cava's Paella Moriscos
The AFTER pix:
Told ya' it was GOOD!!!:D
Another winner:
My colleague, Miss M, had Chicken Cordoba. She LOVED it!:):)
Note: I would like to thank Nibbleish.com for inviting us to take part in their 'A Gastronomical Event 2009" recently, which gave us a chance to sample the best dishes offered by some of KL's best gourmet restaurants which include Cava. MUCHAS GRACIAS!:D
Location: 71 Jalan Bangkung, Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
What it offers: Catalonian style cuisine with hints of Greek and Mediterranean infusion
Specialties: Tapas, paellas (HEAVENLY!), meat dishes and pasta dishes. For the non-Muslims, this place has an extensive wine selection and it's also well-known for its Sangria.
Ambience/Decor: European-style, yet non-intimidating for a small town girl like me!;) Perfect to entertain business clients.
Price Category: Affordable Upmarket.
Food Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Value-for-money: 4 stars out of 5
Business hours : Mon - Sat, 12pm to 3pm ; 6pm till late. Sunday & Public Holidays, 5pm till late
Elly's verdict:
I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT!!! Its Paella Moriscos (Seafood Paella) is simply the best EVERRR!!!In fact, it tasted even BETTER than the one I had at Valencia, Spain (the original hometown of paella). No joke, folks!:D
For the drink, I had the non-alcoholic Virgin Mojito. It was DIVINE. 'Nuff said.
The BEFORE pix:
HEAVEN IN A PAN: Cava's Paella Moriscos
The AFTER pix:
Told ya' it was GOOD!!!:D
Another winner:
My colleague, Miss M, had Chicken Cordoba. She LOVED it!:):)
Note: I would like to thank Nibbleish.com for inviting us to take part in their 'A Gastronomical Event 2009" recently, which gave us a chance to sample the best dishes offered by some of KL's best gourmet restaurants which include Cava. MUCHAS GRACIAS!:D
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Looking Fabulous, No Matter At What Age!
To all my 30-something (or above!) gal friends out there, I would HIGHLY recommend you to get a copy of this book if you regard YOURSELF as the most precious thing in your life!:D
C'mon, admit it...we're no longer in our 20's when metabolism and gravity are still on our side. In other words, the older we get, the more maintainance work is required.
Just because you're already over 30, it doesn't mean you have to look FRUMPY! This book shows that mature women can still look younger and hipper (YH, as the author said), instead of looking like an Old Lady (OL).
Anyway, I love the book because it's practical (important for busy women like us!) and contains no BS whatsoever. No well-known, cliche crap like: 'Drink more water. Sleep 8 hours every day (AS IF!!!). Do yoga, et al (okay, okay...those things ARE good, but we'll talk about them some other day, hehe!) Instead, it focuses on things that we can actually do RIGHT AWAY.
It also speaks to all types of women out there, be it the Low Maintenance type, Medium Maintenance & the ultimate High Maintenance style diva. Most importantly, the emphasis here is on looking 'better for your age', instead of ridiculously trying to be like a teenager (worst case scenario) or looking waaayyy older than your age (like the Mak Datin type, euwww!):P
Don't get me wrong: I'm a firm believer that beauty should come from inside. But admit it, if you look good, you feel good. It's as simple as that. It's NOT about being shallow or being a vainpot, but it's about appreciating yourself AND taking the best care of ourselves. After all, God has given us our body & our soul, so let's take great care of it!:D
Enjoy this one, folks!
xoxo,
elly
About the author:
Charla Krupp has done over a hundred style segments on the Today Show; appeared on more than 40 national television shows, including Oprah, CBS The Early Show, Tyra, The Doctors, The View and Dateline; and been a regular on the E! Channel and the Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, an editor of In Style, beauty editor for People’s Style Watch, executive editor of Shop Etc. magazine and wrote a monthly fashion column for More Magazine called Fashion For Grownups. Currently, Charla is a contributing editor to People's Style Watch.
*Book price: RM69.90 per copy at Kinokuniya, Suria KLCC.
**[This entry was originally posted as a note on my Facebook profile]
C'mon, admit it...we're no longer in our 20's when metabolism and gravity are still on our side. In other words, the older we get, the more maintainance work is required.
Just because you're already over 30, it doesn't mean you have to look FRUMPY! This book shows that mature women can still look younger and hipper (YH, as the author said), instead of looking like an Old Lady (OL).
Anyway, I love the book because it's practical (important for busy women like us!) and contains no BS whatsoever. No well-known, cliche crap like: 'Drink more water. Sleep 8 hours every day (AS IF!!!). Do yoga, et al (okay, okay...those things ARE good, but we'll talk about them some other day, hehe!) Instead, it focuses on things that we can actually do RIGHT AWAY.
It also speaks to all types of women out there, be it the Low Maintenance type, Medium Maintenance & the ultimate High Maintenance style diva. Most importantly, the emphasis here is on looking 'better for your age', instead of ridiculously trying to be like a teenager (worst case scenario) or looking waaayyy older than your age (like the Mak Datin type, euwww!):P
Don't get me wrong: I'm a firm believer that beauty should come from inside. But admit it, if you look good, you feel good. It's as simple as that. It's NOT about being shallow or being a vainpot, but it's about appreciating yourself AND taking the best care of ourselves. After all, God has given us our body & our soul, so let's take great care of it!:D
Enjoy this one, folks!
xoxo,
elly
About the author:
Charla Krupp has done over a hundred style segments on the Today Show; appeared on more than 40 national television shows, including Oprah, CBS The Early Show, Tyra, The Doctors, The View and Dateline; and been a regular on the E! Channel and the Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, an editor of In Style, beauty editor for People’s Style Watch, executive editor of Shop Etc. magazine and wrote a monthly fashion column for More Magazine called Fashion For Grownups. Currently, Charla is a contributing editor to People's Style Watch.
*Book price: RM69.90 per copy at Kinokuniya, Suria KLCC.
**[This entry was originally posted as a note on my Facebook profile]
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Sweet Night, Sweet Delight
A lovely evening of no-frills, value-for-money dim sum & Chinese-style 'fast food' at the up-and-coming food hot spot, Platinum Walk...
Location: Sweet Delight Kafe, Platinum Walk, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur
Food Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Value-for-money: 4 stars out of 5
Ambience/Decor: Minimalist, laidback, unassuming.
Wifi: YES
Service: Not bad.
Price: Budget.
Specialties: Halal dim sum, Chinese style 'fast food' and snacks, ice blended drinks, sweet delights (bubur, etc - hence the name 'Sweet Delight Kafe'!), chicken chops, among others.
Me, trying out the dry flat noodles with dumplings.
Dim sum!!!!!:D Admittedly, the variety served at Sweet Delight Kafe are quite limited, but we have no complaints. After all, the price is quite cheap (RM2.70 per 3 pieces) and they tasted quite nice. Most importantly, the dim sum here is HALAL:):)
My fave: Black pepper siew mai!:D
My good friend, Lady A, also had dry flat noodles, albeit with fish paste.
My 'drink': Vanilla mango mix, something-something ice blended...i forgot the name mahh!!:P
Location: Sweet Delight Kafe, Platinum Walk, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur
Food Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Value-for-money: 4 stars out of 5
Ambience/Decor: Minimalist, laidback, unassuming.
Wifi: YES
Service: Not bad.
Price: Budget.
Specialties: Halal dim sum, Chinese style 'fast food' and snacks, ice blended drinks, sweet delights (bubur, etc - hence the name 'Sweet Delight Kafe'!), chicken chops, among others.
Me, trying out the dry flat noodles with dumplings.
Dim sum!!!!!:D Admittedly, the variety served at Sweet Delight Kafe are quite limited, but we have no complaints. After all, the price is quite cheap (RM2.70 per 3 pieces) and they tasted quite nice. Most importantly, the dim sum here is HALAL:):)
My fave: Black pepper siew mai!:D
My good friend, Lady A, also had dry flat noodles, albeit with fish paste.
My 'drink': Vanilla mango mix, something-something ice blended...i forgot the name mahh!!:P
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