As I wrote this, my family is already on their way to Japan, departing from KLIA at about 11.00 a.m. today. I’m all eager to welcome them here – vacuumed the house, cleaned the toilet and bathroom, put on fresh sheets on futon and pillows, and had already made dinner – we’ll be having nasi ayam tonight. (yes Sabah, do come and visit us some day for a taste of my Nasi Ayam… )
So this is probably going be the last entry while I’m still living all by myself. My routine is going to change a lot after this, especially during the two weeks with my Mak and aunts still around. The truth be told, to some extent, I actually enjoy living alone. It’s kind of nice to have only myself to worry about – and I’m a very simple person. I am not particular or fussy about a lot of things – I cooked simple dishes, I re-cycled my clothes before doing my weekly laundry, I had ample time to study, read, surf the web, blog. It was just me, myself and I who calls all the shots – which is kind of cool, really.
Still, while living alone is not all that bad, I missed my family, especially my son, all the time. I feel guilty for not being there for Huzaifah as I should be. Yes, hubby and I talked on the phone (or PC, via Skype) almost daily. I knew all along what’s going on because I squeezed for every tiniest details from hubby about Huzaifah. But nothing beats being with him in person. I must admit that despite staying alone, I seldom feel lonely because I always have a lot of things to do, to entertain myself or to fill up my time, but that little corner in my heart just kept tugging at me, making me miss my son all the time, no matter what I do to overcome it.
As for hubby coming here, I’ve been warned by most wives – we need times alone, a break from each other every once in a while. Which explains why I’m looking for openings for him to teach. I understand that he needs his time out, he can’t be cocooned inside the house with baby all the time, while I attend class or seminars. He needs his own independence too, so while I don’t think he will earn much from teaching, at least he gets to make his own money. I think he needs that. And of course we’re going to save up for a Playstation – he needs that too. And the internet. I'm thinking of suggesting to him to start his own blog someday.
So, finally, we’ll be together. I don’t anticipate it to be an easy change for both hubby and I. But we’ll manage, insya Allah. We both believe that we should be together as a family, through thick and thin. And if we need to rough it out, roughing it out together will make it more bearable. At least for me, I know that part deep inside my heart will cease tugging. And after staying afar for 6 months, I'm able to appreciate how meaningful it is to be able to be with both hubby and baby.
Yes, living alone had never been all that bad – but given a choice, I’ll always opt to live with loved ones even if it means more duties, more responsibilities and I no longer get to call all the shots.
(By the by, I'll try to update this blog from time to time - when I have both the time and the energy for it ;-))
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
School Meme
Thought this meme initiated by Nik Nazmi is an excellent one to reminisce lots of bittersweet memories – and to kill my time before the rombongan Cik Kiah arrives tomorrow, insya Allah…
How many schools did I go to?
A few. SRK Tunku Abdul Malik in Kulim in Standard 1. SK Sungai Petani a.k.a Sekolah Jalan Sekerat in Standard 2. Both SRK Tunku Abdul Malik and Sekolah Jalan Sekerat in Standard 3, because that was the year my brothers and I kept bouncing from one parent to another during the custody battle. When Ayah finally won custody, my biological mother still picked us from the school in Kulim, often by force, with some help from teachers who had no clear idea of what was going on. We hopped in Ayah’s car happily every time Ayah picked us back in Sungai Petani though. After about 2 months of this bouncing here and there, Ayah stopped sending us to school altogether, so my younger brother and I had a lot to catch up when we re-entered school the following year, in PJ, SRK Damansara Utama. Two years there, and my last year of primary education was spent in SRK Kampung Tunku. I only attended one secondary school though – joined the first generation of the then newly built and newly re-named SMAP, located in the middle of a rubber estate plantation in Labu, Negeri Sembilan.
Was I the studious nerd, or the last minute hero?
Nerd, maybe. Studious, almost never. While not a hero, since sloth is one of my biggest downfall, I usually procrastinate studying and doing assignments until last minute. And yes, it’s a habit that lives on until today.
Was I the class ‘taiko’ or the teacher’s pet?
Never a taiko, but when I was in upper secondary, I somehow became well known enough among the juniors. Probably because I was part of this Looky-looky Gang (which had the aura of taiko, but not quite) or because I was one of the co-opians (who tended the school’s co-op store, hence known by many)
Never been a teacher’s pet – unless anybody counting me as my Mathematics teacher in Form 5, Pak Chat’s pet, because he almost always inquired about me whenever I was not in class (I was very busy with lots of clubs and societies and since he wasn’t a great Mathematics teacher, I usually used his periods to attend to club/society’s matters)
I might score as an anti-teacher’s pet though – had this big clash with my Form 4 Science teacher, who actually shooed me away from attending her class for no clear reasons. She was a lousy liar – told my parents that I was a nuisance in her class and always bothered my friends, where else prior to denying me entry to her class, she had been making disdainful remarks about me being a Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya who could not even bimbing my own close friend, taunting whether or not "mak bapak tak ajar ke". Not long after my parents met her, she started another rumor, telling my juniors that I was having a lesbian relationship with a classmate. To date I still had no idea what she wanted to accomplish by making up absurd stories about me and a few others, but one of my fondest memory was getting A1 for Science in SPM despite her curse the previous year that I would never score an A in her subject.
What was the biggest rule I broke in school?
I’m yet undecided whether it was bringing or aiding and abetting in bringing in and distributing prohibited items such as walkman, cassettes, romance novels, etc. But, no, I was never caught for those.
Together with a few friends, I did got 'caught' not attending one ceramah though. We were busy working on some exhibits in conjunction with the school’s 10th anniversary and decided to give one ‘ceramah wajib’ a miss. The next thing we knew, we were tipped off that some ustazs were going around the school checking on who was not attending the ceramah. We quickly switched off the lights and ceiling fans. But the fans were still moving as the ustazs entered the room, while we hid under the tables, too afraid even to breathe. One of the reknown garang ustaz made remarks along the line of “Aikk…kasut tersusun. Aikk… kipas berpusing. Tapi orangnya mana?” a clear hint that they knew there were people hiding in that room. Another ustaz switched on the lights, revealing all of us crouching under the tables, chuckled and asked how were we supposed to continue working on the exhibits in the dark. They inspected the stuff we were working on for a while and then went on their way, asking us to carry on with our task. That was really embarrassing, but at least we got away with it.
Three subjects I enjoyed
History. Been a big fan of history even when I was still in primary school. Mr Jega, my history teacher from Form 1 to Form 3 also was skilled enough to make the class interesting all the way.
English. Having missed almost a year of schooling plus the fact that I used to school in rural area where not many cared much for English made me an ill-prepared new student in SRK Damansara Utama, where almost everybody seemed to speak the language well. I once got only 19 marks for an English test. Mak was the one responsible to introduce me to the wonders of English through great tutoring and introduction to Enid Blyton books in English (I’d been reading her stories in BM prior to that). I studied hard enough to get an A in my Penilaian Darjah 5 a year later. I first learned to enjoy writing in English when I was in Form 4, greatly motivated not by own Set teacher, but rather my class teacher, Miss Bernice.
Nihongo. Attended a basic communications class in 2003, but what I’d learned in that class is almost nothing compared to what I’d learned in Nihongo 1. People might say that girls have a thing for learning foreign language and are more likely to be good in it, but since I got a P8 for Arabic in SPM despite learning it for 5 years, I can vouch that we don’t necessarily enjoy or become good in just every foreign language that we learn. Not that I'm good in Nihongo as yet - but this is one subject I really enjoy learning.
Three teachers that inspired me
Hajah Jessimah. The Headmistress in SRK Kampung Tunku who, despite being single back then, was looked up as a second mother by most students in the school. She was both gentle and firm in leading the school to be one of the exemplary schools in Petaling Jaya at the height of its times.
Miss Bernice Chauly, my class teacher in Form 4. She taught English in set 2, but I used to keep two journals when I was in Form 4, one for Miss Lucy, my own English teacher, and the other for Miss Bernice, because I liked her allowing the students to be creative in our writing. She was the first to recognize my ability to write and was the one responsible in enrolling me in a district level writing competition. I did not do well in that competition, but it was the beginning of bigger things to come. She was a fresh graduate then, but she showed a lot of understanding, compassion and extended her friendship to many of us who were seeking such teacher’s figure back then.
Mr Ghazali Shafie. My wacky songkok-wearing English teacher in college who would talk freely about his days as a student so that we could learn from his experiences. His wife used to teach in the same college, but not my class. They used to live in the college compound and I remember how they sometimes spent time strolling around the college with their kids, looking very much the picture of a happy Islamic family.
And I hereby pass this on to:
Zyrin (yes, again…)
Jaja (you too)
Doc (because she's my schoolmate)
Nisah (because she went to the same school with hubby)
Kakaq (because she was in Sarawak)
Sabah (because he went to a Chinese school)
Marinadelrey (because I think you might like this one)
How many schools did I go to?
A few. SRK Tunku Abdul Malik in Kulim in Standard 1. SK Sungai Petani a.k.a Sekolah Jalan Sekerat in Standard 2. Both SRK Tunku Abdul Malik and Sekolah Jalan Sekerat in Standard 3, because that was the year my brothers and I kept bouncing from one parent to another during the custody battle. When Ayah finally won custody, my biological mother still picked us from the school in Kulim, often by force, with some help from teachers who had no clear idea of what was going on. We hopped in Ayah’s car happily every time Ayah picked us back in Sungai Petani though. After about 2 months of this bouncing here and there, Ayah stopped sending us to school altogether, so my younger brother and I had a lot to catch up when we re-entered school the following year, in PJ, SRK Damansara Utama. Two years there, and my last year of primary education was spent in SRK Kampung Tunku. I only attended one secondary school though – joined the first generation of the then newly built and newly re-named SMAP, located in the middle of a rubber estate plantation in Labu, Negeri Sembilan.
Was I the studious nerd, or the last minute hero?
Nerd, maybe. Studious, almost never. While not a hero, since sloth is one of my biggest downfall, I usually procrastinate studying and doing assignments until last minute. And yes, it’s a habit that lives on until today.
Was I the class ‘taiko’ or the teacher’s pet?
Never a taiko, but when I was in upper secondary, I somehow became well known enough among the juniors. Probably because I was part of this Looky-looky Gang (which had the aura of taiko, but not quite) or because I was one of the co-opians (who tended the school’s co-op store, hence known by many)
Never been a teacher’s pet – unless anybody counting me as my Mathematics teacher in Form 5, Pak Chat’s pet, because he almost always inquired about me whenever I was not in class (I was very busy with lots of clubs and societies and since he wasn’t a great Mathematics teacher, I usually used his periods to attend to club/society’s matters)
I might score as an anti-teacher’s pet though – had this big clash with my Form 4 Science teacher, who actually shooed me away from attending her class for no clear reasons. She was a lousy liar – told my parents that I was a nuisance in her class and always bothered my friends, where else prior to denying me entry to her class, she had been making disdainful remarks about me being a Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya who could not even bimbing my own close friend, taunting whether or not "mak bapak tak ajar ke". Not long after my parents met her, she started another rumor, telling my juniors that I was having a lesbian relationship with a classmate. To date I still had no idea what she wanted to accomplish by making up absurd stories about me and a few others, but one of my fondest memory was getting A1 for Science in SPM despite her curse the previous year that I would never score an A in her subject.
What was the biggest rule I broke in school?
I’m yet undecided whether it was bringing or aiding and abetting in bringing in and distributing prohibited items such as walkman, cassettes, romance novels, etc. But, no, I was never caught for those.
Together with a few friends, I did got 'caught' not attending one ceramah though. We were busy working on some exhibits in conjunction with the school’s 10th anniversary and decided to give one ‘ceramah wajib’ a miss. The next thing we knew, we were tipped off that some ustazs were going around the school checking on who was not attending the ceramah. We quickly switched off the lights and ceiling fans. But the fans were still moving as the ustazs entered the room, while we hid under the tables, too afraid even to breathe. One of the reknown garang ustaz made remarks along the line of “Aikk…kasut tersusun. Aikk… kipas berpusing. Tapi orangnya mana?” a clear hint that they knew there were people hiding in that room. Another ustaz switched on the lights, revealing all of us crouching under the tables, chuckled and asked how were we supposed to continue working on the exhibits in the dark. They inspected the stuff we were working on for a while and then went on their way, asking us to carry on with our task. That was really embarrassing, but at least we got away with it.
Three subjects I enjoyed
History. Been a big fan of history even when I was still in primary school. Mr Jega, my history teacher from Form 1 to Form 3 also was skilled enough to make the class interesting all the way.
English. Having missed almost a year of schooling plus the fact that I used to school in rural area where not many cared much for English made me an ill-prepared new student in SRK Damansara Utama, where almost everybody seemed to speak the language well. I once got only 19 marks for an English test. Mak was the one responsible to introduce me to the wonders of English through great tutoring and introduction to Enid Blyton books in English (I’d been reading her stories in BM prior to that). I studied hard enough to get an A in my Penilaian Darjah 5 a year later. I first learned to enjoy writing in English when I was in Form 4, greatly motivated not by own Set teacher, but rather my class teacher, Miss Bernice.
Nihongo. Attended a basic communications class in 2003, but what I’d learned in that class is almost nothing compared to what I’d learned in Nihongo 1. People might say that girls have a thing for learning foreign language and are more likely to be good in it, but since I got a P8 for Arabic in SPM despite learning it for 5 years, I can vouch that we don’t necessarily enjoy or become good in just every foreign language that we learn. Not that I'm good in Nihongo as yet - but this is one subject I really enjoy learning.
Three teachers that inspired me
Hajah Jessimah. The Headmistress in SRK Kampung Tunku who, despite being single back then, was looked up as a second mother by most students in the school. She was both gentle and firm in leading the school to be one of the exemplary schools in Petaling Jaya at the height of its times.
Miss Bernice Chauly, my class teacher in Form 4. She taught English in set 2, but I used to keep two journals when I was in Form 4, one for Miss Lucy, my own English teacher, and the other for Miss Bernice, because I liked her allowing the students to be creative in our writing. She was the first to recognize my ability to write and was the one responsible in enrolling me in a district level writing competition. I did not do well in that competition, but it was the beginning of bigger things to come. She was a fresh graduate then, but she showed a lot of understanding, compassion and extended her friendship to many of us who were seeking such teacher’s figure back then.
Mr Ghazali Shafie. My wacky songkok-wearing English teacher in college who would talk freely about his days as a student so that we could learn from his experiences. His wife used to teach in the same college, but not my class. They used to live in the college compound and I remember how they sometimes spent time strolling around the college with their kids, looking very much the picture of a happy Islamic family.
And I hereby pass this on to:
Zyrin (yes, again…)
Jaja (you too)
Doc (because she's my schoolmate)
Nisah (because she went to the same school with hubby)
Kakaq (because she was in Sarawak)
Sabah (because he went to a Chinese school)
Marinadelrey (because I think you might like this one)
Anxiety attack
Funny – as excited as I am about welcoming my family to Japan, as the day nears I found myself getting more anxious.
And it’s not so much about starting a new life with hubby and baby in a foreign land that got me worried most. It’s the fact that Mak’s visiting that got me most nervous.
In winter 1996, Mak visited me in Leeds. I was so excited about Mak coming, I brought new all-season sleeping bag, so that Mak could use my bed while I sleep in the sleeping bag. But Mak did not sleep at my house, instead opting to stay at a Bed & Breakfast not far from Leeds University. I was a bit puzzled at that time but shrugged it off, thinking that perhaps Mak preferred not to stay in my crammed room after being used to spacious hotels and all.
It turned out that apparently when she was in London, I’d said something over the phone which she misconstrued as me saying I did not want her to visit me. Which was ridiculous of course, because I had been looking forward to seeing her, had bought extra warm (thus extra pricey) sleeping bag to be used during her anticipated stay and had planned a visit around Leeds and to my Malay friends’ place. I can’t remember exactly what I said because I certainly don’t remember asking her not to visit – but that’s what she told Ayah, and I got reprimanded by Ayah. That got me puzzled then, and it still puzzled me until today because I certainly don’t remember uttering anything to persuade Mak against coming to visit me.
As she ages, I think Mak gets even more sensitive – to the point that I just don’t get it. When I went back during winter break, when I was back in Malaysia for only 20 days, Mak became merajuk with me because she claimed that I was only busy taking photos of my son, but not taking any photos of hers. Not long after that, Ayah reprimanded me, claiming that I didn’t care enough about my parents to ensure that there are some photos of them in my room – apart from my wedding photo and my baby’s photos. Well, I used to have Mak & Ayah’s photo in my own room when I was single – but that particular pewter frame, along with other cheaper ones had already been packed in one of the many boxes in that room, awaiting departure to my own house some day when I return to Malaysia for good, insya Allah. Yes, it went without saying that I was surprised by this new extra ‘sensitivity’. But the truth is – there were a few photos of Mak taken by my hubby among those hundreds taken of our son. Still, it was unacceptable because to Mak we were not caring enough to take proper picture of hers. Proper, as in, we ask her to smile for the camera, rather than taking candid snapshots here and there. And of course, any effort to make it up to her after she had mentioned her dissatisfaction with us was futile.
So, understandably, unsure about her latest unpredictable ‘sensitivity’, and this being the first time for Mak to visit my house since I’m married, I am extra nervous about her visit.
Any advice on how to overcome this nerve wrecking anxiety?
And it’s not so much about starting a new life with hubby and baby in a foreign land that got me worried most. It’s the fact that Mak’s visiting that got me most nervous.
In winter 1996, Mak visited me in Leeds. I was so excited about Mak coming, I brought new all-season sleeping bag, so that Mak could use my bed while I sleep in the sleeping bag. But Mak did not sleep at my house, instead opting to stay at a Bed & Breakfast not far from Leeds University. I was a bit puzzled at that time but shrugged it off, thinking that perhaps Mak preferred not to stay in my crammed room after being used to spacious hotels and all.
It turned out that apparently when she was in London, I’d said something over the phone which she misconstrued as me saying I did not want her to visit me. Which was ridiculous of course, because I had been looking forward to seeing her, had bought extra warm (thus extra pricey) sleeping bag to be used during her anticipated stay and had planned a visit around Leeds and to my Malay friends’ place. I can’t remember exactly what I said because I certainly don’t remember asking her not to visit – but that’s what she told Ayah, and I got reprimanded by Ayah. That got me puzzled then, and it still puzzled me until today because I certainly don’t remember uttering anything to persuade Mak against coming to visit me.
As she ages, I think Mak gets even more sensitive – to the point that I just don’t get it. When I went back during winter break, when I was back in Malaysia for only 20 days, Mak became merajuk with me because she claimed that I was only busy taking photos of my son, but not taking any photos of hers. Not long after that, Ayah reprimanded me, claiming that I didn’t care enough about my parents to ensure that there are some photos of them in my room – apart from my wedding photo and my baby’s photos. Well, I used to have Mak & Ayah’s photo in my own room when I was single – but that particular pewter frame, along with other cheaper ones had already been packed in one of the many boxes in that room, awaiting departure to my own house some day when I return to Malaysia for good, insya Allah. Yes, it went without saying that I was surprised by this new extra ‘sensitivity’. But the truth is – there were a few photos of Mak taken by my hubby among those hundreds taken of our son. Still, it was unacceptable because to Mak we were not caring enough to take proper picture of hers. Proper, as in, we ask her to smile for the camera, rather than taking candid snapshots here and there. And of course, any effort to make it up to her after she had mentioned her dissatisfaction with us was futile.
So, understandably, unsure about her latest unpredictable ‘sensitivity’, and this being the first time for Mak to visit my house since I’m married, I am extra nervous about her visit.
Any advice on how to overcome this nerve wrecking anxiety?
Monday, March 13, 2006
Do we become more serious as we age?
A chat with a fellow blogger who celebrated her birthday today reminded me of this one girl who used to pull pranks on unsuspecting victims on their birthdays.
There was that cola splashing from a shaken can on Liz (yes Nasir, I can almost see you smiling at the memory); there was half-a-bottle spattering of talcum powder on Nita after being rewarded with ice-cream cake on her 21st birthday. And then there were other occasions in which I became part of gang bangs pulling pranks on somebody on their birthdays, No other days seemed better to be doing these awful things than the sometimes suspicious victims’ birthdays. Lucky for me – those few years these gang bangs became popular, I had either celebrated my birthday on a busy exam week or quietly at home during college breaks.
Remembering how fun it was to celebrate other people’s birthdays back then with naughty tricks make current birthday celebrations seem almost blasé – cake, birthday song, some snacks. No outrageous pranks – it’s too cruel to purposely splash even a drop of colorless water on a birthday girl. Especially when we know that she doesn't have a change of clothes handy - unlike when we were in the hostel. And since talcum powder is mostly used at the surau – not exactly an appropriate venue to pull pranks, huh?
Juvenile as they may seem now, if I were to do it all over again, I would choose to get involved in pulling those pranks all over again. I enjoyed it, everyone else found it amusing, and I believe even the victim would smile at the thought of it although maybe with a little ‘geram’ feeling…
It was fun – unfortunately, what used to be practical jokes in our youth are often not quite practical in later years… Yes, I guess it might be true after all - we tend to be more serious as we age...
There was that cola splashing from a shaken can on Liz (yes Nasir, I can almost see you smiling at the memory); there was half-a-bottle spattering of talcum powder on Nita after being rewarded with ice-cream cake on her 21st birthday. And then there were other occasions in which I became part of gang bangs pulling pranks on somebody on their birthdays, No other days seemed better to be doing these awful things than the sometimes suspicious victims’ birthdays. Lucky for me – those few years these gang bangs became popular, I had either celebrated my birthday on a busy exam week or quietly at home during college breaks.
Remembering how fun it was to celebrate other people’s birthdays back then with naughty tricks make current birthday celebrations seem almost blasé – cake, birthday song, some snacks. No outrageous pranks – it’s too cruel to purposely splash even a drop of colorless water on a birthday girl. Especially when we know that she doesn't have a change of clothes handy - unlike when we were in the hostel. And since talcum powder is mostly used at the surau – not exactly an appropriate venue to pull pranks, huh?
Juvenile as they may seem now, if I were to do it all over again, I would choose to get involved in pulling those pranks all over again. I enjoyed it, everyone else found it amusing, and I believe even the victim would smile at the thought of it although maybe with a little ‘geram’ feeling…
It was fun – unfortunately, what used to be practical jokes in our youth are often not quite practical in later years… Yes, I guess it might be true after all - we tend to be more serious as we age...
Sunday, March 12, 2006
You know you are not improving on your cooking when...
...this is what you had for lunch on a Sunday.
I know it's a sorry meal. My landlord promised to help me out with the curtain rails this morning, but he was rather late, arriving at almost 11.00 when he promised to come at 10.30. By the time we were done with the curtain rails (yea, yea, I got curtains in my apartment now) it was almost 12.00 p.m.
Feeling hungry because I did not have any breakfast, I decided to resort to an old trick learned when I was in UK - simply boil everything. So, there - a 'western' lunch of boiled sausage, egg, carrot and potatoes. In a poor attempt to make it 'healthy' - there was no mayonnaise or salad dressing added.
By the by, hubby had made more missed calls than usual yesterday - hints to remind me that it's his birthday today. I haven't gotten him any birthday present as yet although I already made that compulsory call to wish him happiness on his special day at midnight. I'm thinking of treating him for a day out to Hakone or Tokyo Disneyland as a belated birthday gift. I know, I know - I might have to take my family there when they come here anyway - so why not kill 2 birds with one stone? Last year we sort of made a pact to go to some new place to celebrate either his or my birthday, and both of us had never been to either Hakone or Tokyo Disneyland (I've been to Euro Disney) - so I thought it seems like a valid birthday present after all... Ye dak?
Saturday, March 11, 2006
What I bought today (and how small my kitchen is)
I went to Shin Okubo to buy some chicken and Thai rice. While I was there, grabbed some frankfurters and gizzards too. Brought a trolley bag along - I knew I wouldn't be able to manage carrying everything without such bag... Yes, I carried all these by myself (up and down train stations and all the way up to third floor where the apartment is located, with no elevator) Yes, I can't wait for hubby to come and take over such chore...
5 kg of Thai rice, 8 of 900gm whole chicken, 450 gm gizzards, 375 gm frankfurters... (Ja, kalo selalu macam ni, akak tak yah pi gym pun boleh kurus agaknya...)
Oh, in case I haven't mention this before - the chicken are imported from Brazil.
While I was at it, I took some photos of my small kitchen too - from both ends. First, from the entrance (yes, we are first greeted by the kitchen as we enter the house)
And then, from the other end (my bedroom's door)
Spring is here
What better way to tell the arrival of spring in Tokyo but for the ume (plum) blossoms? Here are some pics taken in front of Waseda university. Rather lame photos, but they are really nice in real life, and sweet smelling too...
Still, I can't deny that daffodils remain among my favourite signs of spring... There's not as much daffs here in Japan compared to UK - I actually stopped riding the bike on my way back from Urayasu a few days back to snap these shots
"...They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
- William Woodsworth, Daffodils
Friday, March 10, 2006
Please don't be stupid girl
On a lighter note, despite the language and the skin shown, I think that Stupid Girl video clip by Pink was kinda... err, cool. (Wonder what Zsarina, who once blogged about her disapproval of women magazines, would think of it though...)
On being thankful, part 2
As I listened to UNIC’s “Erti Syukur” earlier tonight, it reminded me once again to be thankful…
Lafazkan kalimah syukur
Lafazkan kalimah itu
Alhamdulillah...
Everything happens for a reason, so whatever comes, I must be redha - accepting without any feeling of remorse...
Segalanya yang ku kecapi
Adalah milikMu Ilahi(Tuhan Maha Pemurah)
Takkan terbalas walaupun sebesar zarah
I have a lot to be thankful for – a healthy son, a loving husband, supporting parents, caring extended relatives, good friends… I can see, listen, talk, read, sing, walk, run and skip. The last time I checked, I had been given a clean bill of health. I still have a stable job. I am currently doing what many are only dreaming of. Oh yes, I have a lot to be thankful for…
Kenikmatan yang bertandang
Terkadang tidak dihiraukan(Lepas dari pandangan)
Dan bila hilang barulah dikesalkan
But sometimes, embarassing as it may be, it takes small things, like missing a wallet, to heighten my awareness and realization of the bigger things to be thankful for.
Adakala aku hanyut
Adakalanya aku terlupa
Adakala aku leka
Ampunilah...
I guess, sometimes being alone at home could be a good thing, if only because it gives me ample time to ponder on lots of stuff I would normally take for granted. And since it’s holiday, it means I have a lot of time to recite the Quran and practise some zikr that had not been practised for quite some time
Kerana ku manusia
Lemah dan tidak berdaya di sisiMu
Seringkali terlupa nikmatMu
Datang tiada jemu
Bila terhimpit mulalah
Mencari dan menyebut namaMu
Barulah merasai makna sebenar erti syukur
Syukur atas rahmatMu
Funny how being under stress and a little duress could go a long way in reminding oneself to be more redha, because of faith in that “with every difficulty there is relief”. Oh yes, Surah Al-Insyirah has always been a favorite Surah of mine ever since I was asked to recite it during my Sekolah Agama’s Majlis Khatam Quran. More importantly, I had repeatedly found solace in the promise of relief for every difficulty, along with the belief that “Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability” (Al Baqarah:286)
Rap: Adakala ku hanyut
Adakala ku lupa
Adakala ku leka dan adakala ku alpa
Kerana ku manusia
Lemah dan tak berdaya
Seringkali terlupa nikmat yang Kau kurnia
Ku bersyukur ya Tuhan
Segala pemberian
Walau luas lautan
Bukanlah perbandingan
Ku tingkat keimanan
Ku gilap ketaqwaan
Sebagai perlambangan
Terima kasih ku Tuhan
Onak duri kehidupan
Jatuh bangun sendirian
Ada hikmah yang tersimpan
Yang menguji iman
Of course I’d been a little hanyut, a little lupa, a little leka and a little alpa then and again. Nothing like a little anxiety, a little hardship that have to be experienced alone to remind me that I’m only a small minuscule creature in Allah’s world. Yet Allah have always shown mercy for all of His creatures, never imposing on us any burden beyond our strength, beyond our capability to handle.
Bersyukurlah selalu
Sentiasalah redha dan menerima
Tiap ujian tiba bukan diminta
Sebaliknya Allah Maha Mengetahui
Kan ku bertasbih selalu
Bertahmid berzikir padaMu
Sebagai tanda ku nilai
RahmatMu Tuhan
Besides, how could one claims to have faith when one is not being tested? Tests have always been part of the deal, so we just have to deal with it.
Aku bersyukur Ya Allah
Segala pemberianMu padaku
Seluas lautan pun bukanlah jadi ukurannya
Memang tiada bandingan
Segalanya yang ku kecapi
Adalah milikMu Ilahi(Tuhan Maha Permurah)
Bukan milikku pinjaman sementara
Syukur Alhamdulillah
And in the end, the truth is, everything that we enjoy are not ours for good. Everything comes from Allah and to Allah we will return. What we thought are ours to enjoy are actually only loans from Allah for us to enjoy while we are allowed to, yet He can revoke any of His loans at any time, without any warning.
Rap: Sesungguhnya solatku,
Amalku, hidupku, matiku
Kerna Allah yang satu
Kuserahkan segala harta jiwa dan raga
Sebagai tanda cinta
KepadaMu Yang Esa
I was told once that no normal human beings deserve to enter Jannah if it’s only due to our own good deeds. It’s only with Allah’s mercy that humans are allowed to enter His paradise. All He asks in return is our submission to him, the One and Only God. So, whatever else Muslims aim to be in life, first and foremost would always be to submit to Allah. For only in true submission, there lies in true meaning of thankfulness.
Oh well, just a note of self-reminder for my forgetful self...
Wallahualam.
Lafazkan kalimah syukur
Lafazkan kalimah itu
Alhamdulillah...
Everything happens for a reason, so whatever comes, I must be redha - accepting without any feeling of remorse...
Segalanya yang ku kecapi
Adalah milikMu Ilahi(Tuhan Maha Pemurah)
Takkan terbalas walaupun sebesar zarah
I have a lot to be thankful for – a healthy son, a loving husband, supporting parents, caring extended relatives, good friends… I can see, listen, talk, read, sing, walk, run and skip. The last time I checked, I had been given a clean bill of health. I still have a stable job. I am currently doing what many are only dreaming of. Oh yes, I have a lot to be thankful for…
Kenikmatan yang bertandang
Terkadang tidak dihiraukan(Lepas dari pandangan)
Dan bila hilang barulah dikesalkan
But sometimes, embarassing as it may be, it takes small things, like missing a wallet, to heighten my awareness and realization of the bigger things to be thankful for.
Adakala aku hanyut
Adakalanya aku terlupa
Adakala aku leka
Ampunilah...
I guess, sometimes being alone at home could be a good thing, if only because it gives me ample time to ponder on lots of stuff I would normally take for granted. And since it’s holiday, it means I have a lot of time to recite the Quran and practise some zikr that had not been practised for quite some time
Kerana ku manusia
Lemah dan tidak berdaya di sisiMu
Seringkali terlupa nikmatMu
Datang tiada jemu
Bila terhimpit mulalah
Mencari dan menyebut namaMu
Barulah merasai makna sebenar erti syukur
Syukur atas rahmatMu
Funny how being under stress and a little duress could go a long way in reminding oneself to be more redha, because of faith in that “with every difficulty there is relief”. Oh yes, Surah Al-Insyirah has always been a favorite Surah of mine ever since I was asked to recite it during my Sekolah Agama’s Majlis Khatam Quran. More importantly, I had repeatedly found solace in the promise of relief for every difficulty, along with the belief that “Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability” (Al Baqarah:286)
Rap: Adakala ku hanyut
Adakala ku lupa
Adakala ku leka dan adakala ku alpa
Kerana ku manusia
Lemah dan tak berdaya
Seringkali terlupa nikmat yang Kau kurnia
Ku bersyukur ya Tuhan
Segala pemberian
Walau luas lautan
Bukanlah perbandingan
Ku tingkat keimanan
Ku gilap ketaqwaan
Sebagai perlambangan
Terima kasih ku Tuhan
Onak duri kehidupan
Jatuh bangun sendirian
Ada hikmah yang tersimpan
Yang menguji iman
Of course I’d been a little hanyut, a little lupa, a little leka and a little alpa then and again. Nothing like a little anxiety, a little hardship that have to be experienced alone to remind me that I’m only a small minuscule creature in Allah’s world. Yet Allah have always shown mercy for all of His creatures, never imposing on us any burden beyond our strength, beyond our capability to handle.
Bersyukurlah selalu
Sentiasalah redha dan menerima
Tiap ujian tiba bukan diminta
Sebaliknya Allah Maha Mengetahui
Kan ku bertasbih selalu
Bertahmid berzikir padaMu
Sebagai tanda ku nilai
RahmatMu Tuhan
Besides, how could one claims to have faith when one is not being tested? Tests have always been part of the deal, so we just have to deal with it.
Aku bersyukur Ya Allah
Segala pemberianMu padaku
Seluas lautan pun bukanlah jadi ukurannya
Memang tiada bandingan
Segalanya yang ku kecapi
Adalah milikMu Ilahi(Tuhan Maha Permurah)
Bukan milikku pinjaman sementara
Syukur Alhamdulillah
And in the end, the truth is, everything that we enjoy are not ours for good. Everything comes from Allah and to Allah we will return. What we thought are ours to enjoy are actually only loans from Allah for us to enjoy while we are allowed to, yet He can revoke any of His loans at any time, without any warning.
Rap: Sesungguhnya solatku,
Amalku, hidupku, matiku
Kerna Allah yang satu
Kuserahkan segala harta jiwa dan raga
Sebagai tanda cinta
KepadaMu Yang Esa
I was told once that no normal human beings deserve to enter Jannah if it’s only due to our own good deeds. It’s only with Allah’s mercy that humans are allowed to enter His paradise. All He asks in return is our submission to him, the One and Only God. So, whatever else Muslims aim to be in life, first and foremost would always be to submit to Allah. For only in true submission, there lies in true meaning of thankfulness.
Oh well, just a note of self-reminder for my forgetful self...
Wallahualam.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Expressions
When Mak noticed I wrote “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” in an article published in the NST about a decade ago, I got a slight reproach for it.
“You don’t have to use such expression, Kak. Muslims have better expression for it – From Allah we come and to Allah we return. Why else do you think we say ‘Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rajiuun’ during any mishaps?”
Mak also taught me not to use certain phrases – like “fingers crossed”, “touch wood” and as such. Keeping fingers crossed for good luck in fact originated from some old practice of making the cross in the quickest way to ward off evil. Saying “touch wood” to avert bad luck has its origin in some pagan belief that certain trees would give protection if touched. Alternatively, it might originate from medieval times when relics, including pieces reputed to be from Jesus’ cross were hawked around, to be touched for blessings.
Mak, who admitted that she used to use these expressions when she was younger, wants her children to use Islamic phrases – because they are also do’a, not mere sayings.
So, we have been taught to say “Insya Allah” when we hope for things; “Nauzubillah” when we hope to ward off bad luck; “La hawla wala quwwata illa billah” when calamity struck or we are taken over by a situation beyond our control; “Alhamdulillah” when we feel blessed and thankful; “Astaghfirullah” to seek forgiveness from Allah when we realized we did something wrong; “Subhanallah” or “Masya Allah” when we see wondrous things and so on and so forth.
We say “Alhamdulillah” when we sneeze too, whereas someone else upon hearing this will reply “Yarham kallah” (for male) or “Yarhamkillah” (for female) – a simple do’a of “may Allah have mercy on you”. To which the sneezer replies “Yahdikumullah wa yuslih balakum”, a do’a for the listener “may Allah give you guidance and improve your condition”. (In extended version, the listener will reply "Dakhala jannah", a do'a for the sneezer to "enter the paradise" and the sneeezer replying back "Insya Allah", "Allah's willing"...) Certainly an improvement compared to just saying ‘bless you”, isn’t it?
Alhamdulillah, my brothers and I have Mak who has instilled usage of Islamic expressions in us when we were still young. Sometimes, when I chanced upon some possibly-Christian-in-origin expressions used by Muslim bloggers, I felt called upon to comment on it, yet I seldom do it. Maybe because I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching. Maybe because I’m not that pious and thus not quite ‘qualified’ to point this out to others. Some might say that they are just saying it without any reference to its Christian/pagan origins, and it is no big deal.
Still, at times I wonder – why should we continue using meaningless idioms and phrases when Islam has taught us better and more meaningful do’a to be uttered during numerous occasions?
“You don’t have to use such expression, Kak. Muslims have better expression for it – From Allah we come and to Allah we return. Why else do you think we say ‘Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rajiuun’ during any mishaps?”
Mak also taught me not to use certain phrases – like “fingers crossed”, “touch wood” and as such. Keeping fingers crossed for good luck in fact originated from some old practice of making the cross in the quickest way to ward off evil. Saying “touch wood” to avert bad luck has its origin in some pagan belief that certain trees would give protection if touched. Alternatively, it might originate from medieval times when relics, including pieces reputed to be from Jesus’ cross were hawked around, to be touched for blessings.
Mak, who admitted that she used to use these expressions when she was younger, wants her children to use Islamic phrases – because they are also do’a, not mere sayings.
So, we have been taught to say “Insya Allah” when we hope for things; “Nauzubillah” when we hope to ward off bad luck; “La hawla wala quwwata illa billah” when calamity struck or we are taken over by a situation beyond our control; “Alhamdulillah” when we feel blessed and thankful; “Astaghfirullah” to seek forgiveness from Allah when we realized we did something wrong; “Subhanallah” or “Masya Allah” when we see wondrous things and so on and so forth.
We say “Alhamdulillah” when we sneeze too, whereas someone else upon hearing this will reply “Yarham kallah” (for male) or “Yarhamkillah” (for female) – a simple do’a of “may Allah have mercy on you”. To which the sneezer replies “Yahdikumullah wa yuslih balakum”, a do’a for the listener “may Allah give you guidance and improve your condition”. (In extended version, the listener will reply "Dakhala jannah", a do'a for the sneezer to "enter the paradise" and the sneeezer replying back "Insya Allah", "Allah's willing"...) Certainly an improvement compared to just saying ‘bless you”, isn’t it?
Alhamdulillah, my brothers and I have Mak who has instilled usage of Islamic expressions in us when we were still young. Sometimes, when I chanced upon some possibly-Christian-in-origin expressions used by Muslim bloggers, I felt called upon to comment on it, yet I seldom do it. Maybe because I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching. Maybe because I’m not that pious and thus not quite ‘qualified’ to point this out to others. Some might say that they are just saying it without any reference to its Christian/pagan origins, and it is no big deal.
Still, at times I wonder – why should we continue using meaningless idioms and phrases when Islam has taught us better and more meaningful do’a to be uttered during numerous occasions?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Hien
We were supposed to meet at Shinjuku eki at 10.30 a.m. However, because I missed Otemachi station where I could change to another train, and then I belatedly realized that changing train at Kudanshita meant additional fare because the other train is being operated by another company, I had to retract my way back a few stations to Otemachi, and then changed to Marunouchi line. She called me when I was in Otemachi, letting me know that she has arrived. I told her I'm sorry for being late, but she told me not to worry, she would be waiting anyway. It was nearly 11.00 a.m. when I finally met her at Shinjuku eki, Keio west gate as we promised.
Hien looked fine, although I knew she just recovered from having some mild fever and cold. The climate is changing, and it’s common for some people to experience mild fever during this time. I didn’t realized how much I missed her until I saw her again. Since spring break began end of January, we have been in touch via e-mail and c-mail. I had been hoping to see her for a small party held at my hostel just before I moved, but she had to take care of her sick husband then.
She brought a small electrical heater, a friend of hers sold it to me for 600 yen. She also knew about my quest for hot carpet and some futon (for blankets - there are two types of futon, one used as mattress and the other as blanket), and she was eager to take me shopping at this one second-hand shop in Nishi Chofu, not far from where she’s currebtly residing.
As for the hot carpet, Fary had offered to sell me one (which she incidentally bought from that particular sempai who refused to negotiate with me earlier), so I had stopped worrying about it. The square carpet doesn’t sit well in her rectangular room, and Fary even agreed to receive a deferred payment for it. So, I only needed to look for blanket futons.
It’s not like I could not buy any futon in Gyotoku. Seiyu, the major depato, is selling both mattress and blanket futons for only about 3000 yen each. Still, since my resources are quite limited now, I could only afford buying a few used ones. I have tried looking at a few second-hand shops to no avail. I even rode a bicycle to one Anto second hand shop located far from Gyotoku city centre, but I only found almost-new blankets and a pillow that the shopkeeper wanted to sell at a reasonably high price.
I thought of buying just two blanket futons, but I ended up buying three – a good bargain at 1200 yen. The initial price was 1700 yen because two of them looked almost new, but the shopkeeper finally agreed to sell them at a reduced price because apparently she has a soft spot for people with small children. Besides, she didn’t have to deliver them to my place (she only does delivery in her surrounding areas and Chofu is a loooong way from Gyotoku).
Hien actually returned to her house to take a trolley back to the shop so that it would be easier for me to carry the futons and the heater. I squeezed the thinnest futon in my bag, and with the shopkeeper assistant’s help, we tied the other two futons tightly and tidily to the trolley. They were bulky, but alhamdulillah not too heavy. Still, I had to ignore a lot of stares from fellow passengers and strangers on the street as I made my way back to my house.
Hien – she is one of the most thoughtful friends I have met in Japan. I’m happy for her because her family will be joining her husband and her soon. Her parents and her two sons will be arriving in Narita a few days after my family arrives insya Allah. Her mother will only be staying for a short while, her father a little longer, but her 7 and 6 year old sons will be enrolling in a Japanese public primary school in April.
We had entertained thoughts of having a meal somewhere after school some day, to introduce our family to each other. Hubby has heard a lot about Hien and likewise her hubby has heard a lot about me too. Hien even claimed that she believe her sons, Miu and Sau, would be only too happy to play with Huzaifah because they prefer playing with baby boys than baby girls. Today, as we chatted on the train and complimented each other on looking bright and cheerful due to the impending family reunion, we reaffirmed our promise to have a family outing together some day.
On the way back from the second hand shop, Hien told me about child allowance provision in case I have no knowledge about it, but Sarina, Daud’s wife had already advised me about it earlier. As an incentive for more Japanese to have kids, Japan government provides monthly child allowance of 5000 yen each for the first two children, and 10,000 yen for subsequent children. A child allowance is available until the first March 31 following the child’s ninth birthday. Hien said I should consider having a second child while we are in Japan, perhaps some time next year. I teased her back, pointing out that if she gets another child in Japan, at least she’ll be getting 10,000 yen each month for her third child.
We kept teasing and laughing as we walked to the eki where I finally bid her farewell. The truth is, Hien knows that I need a lot of time to make up to Huzaifah for not spending most of his first sixth months with him. I on the other hand, am aware of the fact that Hien is afraid of giving birth because she had had C-section for both boys. But yes, both of us, at one point or another, had entertained some thoughts on the subject matter of each other’s tease. I guess, it takes a close friend to sometimes point out the benefits of certain things which you knew but afraid to admit yourself. Anyway, we are both thinking of not enrolling for any more intensive Nihongo class, preferring instead to attend a rather laid-back class, since we both will have to take up further responsibilities in family management. We mutually feel that it would do more good for us to cut on unnecessary classes and spend more time with our family now that we have a chance to be together with them.
Maybe we have both outgrown the concept of ‘best friends’ we were introduced to when we attended primary school or kindergarten. Yet, as we both strive to juggle our times to play so many different roles to so many, I think it’s safe to say that we have found in each other what in the old days we would call our ‘best friend’.
Hien looked fine, although I knew she just recovered from having some mild fever and cold. The climate is changing, and it’s common for some people to experience mild fever during this time. I didn’t realized how much I missed her until I saw her again. Since spring break began end of January, we have been in touch via e-mail and c-mail. I had been hoping to see her for a small party held at my hostel just before I moved, but she had to take care of her sick husband then.
She brought a small electrical heater, a friend of hers sold it to me for 600 yen. She also knew about my quest for hot carpet and some futon (for blankets - there are two types of futon, one used as mattress and the other as blanket), and she was eager to take me shopping at this one second-hand shop in Nishi Chofu, not far from where she’s currebtly residing.
As for the hot carpet, Fary had offered to sell me one (which she incidentally bought from that particular sempai who refused to negotiate with me earlier), so I had stopped worrying about it. The square carpet doesn’t sit well in her rectangular room, and Fary even agreed to receive a deferred payment for it. So, I only needed to look for blanket futons.
It’s not like I could not buy any futon in Gyotoku. Seiyu, the major depato, is selling both mattress and blanket futons for only about 3000 yen each. Still, since my resources are quite limited now, I could only afford buying a few used ones. I have tried looking at a few second-hand shops to no avail. I even rode a bicycle to one Anto second hand shop located far from Gyotoku city centre, but I only found almost-new blankets and a pillow that the shopkeeper wanted to sell at a reasonably high price.
I thought of buying just two blanket futons, but I ended up buying three – a good bargain at 1200 yen. The initial price was 1700 yen because two of them looked almost new, but the shopkeeper finally agreed to sell them at a reduced price because apparently she has a soft spot for people with small children. Besides, she didn’t have to deliver them to my place (she only does delivery in her surrounding areas and Chofu is a loooong way from Gyotoku).
Hien actually returned to her house to take a trolley back to the shop so that it would be easier for me to carry the futons and the heater. I squeezed the thinnest futon in my bag, and with the shopkeeper assistant’s help, we tied the other two futons tightly and tidily to the trolley. They were bulky, but alhamdulillah not too heavy. Still, I had to ignore a lot of stares from fellow passengers and strangers on the street as I made my way back to my house.
Hien – she is one of the most thoughtful friends I have met in Japan. I’m happy for her because her family will be joining her husband and her soon. Her parents and her two sons will be arriving in Narita a few days after my family arrives insya Allah. Her mother will only be staying for a short while, her father a little longer, but her 7 and 6 year old sons will be enrolling in a Japanese public primary school in April.
We had entertained thoughts of having a meal somewhere after school some day, to introduce our family to each other. Hubby has heard a lot about Hien and likewise her hubby has heard a lot about me too. Hien even claimed that she believe her sons, Miu and Sau, would be only too happy to play with Huzaifah because they prefer playing with baby boys than baby girls. Today, as we chatted on the train and complimented each other on looking bright and cheerful due to the impending family reunion, we reaffirmed our promise to have a family outing together some day.
On the way back from the second hand shop, Hien told me about child allowance provision in case I have no knowledge about it, but Sarina, Daud’s wife had already advised me about it earlier. As an incentive for more Japanese to have kids, Japan government provides monthly child allowance of 5000 yen each for the first two children, and 10,000 yen for subsequent children. A child allowance is available until the first March 31 following the child’s ninth birthday. Hien said I should consider having a second child while we are in Japan, perhaps some time next year. I teased her back, pointing out that if she gets another child in Japan, at least she’ll be getting 10,000 yen each month for her third child.
We kept teasing and laughing as we walked to the eki where I finally bid her farewell. The truth is, Hien knows that I need a lot of time to make up to Huzaifah for not spending most of his first sixth months with him. I on the other hand, am aware of the fact that Hien is afraid of giving birth because she had had C-section for both boys. But yes, both of us, at one point or another, had entertained some thoughts on the subject matter of each other’s tease. I guess, it takes a close friend to sometimes point out the benefits of certain things which you knew but afraid to admit yourself. Anyway, we are both thinking of not enrolling for any more intensive Nihongo class, preferring instead to attend a rather laid-back class, since we both will have to take up further responsibilities in family management. We mutually feel that it would do more good for us to cut on unnecessary classes and spend more time with our family now that we have a chance to be together with them.
Maybe we have both outgrown the concept of ‘best friends’ we were introduced to when we attended primary school or kindergarten. Yet, as we both strive to juggle our times to play so many different roles to so many, I think it’s safe to say that we have found in each other what in the old days we would call our ‘best friend’.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
1st entry posted from the new home
The good news is – I have internet connection at my new home now. The previous entry was actually posted from a friend's house. Borrowed a friend’s bike and rode all the way to Urayasu (Gyotoku’s neighboring city, 2 train stations away) this afternoon to buy wireless LAN card. I wasn’t sure whether or not there was any available wireless network connection at my home, but I bought the card anyway, hoping there would be one. Alhamdulillah, one of my neighbours is using YahooBB wireless internet network, so basically I’m ‘menumpang’ for free. (typical Melayu kan – kalau boleh dapat free, nak aje)
The not-so-good news is – I went to Shibuya Police Station yesterday to check for an update on my lost wallet, and no, it hasn’t been found. I was told by the Malaysian Embassy that I needed a copy of the police report for the purpose of reissuing my MyKad and Malaysian driving licence when I go back to Malaysia, but since I went to the police station after 5 p.m., I have to return some other day before 5 p.m. in order to get a copy of the police report.
More not-so-good news – beginning April, Mambusho (along with JICA and even JPA) will reduce graduate students’ monthly stipend to 172,000 yen. A monthly decrease of 3000 yen compared to what we are receiving now. If you are wondering how much that is – in Tokyo, one can buy a dozen uncooked 900gm Halal roaster chicken with 3,000 yen. 12 uncooked whole chicken.
Other good news though – I found out that I put the receipt for the 60,000 yen reikin (key money) in the tenancy agreement file, meaning I could submit a claim for it from the Malaysian Embassy, which I did when I went to Shibuya yesterday. I found out that I had to pay 63,000 yen for chukai tesuryo (agent's fees) after all, and they could also be reimbursed by the Malaysian government, alhamdulillah.
And I didn’t had much trouble when I asked for reissuance of a Gaijin (Alien Registration) card at the Ichikawa City office yesterday morning. I felt relieved about not having to go to Meguro to do it all over again. Despite my limited Nihongo, alhamdulillah, I no longer have to rely on other people’s help in dealing with the officer at the Foreign Registration desk (as well as National Health Insurance). The officer took a look at my passport, made some call to the Meguro Ward Office where my first Gaijin card was issued, printed a few things, asked me to check on some information, and after a while issued the notice asking me to come and collect my card in 3-4 weeks time. (I can write my own address in kanji now – a vast improvement compared to when I had to ask a Malaysian undergraduate to assist me with writing my address in kanji during my first application of Gaijin card)
I’m pretty much settled now at my new home – and beginning to accept that my wallet might be lost for good despite hearing of other people’s success stories in getting their lost wallets returned. Yes, I’m gonna miss a lot of those stuff I had in there – especially the kad nikah and PPTD membership card (because the photos somehow looked better than most) but they are just things. Patah tumbuh, hilang berganti - whatever broken will grow back, whatever lost will be replaced. Even if replacement for my student card, for an instance, cost me 2000 yen. (worthy of 8 uncooked 900gm roaster chicken). Oh well…
No, I haven’t put up the curtain rails although I have already bought them as well as some curtains. My landlord promised to help me with putting up the curtain rails this weekend. The broken water pipe for the washing machine had been fixed, the lock for the bathroom door could not be fixed as yet (the landlord seemed very reluctant to buy a whole new door to replace it), and the TV is watchable now since I already bought the suitable antenna cable at Joshin in Urayasu this afternoon, where I got the wireless internet card.
I need to get some blankets before the rombongan Cik Kiah from Malaysia arrives – and Hien told me that I could get some used ones not far from her place. We promised to meet up in Shinjuku tomorrow. Oh, and I also promised to look up some suitable apato for Kak Tini’s friends in Gyotoku. I think I can do that since I'll be meeting the real estate agent this weekend over some issue of letting my family staying with me in the apartment. I was told by the landlord that the agreement we had was only to have me as a sole tenant, whereas I had been rather clear with the real estate agent that the reason I moved was because my family is coming and I could no longer stay at the single-tenants-only hostel where I used to live.
Anyway, it was good seeing Kak Tini, my fellow PTD who has been selected as a JICA scholar to do her Masters in International Relations at Waseda University this year. Since I was in Shibuya yesterday, I took the opportunity to visit her in JICA’s Tokyo International Centre, bringing along Beard Papa cream puff as a welcome gesture. I had some trouble finding my way from Yoyogi Uehara eki, but finally I managed to find TIC, and found her although several earlier calls went unanswered. I must admit that I’m a bit ashamed for not taking her out to dinner, (what with my limited fund and all) as it is normal for sempai to give their kohai a welcome treat. Instead, Kak Tini generously gave me a ‘buka puasa’ treat. The good thing about TIC is that they provide Halal meal, so yes, it was a welcomed change for me because instead of the normal seafood Saizeriya or Tenya stuff, I could have rice and chicken. With Indonesian sambal even.
We spent some time chatting after meal, talking about pros and cons of spending a little bit time and money to learn Nihongo, life as Waseda student, life in Tokyo and life in general. I haven’t seen her for so long, and while we have each grown and change in our own ways, we could still connect with each other. I have a feeling that it’s going to be fun to be seeing her and Fary, yet another PTD from our batch, in Waseda this coming semester, insya Allah. Ada geng la sikit.
Hmm… in less than 10 days time, insya Allah my family will be joining me here. And I haven’t even make any arrangement for their transport from Narita to here. Mak said they will bring some comforter along. It would be interesting to see if Mak choose to bring Narita comforter to Narita…
The not-so-good news is – I went to Shibuya Police Station yesterday to check for an update on my lost wallet, and no, it hasn’t been found. I was told by the Malaysian Embassy that I needed a copy of the police report for the purpose of reissuing my MyKad and Malaysian driving licence when I go back to Malaysia, but since I went to the police station after 5 p.m., I have to return some other day before 5 p.m. in order to get a copy of the police report.
More not-so-good news – beginning April, Mambusho (along with JICA and even JPA) will reduce graduate students’ monthly stipend to 172,000 yen. A monthly decrease of 3000 yen compared to what we are receiving now. If you are wondering how much that is – in Tokyo, one can buy a dozen uncooked 900gm Halal roaster chicken with 3,000 yen. 12 uncooked whole chicken.
Other good news though – I found out that I put the receipt for the 60,000 yen reikin (key money) in the tenancy agreement file, meaning I could submit a claim for it from the Malaysian Embassy, which I did when I went to Shibuya yesterday. I found out that I had to pay 63,000 yen for chukai tesuryo (agent's fees) after all, and they could also be reimbursed by the Malaysian government, alhamdulillah.
And I didn’t had much trouble when I asked for reissuance of a Gaijin (Alien Registration) card at the Ichikawa City office yesterday morning. I felt relieved about not having to go to Meguro to do it all over again. Despite my limited Nihongo, alhamdulillah, I no longer have to rely on other people’s help in dealing with the officer at the Foreign Registration desk (as well as National Health Insurance). The officer took a look at my passport, made some call to the Meguro Ward Office where my first Gaijin card was issued, printed a few things, asked me to check on some information, and after a while issued the notice asking me to come and collect my card in 3-4 weeks time. (I can write my own address in kanji now – a vast improvement compared to when I had to ask a Malaysian undergraduate to assist me with writing my address in kanji during my first application of Gaijin card)
I’m pretty much settled now at my new home – and beginning to accept that my wallet might be lost for good despite hearing of other people’s success stories in getting their lost wallets returned. Yes, I’m gonna miss a lot of those stuff I had in there – especially the kad nikah and PPTD membership card (because the photos somehow looked better than most) but they are just things. Patah tumbuh, hilang berganti - whatever broken will grow back, whatever lost will be replaced. Even if replacement for my student card, for an instance, cost me 2000 yen. (worthy of 8 uncooked 900gm roaster chicken). Oh well…
No, I haven’t put up the curtain rails although I have already bought them as well as some curtains. My landlord promised to help me with putting up the curtain rails this weekend. The broken water pipe for the washing machine had been fixed, the lock for the bathroom door could not be fixed as yet (the landlord seemed very reluctant to buy a whole new door to replace it), and the TV is watchable now since I already bought the suitable antenna cable at Joshin in Urayasu this afternoon, where I got the wireless internet card.
I need to get some blankets before the rombongan Cik Kiah from Malaysia arrives – and Hien told me that I could get some used ones not far from her place. We promised to meet up in Shinjuku tomorrow. Oh, and I also promised to look up some suitable apato for Kak Tini’s friends in Gyotoku. I think I can do that since I'll be meeting the real estate agent this weekend over some issue of letting my family staying with me in the apartment. I was told by the landlord that the agreement we had was only to have me as a sole tenant, whereas I had been rather clear with the real estate agent that the reason I moved was because my family is coming and I could no longer stay at the single-tenants-only hostel where I used to live.
Anyway, it was good seeing Kak Tini, my fellow PTD who has been selected as a JICA scholar to do her Masters in International Relations at Waseda University this year. Since I was in Shibuya yesterday, I took the opportunity to visit her in JICA’s Tokyo International Centre, bringing along Beard Papa cream puff as a welcome gesture. I had some trouble finding my way from Yoyogi Uehara eki, but finally I managed to find TIC, and found her although several earlier calls went unanswered. I must admit that I’m a bit ashamed for not taking her out to dinner, (what with my limited fund and all) as it is normal for sempai to give their kohai a welcome treat. Instead, Kak Tini generously gave me a ‘buka puasa’ treat. The good thing about TIC is that they provide Halal meal, so yes, it was a welcomed change for me because instead of the normal seafood Saizeriya or Tenya stuff, I could have rice and chicken. With Indonesian sambal even.
We spent some time chatting after meal, talking about pros and cons of spending a little bit time and money to learn Nihongo, life as Waseda student, life in Tokyo and life in general. I haven’t seen her for so long, and while we have each grown and change in our own ways, we could still connect with each other. I have a feeling that it’s going to be fun to be seeing her and Fary, yet another PTD from our batch, in Waseda this coming semester, insya Allah. Ada geng la sikit.
Hmm… in less than 10 days time, insya Allah my family will be joining me here. And I haven’t even make any arrangement for their transport from Narita to here. Mak said they will bring some comforter along. It would be interesting to see if Mak choose to bring Narita comforter to Narita…
Friday, March 03, 2006
My own place
So, after gotten married and gave birth to a baby, this might be one of those monumental steps one is supposed to experience in life – moving into one’s own place.
Well, all these while I’ve been staying either at my parent’s house, my grandparent’s house, some relatives’ house or a hostel. Oh, and yes, I did squatted for a while in Leeds and in Manchester – but that was almost akin to staying in a hostel. Funny, I never thought the first time I move to a place of my own, it would be into a tiny 32.4meter² 2-room apartment in Chiba, Japan but here I am anyway.
Already I am wondering how to decorate it and what else do I need to buy. I guess I’m lucky because the apartment, being at the corner, is quite bright and installed with air-conditioner, lamps, hot water system in the kitchen and bathroom. Already, I’ve bought some essential household appliances – fridge, washing machine, microwave oven, rice cooker, electric kettle, mini vacuum cleaner and while I don’t really consider TV to be that important – I got it too. And just this evening, I also bought gas cooker (called gas table here in Japan), after two days of eating mixed rice a’la Korean drama Full House’s style (rice with leftover or in my case, instant, lauk - such as sambal bilis, serunding and some cut raw vegetables, such as carrot and cucumber – all mixed together)
All these while – I’ve never had to worry about paying my own house utilities bill or to make much contact with landlord or real estate agent regarding any house repairs and what nots. Already, I’ve to contact the real estate agent regarding some repairs that need to be done – the leaking pipe for the washing machine, the bathroom door that cannot be locked, and I need to be taught on how to connect the TV cable to the antenna outlet (it sure looks different here than in any other place I’ve been to, Tokyo included). And I’ve already been visited by the Keio Gas service representative to teach me on how to make use of gas-related utilities in my house.
The unpacking had been – blurgh. Mostly done, but it's a work in progress considering I still need to figure out how to make the most out of the one closet that we have. Bought a pipe hanger, and really hope it would help. Need to arrange everything neatly, to fit it with hubby’s and baby’s stuff later on. But I think we will do okay. It may be a little tight and compact – but we’ll do okay, insya Allah.
I’ll be working on the curtain rails tomorrow insya Allah. Is, who sold the microwave for 1500 yen (when they still cost about 3000 yen at the second hand shop) and gave a complimentary iron as well as an old TV cabinet, had promised to help me out with the curtain rails. I haven't even bought the curtain rails or the curtain but I've already got the windows measured. I still have a lot to do and buy for the house in preparation for the rombongan Cik Kiah from Malaysia, but eventually I believe everything will be just fine.
Of course it would be even better if I do get a phone call from some authority letting me know that my missing wallet – and all the important documents in it - had been found.
Well, all these while I’ve been staying either at my parent’s house, my grandparent’s house, some relatives’ house or a hostel. Oh, and yes, I did squatted for a while in Leeds and in Manchester – but that was almost akin to staying in a hostel. Funny, I never thought the first time I move to a place of my own, it would be into a tiny 32.4meter² 2-room apartment in Chiba, Japan but here I am anyway.
Already I am wondering how to decorate it and what else do I need to buy. I guess I’m lucky because the apartment, being at the corner, is quite bright and installed with air-conditioner, lamps, hot water system in the kitchen and bathroom. Already, I’ve bought some essential household appliances – fridge, washing machine, microwave oven, rice cooker, electric kettle, mini vacuum cleaner and while I don’t really consider TV to be that important – I got it too. And just this evening, I also bought gas cooker (called gas table here in Japan), after two days of eating mixed rice a’la Korean drama Full House’s style (rice with leftover or in my case, instant, lauk - such as sambal bilis, serunding and some cut raw vegetables, such as carrot and cucumber – all mixed together)
All these while – I’ve never had to worry about paying my own house utilities bill or to make much contact with landlord or real estate agent regarding any house repairs and what nots. Already, I’ve to contact the real estate agent regarding some repairs that need to be done – the leaking pipe for the washing machine, the bathroom door that cannot be locked, and I need to be taught on how to connect the TV cable to the antenna outlet (it sure looks different here than in any other place I’ve been to, Tokyo included). And I’ve already been visited by the Keio Gas service representative to teach me on how to make use of gas-related utilities in my house.
The unpacking had been – blurgh. Mostly done, but it's a work in progress considering I still need to figure out how to make the most out of the one closet that we have. Bought a pipe hanger, and really hope it would help. Need to arrange everything neatly, to fit it with hubby’s and baby’s stuff later on. But I think we will do okay. It may be a little tight and compact – but we’ll do okay, insya Allah.
I’ll be working on the curtain rails tomorrow insya Allah. Is, who sold the microwave for 1500 yen (when they still cost about 3000 yen at the second hand shop) and gave a complimentary iron as well as an old TV cabinet, had promised to help me out with the curtain rails. I haven't even bought the curtain rails or the curtain but I've already got the windows measured. I still have a lot to do and buy for the house in preparation for the rombongan Cik Kiah from Malaysia, but eventually I believe everything will be just fine.
Of course it would be even better if I do get a phone call from some authority letting me know that my missing wallet – and all the important documents in it - had been found.
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