More notes on this and that

Over YM (on the effects of Malaysian civil servants being paid twice monthly)
dt : makin ramai orang susah hati duit tak cukup
makin ramai mengular dan cari part time
makin turun produktiviti di ofis
makin tambah beban org kerja kewangan
makin tambah kos pengurusan

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"Civil servants should change their spending habits..."
If one is getting less than RM1500 a month, with 5 school-age kids, living in a small apartment with no place to grow own veggies and herbs, plus loads of this-and-that loans to be paid, how could one still justify paying the meager salary twice a month (in this days when everything is expensive) as a move to help such persons manage their spending better?

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The poor in Malaysia are doing poorer than the poor in Japan or UK.
At least in Japan, the poor here have the options to shop at discount stores and 99/100yen shop. Beggars won't mind eating food brought from discount stores because well, at least they still get to eat whatever the richer ones are eating - rice, noodles, bread, veggies, canned food - although in lesser quality and lower prices
Similary, in UK, the poor can shop in discount supermarket chains like Aldi, or Lidl or Netto - to get food at discount prices.
But we don't offer that kind of option in Malaysia...

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Once not too long ago, I used to take 2 hours, riding my bike all over Gyotoku for best bargains.
One shop would be selling cooking oil at reduced price, the other offers good quality eggs and bread at 100 yen, yet another would be selling detergents and toiletries at half the normal price. I went shopping from one shop to another, tried to stretch my yen as far as it could.
It was not easy, though we managed to save a little by the end of the month.
It must be harder for those in Malaysia who rarely gets to buy stuff at discount prices from different shops located near to each other...

A day in the life of...

Huzaifah and Humaidi (aka Ujai and Akif), as 'told' to their Abang Sabah, can be read here.

It's in BM, a light entry on my children's antics -
including stuff like Humaidi cheering himself on, saying "tateh" as he walks;
or Huzaifah's "unique" pose with Peace sign (using one whole hand or L-shaped sign instead of V);
or Huzaifah's quick reply of "amau" whenever Ibu asked him "nak hanger tak?" after an episode of misconduct...

Of grave digging and knife frenzies...

Our condolence for Ariffin and his wife in Kochi, Shikoku, for the lost of their third child even before she was properly born - may they get to be reunited with their precious little one in heaven one day, insya Allah...
Al-fatihah...

#####

Ariffin came all the way from Kochi with his little one flown in a special container yesterday. Hubby and En Amin, the Consular from Malaysian Embassy picked Ariffin and his little one from Haneda Airport and managed the janazah in Islamic Center in Setagaya before going to the Islamic Graveyard in Enzan, Yamanashi.

It cost 70,000 yen to get a burial plot there, and another 30,000 to get the graveyard dug, so the three of them decided to dig the grave themselves, manually digging using the shovels provided there. The caretaker of the graveyard area is a monk, who later hosted a sushi lunch for the three of them after the burial was over. Hubby had his first experience of giving a talqin, as he had never sent any janazah to the graveyard in Japan before.

#####

Not able to find a babysitter, I had to give my zemi session a miss yesterday. I know my sensei would not be pleased with my absence, now that we, the final year students in our last semester, are in the critical period of writing our thesis. Not that I didn't try to get some help - but Faizly happened to have a replacement class yesterday too, so there...

Well, I guess funeral is a bigger thing than just missing zemi, and besides Mak always told me to make things easier for others, while praying and hoping that Allah will make things easier for us...

#####

The amok in Akihabara is the worst street stabbing case in recent years. This sick psycho guy is tired of his life and thus he decided to take 7 others, injuring 10 as well. He drove a rented truck all the way from Yamanashi area, which is about 3 hours away from Tokyo, bought the dagger he used to stab others in Fukui and even consistently posting timely messages on a mobile phone site, among others to record his stopping at a rest area in Kanazawa, announced his arrival in Akihabara and declared "It's time" 2o minutes before his killing spree.

Some experts claimed that the guy might had posted the messages not as a way to declare the attack to the general public, but more as in updating his own realtime blog. Realtime bloggers often update their sites several times an hour, posting entries regarding their activities and feelings.

#####

There were 67 multiple stabbing rampages in Japan between 1998 and 2007, and at least 5 cases this year alone.

The scary part is that usually the guy running amok just wanted to kill, not caring who the victims are (dare demo yokatta). Random stabber ranged from as young as 16 year old to 40 year old - all within the usually 'baligh' age, when they are able to tell right from wrong. But I guess when they do not believe in God - there is no real sense of right or wrong

#####

In a way it must had been something akin to a slap for the Japanese National Police Agency - now that the G8 Summit is near, they have been busy opening Counter Terrorism counters all over the country, usually suspecting gaijins to be possible threats, and one day - a Nihonjin killed 7 and injured 10 others in Tokyo.
Dush dush.

#####

Many Nihonjin interviewed in the TV said that, "...this is unforgivable. It doesn't make sense."
I hope they will also take time to think about similar "unforgivable incidents" happening daily in other parts of the world.
In Palestine, for example...

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One respected Muslim Nihonjin from Nihon Muslim Kyoukai will give a talk in Asakusa Mosque this Saturday, 14 June. For more information, please go here.
Invitation is open to all...

The obligatory entry on Malaysian fuel price hike

(harga) minyak naik = (rakyat) naik minyak?

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"Now that fuel prices have gone up, some bus companies have followed suit and more than doubled their fares." (The Star, Saturday 7 June 2008)

That, despite bus operators still receiving subsidized diesel.
And it has been increased to 100% subsidies too, rather than previous allocation of 70% of fuel consumption...

#####

With the fuel price rise, people would expect a better and more reliable public transport system.
Got really surprised to learn that (the already not so efficient) KTM Komuter have reduced their frequency from every 15 minutes during peak hours to every 20 minutes all day long... Eh, they are not getting 100% subsidized fuel ke?...

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No more subsidized fuel for IPPs. It doesn't make sense that they get to pay so little yet make so much profit from electricity tariff. And electricity tariff hike is next in agenda...

#####

If the rakyat is expected to pay the 'real-world' price of fuel without subsidy,
I guess it's only fair for the rakyat to pay 'real-world' price for cars too.
The rakyat has already paid a hefty tax as a price for the 'subsidy' in advance.
So if the subsidy is lessened, then the high tax on cars must be lessened too.

#####

If the government wants more people to "change their lifestyle",
then they must also promote radical cyclist-and-pedestrian-friendly measures
Top of the list would involve introducing a much more efficient, reliable public transport system, reaching to a wider possible commuters.
And introducing safe pedestrian/cyclist pathway along the main roads, as well as
introducing stricter law that will ensure motorists to be more cautious of and courteous to pedestrians/cyclists (rather than honking at people using zebra crossing from a mile away, refusing to slow down even a bit...)

#####

And what about alternative fuel/engine?
Here's an interesting article - "Gaza Cars: From Cooking oil to Batteries"

Shorter notes on this and that

My friend Nisah has written a short story based on this entry of mine.
I was made to understand that it might appear in Dewan Sastera this month
It's a worth-to-be-pondered-upon cerpen, so you might want to go grab a copy of Dewan Sastera and find out for yourself how Nisah had interpreted my entry into a (published) short story

#####

message by a friend over YM

"kadang aku pikir
buat masters susah2 pun
bukan boleh naik gaji
buat PTK baru boleh naik gaji..."
oO (kalau macam tu, baik tak payah ambik cuti belajar buat masters)
oO (ambik je cuti belajar buat PTK)

#####

Not that I am an expert on religious stuff,
But I do agree with Faisal Tehrani regarding this issue raised by Dr Asri
Surely there must many more Muslim scholars that we can refer to than just Ibnu Taimiyyah, Albani or Ben Baz...

On a lighter note -
what's with Dr Asri and people named Faizal?
First, there was his public comment on Faizal Tahir
and now Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani's real name)

#####

It's tough being a tudung-clad Muslimah in a country where the police are suspicious of Muslims. The other day three Malaysian girls who came all the way from KL for a one week holiday in Tokyo went to Tokyo Dome, intending to watch Larc-en-Ciel in concert. But they had been interrogated by a police detective, who asked for their passports and asked all sort of rather disturbing questions.

"Will we be all right in Narita when we leave Tokyo?," one of them asked me anxiously over the phone after they cancelled their plan of watching the concert and went straight back to their hotel near Shinjuku.
"Yes dear. They will only be too happy to say bye-bye to any person with the slightest hint of being a terrorist suspect"

Yes, Tokyo - although maybe to a lesser degree compared to Hokkaido - is also becoming a virtual police state now that the G8 Summit is near. All (ridiculous) kind of security measures are taken as the government, the police and the mainstream media harp on and on about possible 'terrorist attacks'...

I wish Arudou Debito was there to help the girls...

Notes on this and that

1.

I can't blog often now not only because I am in the midst of thesis writing/copy-n-pasting/editing, but also because the internet connection at home has gone haywire. Which is good - in that it prevents me from wasting my precious time playing Scramble on Facebook - but not so good since I can't make use of Waseda Library off-campus resources.

2.

The in-laws returned home last Thursday. I hope the good times here outweigh the not-so-good ones, and they won't be complaining too much about us or Japan to others. They went places - covered most of Tokyo's tourist-must-see areas, as well as Yokohama (Mak Rasah had a great time at Rose Garden in Minato no Mieru Oka Koen, and we visited Aka Renga for the first time after numerous visits to Yokohama), Hakone (the 'normal' Hakone Freepass schedule - Pirate sightseeing ship, ropeway, cable car, mountain train - with better and improved facilities in Hakone, unlike our trip back in 2006) and Disneyland (good: hubby and I managed to take lots of rides; not-so-good: Abah Rasah wanted to return home as early as 6.00 p.m. and Mak Rasah trembled from cold weather even when it was rather warm for Tokyo in May. We finally went home at about 8.45 p.m.)

3.

Unlike most asthmatic kids, Huzaifah is most prone to asthma attack in summer rather than in winter or spring. His first asthma attack happened in summer, and last week, on a warm Wednesday (25 C) when even his Nenek did not have to wear her cardigan, he got an asthma attack. He could eat ice-cream on cold winter nights, or play in a pollen-infested field in spring with no worries at all, but come summer - he would start coughing out of the blue, which lead to wheezing and all.

Faizly was with us in Ueno when it happened. After trying to look for a clinic and failed to find one, we decided to ask for direction at a Koban (police kiosk) in Ueno Koen. The policeman at first showed us direction to a clinic about 800 metres away, and should the clinic be closed (it was already past 5.00 p.m. then, and many clinics are closed at 5.00 p.m.) we were advised to go to a public Hospital which is about a further 1km away from the clinic. I was already tired of looking for a clinic and asked the policeman to call for an ambulance, "My child needs it"

At the mention of the word "kodomo", the policeman almost started panicking, asking me back "kodomo? kodomo?" a few times, as he suddenly realised that I was not asking for direction to get help for my asthma attack but rather my child's.

The ambulance arrived about 5 minutes after I filled up some forms (Japanese and their love for paperworks...)

4.

Huzaifah was not admitted in the hospital, alhamdulillah.
The thing with my son is that even when he is under asthma attack, he still has lots of energy. That's why I believed that much more of the nebulizer the was prescribed for him vaporized in the air rather than inhaled by him. Alhamdulillah there was this one friendly obachan-like nurse-san which kept encouraging Huzaifah to inhale his nebulizer properly (through various means - cheering him on, teasing him, warning him sternly etc)

5.

I finally ate some birthday cake, more than a week after my birthday. Faizly brought a Nutty Chocolate ice-cream cake at Baskin Robbins on the way back from the hospital. (Thank you Sabah - you are the best!)
Of course, we didn't let Huzaifah had the ice-cream, just the cake portion, and he was okay the next day, so no worries.

6.

Mak was admitted to PPUM for a mild heart attack on Sunday. At first she was told that she might be warded for a few days, but yesterday the specialist who looked at her case said that she could be discharged, and so she was in late evening. Mak said it is nothing to worry about really - it's only normal for people with high-blood pressure problem to face this next. She has been very busy lately doing voluntary charity works, in fact, she started feeling "berdebar-debar" since Saturday when she visited an orphanage in Teluk Intan, but it was not until Sunday night when she finally asked Ayah to take her to the hospital. It goes without saying that she was one of the first to get to see a doctor in the Emergency section that night...

And her observation upon leaving the hospital?
"We need more doctors, especially local specialists, we need more hospitals, we need more efficient and daring administrators, and not some lame and lazy ones who keep giving excuses on why we can't make all these things happen..."

7.

While I can't answer the question of "Why aren’t Malay men these days like our fathers?", I for one am glad that my husband and many of the male friends I know are not like our fathers.

Since Malay women these days are not like our mothers, I guess it is inevitable that the same applies to Malay men.

I mean, let's be honest, how many Malay men in our father's generation would have supported our mothers pursuing an MA or PhD course? Or sharing household chores/taking care of the children/etc. My Ayah used to ask for "air, air" even when the glass was already laid in front of him and the pitcher was just next to him. Abah Rasah, according to Mak Rasah, simply refused to help in the home for fear of being labeled "kena queen control".

While he hates cooking, hubby usually helps with the laundry, cleaning the house, and doesn't mind taking turn preparing baby's milk at night. And sometimes he even offers making tea/Milo for me instead of just requesting them all the time (from the wife) like his or my father does. (yes, I know, hubby could be very sweet at times, and I thank Allah for being blessed with him by my side) I also know a few male friends/relatives who are better cook than their wives, and doesn't mind making meals when guests show up unexpectedly. Maybe not all are as efficient or effective with household chores like the wives would have expected, but the point is they help and do not tell the wife back, "eh, ini kerja orang perempuan lah"

And let's not even discuss public display of affection. Mak once received a long lecture from Ayah after she impulsively gave him a peck on the cheek at the airport just before she went overseas. I think most Malay husbands nowadays are more open when it comes to showing PDA - holding hands, a peck on the cheek, cuddles, hugs - all within 'acceptable' range of course, none of those which might incite "Oy, get a room!" response from other onlookers.

I don't want Malay men to be more like our fathers, I just wish that they become better practising Muslim. Practising Muslim men try to follow the examples set by Rasulullah in that he did not feel ashamed to do household chores himself - he sewed and patched his clothing himself, repaired his shoes, kindled the fire, swept the floor, milked the cows etc. Practising Muslim men does not only remind their wives from time to time that the husband is numero uno, but also remember that Rasulullah has said, "The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best character, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives".

Al-fatihah...

... for Ina's beloved little munchkin.
May Allah bless him, and grant the living ones strength and courage in this difficult time.

Not good, not good

The good news first,
I've been informed that Sonoda sensei - the professor I'd originally wanted as my supervisor - is going to be my 2nd examiner. Yay, alhamdulillah!

The not-so-good news,
At the end of Q&A session of my presentation today, my sensei remarked - "I don't think you can come up with a solid academic paper based on your presentation today. Are you confident that you can come up with a good thesis?"

Ouch!

But my zemi-mates were very supportive - they made suggestions and came up with constructive criticisms on how, where and on which areas I can improve my paper.

Maybe I'm too sensitive - but the other day my zemi-mate presented, he presented less facts, data and figures than I did, and our sensei didn't made any scathing remark like that. What gives?


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In the midst of being busy with my dissertation, I found the temptation to check things out on FB too alluring, and seldom resisted it.
Yabai...

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I am tired.
Not that I don't want to be a good wife/daughter-in-law/hostess, but there have been moments when I wished hubby could see that I am not a superwoman. Sometimes I slipped - like yesterday when I fell asleep while putting Humaidi to sleep before I served dinner for the family. It was unintentional. I hadn't slept since 4.30 a.m. - and the kids were extra 'active' all day long, with only me to look after them, and I was tired of 'perah otak' trying to edit my presentation and worked on the presentation notes.

Now, if only hubby could understand that, and simply listen and emphatize when I said "I am tired", instead of replying harshly, "You are not the only one who is tired. You don't know how tired I was...". Of course I can imagine that he was tired too - playing tourist guide in Tokyo using public transport is tiring and I have first-hand experience of that - but sometimes all I need is just to be listened to, and my feelings affirmed.

Is that too much to ask for?

Random thoughts on one's (30++) birthday

1.
It rained all day long - not a sunny birthday for me this year
But being able to enjoy listening to the sound of falling rain (when the boys were asleep, while hubby and the parents-in-law went sightseeing) was kind of nice...

2.
Thank you Faizly for that special entry on your blog.
Thank you Husna for that special status display on YM
Thank you everyone else for birthday wishes/cards/virtual gifts - by email, YM, FB...

3.
It's good to meet old friends again on FB, especially on one's birthday.

4.
Happy birthday to Mida in Odaiba
Happy birthday to 'Abang' Syafiq Anas in Sarawak
Happy birthday to Sue - who used to be in the same college with me, but I have no idea where she is now.
Happy belated birthday to T.I, Imah, Farid - all from SMAPL class of '92 - on May 7th, 8th, 9th respectively.
And congratulations to Fendi and Liya on the birth of their second son this morning, alhamdulillah... (obviously it'll be easy for me to remember the kid's birthday)

5.
I want to improve in at least one area of my daily life, but still undecided on how to exactly persecute it...

6.
I want to write a book, insya Allah. Jennifer Chan, a researcher from British Columbia University visited us a while ago and had a really long interview with hubby and I. After listening to our stories (as the Imam of Asakusa Mosque and the Imam's wife), she took a look at our photo collection - of nikah ceremonies, syahadah ceremonies, 'tahnik', iftar jama'ie, maulidur-rasul - turned to me, and exclaimed, "You should write a book on being a Muslim in Japan, you have all these wonderful resources!"
Maybe I should.
Maybe I'll start by taking a writing course when I return.

7.
If I ever get to write and publish a book on being a Muslim in Japan, I intend to use some, if not all, of the proceeds to help funding Islamic activities in Japan...

Mak pesan... 4

"Many of us fall into 'victim syndrome', excusing ourselves for being lesser becauyse we are underprivileged - oh, he is good in English because he studies overseas, oh, she can do lots of cooking experiments because her kids are big enough, oh, he is good in reading Quran because his Mom teaches Islamic studies... What we often forget to do is to look at those underprivileged who yet managed to do the impossibles and challenge ourselves to do the same..."

Jalan-jalan Golden Week 2008

1. BBQ in Saitama

Place: Gyoda, Saitama
Date: 3 May 2008



Kak Ita: Ini dah ada futomaki, haru maki, kalau tak sedap memang nak kena maki...

Good thing I brought some jelly. Or Agar-agar Pandan to be exact. Not in the usual green colour though, since I only have Artificial Cochineal color in stock, so red it was... Not many people - but it was really sunny in Gyoda as opposed to wet rainy Tokyo.

Pictures could be seen at Kak Ita's fotopages and summary by Faizly could be read here

2. No more Panda... Bye-bye Ling Ling

Place: Ueno Zoo, Tokyo
Date: 4 May 2008



The symbol of Ueno Zoo, Ling Ling the panda passed away on 30th April 2008.
Thousands flocked to the zoo to show their love and appreciation for the giant panda, bringing lots of flower bouquets, candies, chocolates and fruits and arranged them in front of the now empty 'Giant Panda house'. The place was terribly crowded, the weather a bit gloomy - as if to enhance the mourning mood in the zoo. Huzaifah seemed to enjoy the trip, and Humaidi repeatedly kept kicking his shoes - and by the time we left the place, he was wearing only his right shoe. Nice zoo, the many 'forests' which house the animals somehow made the animals seem to be more at home than sparse zoos I'd previously visited. Oh, and there's a monorail connecting the East and West area of the zoo (1 minute ride)

3. Party in Odaiba

Place: 4th Floor Lounge, Block C, Tokyo International Exchange Center, Odaiba
Date: 6 May 2008

Shukrat, an Uzbek who's currently doing his MA in GRIPS invited us over for a 'small party' at his place. Took that opportunity to first visit Syah and his family who have moved there since end of March. Nice apartment, but not so nice view as their balcony faces the Yurikamome rail line. Nor made some meehoon sup, and later we were joined by Acoi's family. We joined Acoi to Shukrat's party since they are living in the same block. The 'small party' turned out not to be so small after all with Shukrat friends and their families of various nationalities attending it - Japanese, Egyptian, Kazakhs, Russians, Turks, and our two families from Malaysia. Lots of food - home-made bread, noodles, pilaf rice, three different kinds of salad, tomatoes salsa on fried eggplant, baklava, some Russian confectionery, cakes, fruits and chocolates for the kids. Huzaifah performed a dangerous act of bergayut from the spiral stairway and Humaidi broke a plate - but at least they were not the only boisterous kids around...

Doki doki

I'm feeling quite nervous right now.
In a few hours time my parents-in-law will be arriving in Tokyo.
"But you've been married for more than 3 years!" some of you would exclaimed back.
Yes, while that is true, before we came to Japan, hubby and I did not have a place of ours.
We were staying either at his parent' place in Rasah or my parents' place in PJ.
And to add to that - I've never really cooked for my parents-in-law in my own place.
When I was pregnant with Huzaifah, I could not stand any kitchen smell.
When I was back for short breaks in Malaysia after that, I've never felt comfortable enough to cook in Rasah, so I just helped out with preparing stuff and washing dishes. Yes, I know, I am not exactly a dream daughter-in-law.

It's a cross-culture thing, this classic case of a daughter-in-law hoping to be able to fulfill a mother-in-law's hopes and expectation. Somehow, some way, it always seem like no female is ever acceptable to the sons, although the sons themselves are not perfect creatures. This doesn't seem to occur too often in the son-in-law and father-in-law's relationship . Maybe it's a male bonding thingy. Oh well...

I pray and hope that hubby and I will be able to 'raikan' our Mak and Abah Rasah to their satisfaction during their two weeks stay here...

Jalan-jalan tengok Tulip - part 2

Place: Hitachi Seaside Park aka Hitachi Kaihin Koen (entrance fee 400 yen per person)
Date: 26 April 2008

Friends in Chiba already told us that we were already late for real tulip viewing pleasure since most tulips in and around Tokyo were past their best viewing time... But when Liya and Fendi said that we would still be able to view nice tulips (300,000 stalks) with lots of varieties in Hitachi - we just went ahead and joined them. Called up Jan and Syeih in Hitachi, and they said that they too were planning on going to Hitachi Kaihin Koen at the same time, so we made plan to meet in the park. Faizly could not join us because he had some other things to attend to at school, so Liya & Fendi invited Zahid, a 1st year student to tag along. Radzian and family could not come since they were entertaining a Malaysian guest from Singapore.

Took the Tsukuba Express train to Tsukuba, and Fendi fetched us there before driving us for more than 2 hours to Hitachi Seaside Park. Lunch was yaki udon by yours truly, plus nasi goreng and super yummilicious cheese chocolate brownies by Liya. Told Liya that she might consider going into cakes and confectionery business one day since she is really skilled in making them, no kidding.

Umar and Huzaifah had a whale of time playing in Tamago no Mori (with Zahid as their baby sitter) while Jan and Syeih had some fun with their adorable daughter Sakura in Pleasure Garden, an amusement park with a 100-meter high ferris wheel (cheap as it cost only 500 yen per person as against 700 in Yokohama or 900 in Odaiba) and other. Wanted to snack on some Bear castella, but the oil used is a mixture of plant and animal based oil, zannen datta. When we first arrived there was a teenage rock concert going on - but as we walked further away from Tamago no Mori (the Tulip World area) it became more serene and pleasant. We didn't even managed to cover half of the whole park, but we were the last to exit the park's west gate - the security guards in the parking area even lined up to greet us bye-bye, huhuhu...

Had dinner at Jan & Syeih's place - a cozy 3-roomed City Council apartment on a hilly area which cost them less than 15,000 yen a month. Told them that we could just eat the lunch leftover, but Syeih insisted on cooking chicken curry for us, assisted by Jan.

By the time we reached Tsukuba, it was too late to catch up the last train back to Asakusa, so all the three adult guys spent the night at Zahid's room. The mommies however had some difficulty sleeping as the kiddies - Umar, Huzaifah and Humaidi - went on an 'orchestra' of crying, sobbing, wailing and weeping until early morning...

Nice things about Hitachi Kaihin Koen:

• Accessible by public transport, 10 minutes by bus/taxi from Katsuta eki on JR Joban Line.
• Lots of outdoor facilities - cycling courses, athletic fields, safe playing area for kids made from rubbery material (the bonggol-bonggol thing in Tamago no Mori is not made from stone)
• Lots of different park areas for different kind of flowers, including a nice lake
  
• In case of rain, there is also a greenhouse, a gallery and some restaurants area spread out in the large park
• Features an in-park amusement park with a ferris wheel

Like other national parks, there is no entrance fee on May 4th (Midori no hi aka Green day) and a few other selected days. In fact we went there a day before it was open for free (the last Sunday of April, which is supposed to be the best time to enjoy the tulips there). We enjoyed the many colors, variations and arrangements of tulips there tremendously, alhamdulillah...

Jalan-jalan tengok Tulip - part 1

Place: Kasumigaura Park, not far from Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
Date: 19 April 2008

Went there before we went to JAXA Tsukuba Special Open Day, driven by Fendi who fetched us from Tsukuba eki. Radzian & Rini's family in another car followed Fendi's lead. Faizly joined us too, having spending the night before the visit to help with making some bento (two varieties of sandwiches - tuna & egg, as well as roasted chicken wings and drumsticks). Liya brought yummilicious carrot cake (yay!) and meehoon kicap which Huzaifah simply could not get enough of. Serious, I've never seen him gobbling up anything like that ever before. (Note to self : Hmm, maybe should give Liya's recipe a try after this...)

Plus factor:

• Next to Kasumigaura lake, the second largest lake in Japan.
• Features a windmill and the tulips were color/type coordinated, giving it a Holland-like feel (Upon seeing our photos, Mak made a passing comment on how Japanese sometimes seems to have nothing better to do than to imitate others)
  
• Features a watermill (which was not functioning when we were there, but still...)

Minuses:

• Quite difficult to reach by public transport
• The tulips area is actually not that big (photos could be deceiving)

Although initially I was quite upset to see some of the tulips already in ' lunyai' condition, since we had traveled all the way from Tokyo, hubby and I just went on "happy-snapper" mode. We tried making the most out of the best we had there - and alhamdulillah the pictures turned out quite well....

And if it was not enough, the following tulip-seeing trip was really great, subhanallah...

Further reading/photos:
Liya & Fendi
Faizly

Prayer for a friend who became a sister...

Was 'godek-godek'ing an old private blog of mine, and found an old poem I wrote for Emi, a close friend who reverted to Islam in 2004. (Throughout my life so far, I've been blessed with lots of good friends named Emi/Amy - some for a fleeting moment, some for life) When I re-read this - and now that I am a wife of an Imam who led several reversion sessions - it struck me that what I wished for my dearest friend back then, is similar to my hopes, wishes, and prayers for every new Muslim...

Once, we received a torn-into-2-pieces Muslim Certificate, and similarly torn Nikah certificate sent to the mosque (the lady converted in 2003). Just seeing the torn certificate was enough to make me and hubby 'mengucap panjang'... It got us both thinking about irresponsible Muslims who ask others to convert just for the sake of marrying, but do not help in guiding their partner towards the right path. While not every new Muslims get shunned from their family, relatives and friends, it is known to happen quite often - so if their trusted partner shun them too - where else can they go to?

If they have known Allah, at least they would know that Allah will never forsake them, but to most Japanese who have never believed in God for the most part of their life - this is a foreign concept. The concept of one Al-Mighty God is too deep, too complicated. A Japanese girl once asked me - "why are we not equal if Allah loves us all? Do you think we are equal?".

A simple question, yet it required a long detailed and thoughtful answer...

Doa (untuk teman yang kini menjadi saudara)

Tanganmu kugenggam erat
syukurku tidak terhingga
takdirNya kita sama memilih ad-deenul haq
tunduk pada Khaliq yang Esa

Satu persatu aku ungkapkan
hasrat, harapan dan doa
untuk seorang yang dulunya teman
kini sudah menjadi saudara

Pintaku
semoga hatimu disimbahi cahaya
rasa dilimpahi kebenaran
jiwa dihiasi ketenangan
bahagia berkekalan

Harapanku
agar kau sabar menempuh dugaan
tabah mengharung kesukaran
tekad dalam keputusan
nekad dengan pilihan

Doaku
mudah-mudahan kau tidak akan
rasa keseorangan dipinggirkan
rasa keasingan disisihkan
rasa kejauhan ditinggalkan
mudah-mudahan kau tidak akan
lupa bahawa betapa
selangkah kau mendekati Tuhan
seribu langkah kau akan didekatiNya

Saudaraku
mudah-mudahan kita sama-sama
dilindungi dalam rahmah dan barakahNya
sentiasa

Haizra Azida
4 Rabiul Akhir 1425
Kuala Lumpur

Hanami and Humaidi

I know, I know - I'm terrible in sharing timely reports. Cherry blossom viewing - or hanami as it is called around here - was over ages ago, and only now I am posting some photos of it...

Well, this year hubby and I had several sessions of hanami, unlike last year when I went for hanami maybe once - just before Humaidi was born. Yes, yes, I know, I didn't even post an entry on Humaidi's first birthday. For the record - we had a quiet celebration - went out for hanami in Sumida Park, then went to New Otani Hotel Japanese garden followed by dinner at Sweets Paradise in Ginza. Koseki-san, the policeman who visit us often gave him a Pajero Dakar Rally Fontenay Mighty Vehicle - a huge toy which Huzaifah claimed to be his and seldom let Humaidi as much as touch it.

• Humaidi now weighs about 9.5kg, and is 74cm in height.
• Has 6 teeth - is really good at chewing food and currently eats more rice than porridge.
  
• Could not walk unaided as yet, but loves 'cruising' along the furniture and is capable of 'mengesot' quite fast.
  
• Like Huzaifah, Humaidi is not fond of using a proper walker, instead prefers holding onto Ibu's leg/kain sarung as a method of training to walk.
  
• Unlike Huzaifah who loves to 'explore' stuff on his own and refused to be held for a long period of time, Humaidi is calmer and doesn't mind sitting in one place while studying a toy in various ways (which often include 'tasting' it)
• He has rather unruly curly hair and bright shining eyes which slint Nihonjin-like everytime he laughs hard
  
• Most people find it difficult to tell whether he looks more like Ibu or Ayah, so I usually tell them that he takes after Kimura sensei who helped me gave birth to him, hihihi...

Back to our hanami story - we didn't go to anywhere too far for it. Sumida Park is not that far and there's a small park lined with sakura about two minutes by foot from our place. Sumida Park is a popular hanami spot - and people were there from early morning until late night, making it quite smelly what with all the 'Jepun mabuk' around... During one outing, a drunk ojiichan insisted on talking to me while I was snapping some sakura photos. I feigned ignorance at speaking Nihonggo because I could not stand his smell and did not want to encourage him to keep on chatting. But he was singing praises for gaijin - how he loves having a gaijin as his son-in-law, how he loves making business with gaijin and all - so I just smiled for a while and agreed to take a photo together when he asked and quickly left him after that. (Hubby said that while many Japanese tend to think of gaijin as nuisance, sometimes they don't realize that Nihonjin could be a nuisance too to gaijin... Ouch!)

Mak pesan... 3

"I don't see any reason why a boss should distance himself or herself from the subordinates. When one does that, it means practising 'thou art holier'... Try asking around, and I am sure most subordinates prefer warm and kind over cold and distance bosses. We lose nothing by being kind..."

Higashi Hiroshima - Miyajima

2.

Me: Kalau Miyajima tu the third scenic view of Japan, yang nombor satu dan dua apa ye?
Ghazali: (dengan yakin) Yang nombor satu Fuji-san. Yang nombor dua tak tau la apa...

Not doing any homework prior to visiting Miyajima, I mistakenly thought that Miyajima is supposed to be the third scenic view of Japan, so both hubby and I thought it made sense to hear Ghazali's claim of Mount Fuji being the number one scenic view of Japan...

Well, we later found out that Fuji-san is not listed among Nihon Sankei (Japan's three most scenic view). It has nothing to do with the top most-visited places in Japan, instead Nihon sankei refers to Japan's most interesting sights as selected several centuries ago by scholar Hayashi Razan. Apart from Miyajima, Nihon Sankei consist of Matsushima in Sendai and Amanohashidate in Kyoto.

That morning, we didn't start as early as the previous day (6.03 a.m.), but took our time leaving Ghazali and Fiza's place in Higashi Hiroshima. Ghazali even drove us around Hiroshima University area first, showing us the main buildings before sending us to Saijo eki, to board a train going to Miyajimaguchi, from where we took a ferry to Miyajima. (JR Rail Pass covers the ferry fare as well.) It is interesting to note that Amanohashidate registers least foreign visitors compared to Miyajima and Matsushima, probably because the trains to Amanohashidate run on non-JR tracks...

Our trip to Miyajima would have been great if not for Huzaifah being a bit cranky and one wild-tamed deer chewing frightened Humaidi's fingers. I was away with Huzaifah and hubby approached me to help with calming Huzaifah down, not realizing that he left Humaidi with some food on his hand, and the deers there ate everything and anything. Really! In fact, Miyajima website warns JR Rail Pass holders to be cautious of approaching deers since JR Passes will not be reprinted or replaced. Huzaifah had great fun chasing them, right as soon as we exited the ferry terminal, but poor Humaidi started crying out loud every time one of the deers (which are said to be more restrained than their counterparts in Nara) came near him.

We were fortunate to be there in time for high tide, the best time to view the 'floating' torii. Ghazali and Fiza told us that when the tide is low, many people walk to and under the muddy torii, some throwing coins and started praying in the Shinto way, others searching for shells, crabs and as such.

Tourists - both Nihonjin and gaijin - flocked the small island with not a single traffic light post. Since it has also been gazetted as a UNESCO World Heritage site, strict measures are taken to ensure that the town retains an Edo-era atmosphere, and the stone lanterns at the sea-front look very attractive. The world's largest shakushi (rice scoop) is proudly displayed along the main shopping street. The shopping street itself is filled with mostly shops selling momiji manju, okonomiyaki, and other souvenirs, including an 'Edo-era' Sanrio souvenir shop for Hello Kitty enthusiasts. The momiji manju-making process could be rather fascinating too and it is said that Miyajima is the best place to buy them hot and fresh - we bought two boxes and the ojiichan behind the counter gave us one freshly-baked momiji manju (which Huzaifah quickly devoured)

It would be nice to spend one whole day there - especially since there was a wedding going on at Itsukushima Shrine, but alas we needed to rush back to Hiroshima...

Hiroshima

1.
a.z.: kalau kat hiroshima, jalan ke mana yang best?
radz: kat sini orang biasa jalan ke gembaku dome dan miyajima
a.z.: dekat ke?
radz: miyajima tu boleh tahan jauh. kena naik feri, kalau betul-betul jalan, sehari pun tak puas
a.z: gembaku dome?
radz: kalau tak masuk muzium, dalam 2 jam ok kot nak jalan-jalan kat taman tu
a.z.: ooo...

We did not do any study what so ever on Hiroshima beforehand - solely relying on Ghazali and Fiza to give us suggestion on where to go. So off we went to Miyajima in the morning, and then rushed to Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima city before catching the 5.50 p.m. Shinkansen Hikari (had to stand in the train until Okayama before getting seats for both of us ). We took the street car aka tram from Hiroshima eki to Gembaku Dome (A-Bomb Dome), the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb released in Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. It has been left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties and has been gazetted as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

Apart from Gembaku Dome alone, a visit to the Peace Memorial Park was a sobering experience, especially enhanced by spending some time in the Peace Memorial Museum. It is difficult not to be affected by the exhibits - be it photos, drawings, stories or other stuff showcased in the museum.

Being in the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack made me stop and think of those who are currently still bearing the pain and suffering of war...

Mak pesan... 2

"We should be more careful not to be judgmental (of others). We all run the same risks. But a lot of people forget to consider how bad things that happen to others might happen to them too.. People in glass houses should not throw stones..."

Islam Inspires Meme

Tagged by Kak D

Rules:

1) Answer the following questions

2) Post on your blog with link to who tagged you

3) Tag a minimum of three other bloggers and include links to their blog in your tag. Make sure to let them know you’ve tagged them too.

Meme Questions:

1) What Qur’anic verse do you find most inspiring and why? What does it mean to you personally?

The first verse that comes to my mind is verse 256, Surah Al-Baqarah

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَا‌ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡہَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡ‌ۗ

"On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear; it gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns"

Time and time again, whenever I faced some obstacle, I found solace in reading this ayah, knowing that I am only tested with what I am capable of handling.

Every time I felt I was ill-equipped for a particular position, I read this ayat to find the strength to give it my best try - be it when I was 19 and asked to be the Vice President of Islamic Student Council in my college, or when I was in my early twenties and asked to lead the Muslimah in my vicinity, or later in my mid twenties and asked to be the Penghulunita for my fellow DPA attendees. I felt reluctant to fill important positions because somehow I've always fared better as a follower than being in top leadership position. This verse propelled me to give my best because it is Allah's promise that I would never be burdened beyond my limited capability...

So every time I felt weak and helpless- like when I had to leave Huzaifah in Malaysia and came to Japan 11 days after I gave birth, or when I had my miscarriage earlier this year - this verse comforted me like no other.

It is a very empowering verse - to know that one is only tested with what one could handle, to be reassured that any test sent one's way is always never beyond one's capacity to handle...

2) What Hadith (Qudsi or Sunnah of the Prophet salallahi alaihi was salam) do you find most inspiring and why?

Okay, I found this to be a little bit difficult, because nothing hit me immediately like the answer to question no 1. But after giving it some thought - among the hadiths that I found inspiring is the one on giving salam;

Abu Hurairah (ra) related that Rasulullah salallahu alaihi wassalam said, "Let the one who is on a vehicle give salam to the one walking, let the one who is walking give salam to the one sitting, let those who are small in number (or alone) give salam to those who are in a larger group, and let the younger one give salam to the elderly"

Salam normally refers to the greetings Muslim shower upon each other, meaning "May peace be upon you". It is a sign of love and brotherhood, as Muslims pray for Allah's blessing on each other. This hadith went further to explain the etiquette of giving salam. And 'giving salam' here is not limited to just the greetings "Assalamualaikum", but also in giving salam by other ways.

Here in Japan (or in the UK for that matters) drivers slow down or wait patiently for pedestrians to cross the road at traffic lights and zebra crossing - the one who is on a vehicle give salam to the one walking. Sadly, in Malaysia - pedestrians often get honked at for crossing the road a little bit slowly, as if they are in the wrong if they try to cross the road when there is a car passing by (with the bonus of "oi butakah?" yelled out the window by the driver/passenger of the car)

There are priority seats for elderly, disabled, pregnant ladies and people with small kids on buses and trains - so that the one who is more able of walking can give salam to those who deserve the seat more. There are also priority queues in certain governmental offices - especially for the elderly - perhaps so that the younger one can give salam to the elderly.

So the hadith is not only about showering each other with greetings of peace as a sign of love, but also a lesson on giving priorities and good manners...

3) Other than the Prophet himself salalahi alahi wa salaam - what Muslim man do you find most inspiring and why?

I checked Kak D's and Nadia's (the one who tagged Kak D) answers and they both chose a companion of Rasulullah for this. I guess I will go along with them, and one sahabah that I found most inspiring is Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl.

Why?
a. He proved that sometimes it doesn't matter who your parents are - you and your parents are not necessarily of the same kind. Abu Jahl was a staunch opponent of Rasulullah, Ikrimah became a staunch companion of Rasulullah. When Ikrimah approached Makkah to say his syahadah, Rasulullah advised his companions; "Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl shall come to you as a believer and a refugee. Do not insult his father. Insulting the dead causes grief to the living and does not reach the dead."

b. He always gave his all - as a non-believer he was instrumental in obstructing the spread of Islam, but as a Muslim, he spent twice as much and fought twice as much too in Allah's way. Ikrimah, despite Khalid ibn Al-Walid's advice against it, penetrated deep into the ranks of the Byzantine in the Battle of Yarmouk. "You have fought with Rasulullah earlier. Leave me now to atone for what I have done in the past. I fought Rasulullah on many occasions, shall I now flee from the Byzantines? This shall never be!" Under Ikrimah's leadership (without the leadership of Khalid), this daring Muslim attack paved the way for a decisive victory

c. He was a selfless friend. At the crucial time in the Battle of Yarmouk, there were three warriors lying on the battleground, one of them Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl. Someone offered him some drink, but upon noticing Suhail bin Amar lying next to him and looking, he asked the war aide to pass the water to Suhail first since Suhail might need it more than him. When Suhail was offered the drink, he noticed Haris bin Hisham lying next to him and looking at the water, so he declined the drink and asked for it to be offered to Haris first since Haris might need it more than him. When the drink was offered to Haris, Haris asked for it to be offered to Ikrimah since Ikrimah might need it more than him. All of them refused to drink before the other, insisting that their friend might be more in need of the water - until in the end all of them became shahid before taking a single sip.

(update)
d. Because I am a sucker for 180 degrees changes - and Ikrimah was a great Fighter against Islam who turned into a greater Fighter for Islam. Too often people are quick to judge another - "oh, he is a terrible person, he is so rough, no manners blah blah blah", never stopping to think for a moment that we never really know the inner hidden qualities of a person, and we never know the extent of Allah's mercifulness... Who knows if the so-called terrible person might change into a religious, gentle and generous being the next day?

4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?

Sharing the sentiment with Kak D and Nadia, for all the reasons that they had already stated in their respective blogs, I agree that Saidatina Khadijah is the most inspiring Muslimah. Thus, I'll take this question as "Other than Saidatina Khadijah - who is the most inspiring Muslimah to you and why? "

There are so many prominent figures to choose from - Saidatina Aisyah, Saidatina Fatimah, Rabiatul Adawiyah, Zainab al-Ghazali.... but I'll go with someone close to me - my Mak.

Mak gives her all to support Ayah all the way.
Mak gave her best in attending to both her late mother and mother-in-law.
Mak gives her best for her siblings even when it is not reciprocal.
Mak gives her best for her kids even when we broke her heart time and time again, and even when we know she gives more selflessly and generously than our own biological mother.
Mak gave her best to the rakyat when she was a civil servant - never afraid of any political master, not even when she was demoted of sort.
Mak is still giving her best to the society by voluntary works.
Mak gives her best to Allah by giving her all

5) What CONTEMPORARY (i.e., living) Muslim do you find most inspiring and why?

Well, it's hard to name just one person since I get inspired by lots of different people with lots of different things for lots of different reasons.

A new Muslim revert is inspiring - the courage to change, the risk they take, the willingness to study and adapt to a new way of life. A practising Muslim in a non-Muslim country is inspiring.
Any Muslim - reverts or otherwise - who could inspire others to turn to Allah is inspiring too.

Muslim philantrophists like Yusuf Islam who build Islamic schools in non-Muslim countries are inspiring; so are those who take time off and devote their time and sweat for such school (like Brother Abdullah who spend his summer holidays annually organizing Islamic summer school in Gyotoku, Chiba). Wealthy Muslim businessmen who provide scholarships are inspiring, just like not-so-wealthy Muslims who support students by giving their zakats to them.

Muslim scholars and thinkers like Harun Yahya aka Adnan Oktar and Dr Zakir Naik is inspiring, so are Muslim musicians the likes of Dawud Wharnsby , Sami Yusuf and Zain Bikha.

A stay-at-home mother who homeschools her children is inspiring, but so is a working mother who is successful in raising up good children by conventional means.

Since I get inspired by so many people for so many different reasons - if you are a Muslim and you ask me this question in person, I might answer "you" and I'll find some reasons to substantiate it too...

6) How has Islam inspired you in your daily life?

Being a born Muslim, raised in a practising Muslim family, and now married to an Imam of a mosque in a non-Muslim country - I have to admit that while I may not be a good Muslim, Islam inspires me in so many ways. Islam is about love and compassion, faith and trust, good manners, hope, strive for excellence, care for the environment, world peace, etc, etc, etc...

7) If you could do anything at all to inspire others through Islam, how would you do it?

The truth is I wanted to answer "by being good at what I am" - but then I am very ordinary - average student, average officer, average wife, average mother, average daughter, average sister... But one thing I know is that I intend to get involved with some charity/voluntary organisations, and I hope it could provide me a way to inspire others through Islam, insya Allah...

#####

Tag 3 persons? This tag has gotten me thinking long and hard, so this might not be the best time to pass it over to the super-busy-with-her-PhD Rad - but Rad, I don't mind waiting until after July to read your take on this, hehehe. Anyway, I hereby tag:

1. Mrs Jemain - an ex-schoolmate

2. Zarin - another ex-schoolmate

3. Theta - an articulate blogger

Little tag of horror

In order to do the Islamic tag as per Kak D's request, I feel it is only fair if I attend to the one requested by Zarin a long, long time ago. Sorry aah Zarin - I am a great procrastinator... and not a huge fan of horror flicks. Besides, like I've written before - I used to have vivid imagination which affected my bathing time - I was so scared of hands suddenly appearing on the wall wanting to choke me, or the pipe water turning to scarlet red blood, or some monster suddenly came out from the toilet bowl... Many times Mak had to wait patiently at the toilet door while I had a shower because I simply refused to lock the toilet's door for fear of something bad happening and nobody could save me because I was locked inside, all alone. Yeah, I know, vivid imagination could be hazardous too...

Anyway, 10 Scariest movie I've ever seen (or partly seen, whether by peeking from behind hubby's back or through some small opening between my fingers when my face is covered by my hands) in no particular order, are:

1 - 3 Nightmare on the Elm Street series - three of them, if I am not mistaken. Freddy Krueger is one really mean fella.

4 -Indonesian horror flicks starring Suzanna - can't remember any of their names though. Usually included some sickening scenes of water turning into blood, hands appearing from the wall to choke someone, poisonous animals appearing out of nowhere...

5 - Chermin - one that I don't have to watch behind hubby's back since the ghost at least doesn't change from a beautiful mam one moment into a typical Asian hantu rambut mengerbang, but the suara mengilai element is still there...

6 - Hantu Bangku Kosong - new teachers should learn from those who have been around longer, and try to get more background on certain 'customs' before easily dismissing anything as 'karut'

7 - Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam - watched this on the bus, and the hantu head appearing on the ground as seen by one guy was really shocking... Maya Karin could play a much more believable hantu than Deanna Yusof

8 - Dorm - not really a horror film, but well, like I said I don't watch that many horror flicks. Hubby said I should try watching Nang Nak, but just listening to him telling the story is enough to know that I don't want to watch it...

9 - It - yet another not-really-horror flick - but for a while I started to give clowns second closer looks, just to make sure whether they look funny ha-ha, or funny eerie...

10 - The Eye - the HK/Thai one, haven't seen the Hollywood version (and have no intention of doing it). Contains some poignant moments - like when the girl cried the village was burning after she tried warning the villagers but none believed her, or when the blind-again heroine confessed that she does not want to see again...

Kobe

It was one very long day - we started very early in the morning, to catch the first bus to Tokyo at 6.03 a.m., so as not to miss the second earliest Shinkansen Hikari at 7.03 a.m. In a touch-n-go manner, we stopped at Kyoto and went to Kinkakuji, then took a few trains to go to Universal City, in Osaka, followed by a few more to go to Sannomiya, from where we boarded a taxi to go to Kobe Mosque.

Kobe Mosque is the oldest mosque in Japan. It was built in 1935, three years earlier than the old Tokyo Mosque (1938 - 1985), and it remained standing, surviving two historical moments when all the buildings next to it were completely destroyed. It first survived the bombings in 1945 during World War II, with destroyed windows, and some cracks in the outer walls, all blackened by smoke. During World War II, the mosque was used by Japanese Military as a shelter during Allied bombing raids, but later returned to the Muslims after the war was over, and oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait helped to restore it.

The mosque also survived The Great Kobe Earthquake in 1995 in which about 180,000 buildings were damaged, 5,000 people died, 35,000 were injured and 300,000 were left homeless. The fact that the Mosque survived was widely covered in the media back then and it became a refuge for Muslims survivors.

It was not a surprise to note that this mosque is popular among tourists. When we were there, we met non-Muslim Nihonjin tourists from Tokyo, Malaysian tourists from Beppu, Kyushu, as well as non-Muslim foreigners - all fascinated with its beautiful architecture and amazing history. (The locals also go there to shop at the halal shop located right across the mosque. Halal Kobe beef is a huge hit, and halal Kobe chicken is far superior in size and taste than the normal halal Brazilian chicken found in most halal shops throughout Japan)

Osaka

It would be cool to spend a day in Universal Studio Japan - but not having enough time, we just hopped over in Universal City in Osaka for a quick photo snapping session...

By the way, one of the main differences between Kanto and Kansai people (apart from their slang and food) is the fast lane on escalators - right in Kanto and left in Kansai...

Kyoto

I'm too busy to write in details right now (ehcheh).
So, for now, please enjoy the pics first
Just place your cursor on any image to see a bigger, clearer photo.

Mak pesan... 1

Mak selalu pesan,

"Belajar agama biar masa muda. Bila kita tahu, boleh amalkan apa yang kita tahu, boleh manfaatkan diri, boleh manfaatkan orang lain. Yelah, sementara kita masih kerja, masih kuat tenaga, yang sedikit kita tahu boleh cambahkan pada banyak orang yang kita jumpa, yang kita kenal dalam kerja. Kalau belajar agama bila dah tua, dah pencen, biasanya untuk manfaat diri sendiri. Tapi kita hidup bukan untuk jaga diri sendiri saja. Ada habluminallah, ada habluminannas..."

"Free" open day/activities in Tokyo

We are going to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency - the Japanized version of NASA) center in Tsukuba this Saturday, for an open day. I think it is going to be fun, for both parents and kids (we are going there with Fendi and Liya).

Anyway, for those who are interested in a day outing at JAXA center in Tokyo, the Open House of Aerospace Research Center is scheduled on 20 April 2008, more details could be found here.
While I am at this, might as well share other "Tokyo-for-free" stuff.

For those who are interested in visiting Ueno Zoo for free, there is no admission charges on March 20 (Ueno Zoo's Anniversary Day), May 4 (Greenery Day), and October 1 (Tokyo Citizens' Day).

Yokoso Japan is a site to check from time to time especially during Yokoso Month campaign (late January to end of February). Normally there will be two days of no admission charges to enter Tobu World Square and another two days for Nikko Edo Wonderland back to back. Information on these free open days (including bus from Kinugawa Onsen eki to these two theme parks) is never published on the respected sites, but could only be found out by checking on Yokoso Japan's site (different dates for 2007 and 2008, so no surprise if it is going to be different again in following years)

Then, there's the free , New Discovery of Akihabara tour, which would be a good option to do on Saturday so as not to miss the visit to Anime University (no visit on Sunday). There's also free guided tour of Asakusa on Sundays, available at Asakusa Travel Information Center, located conveniently just opposite the famous Kaminarimon gate.

And if museum is your cup of tea, you might want to try out Currency Museum in Nihombashi (opened on weekends), or Sumo Museum in Ryogoku (closed on Sunday, Saturday and public holidays), or Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum in Waseda University (closed on lots of days - but one can always check the website for more information), or just visit Sannomaru Shozokan, in East Garden of the Imperial Palace (Kokyo Higashi Gyoen) which houses art treasures belonging to the Imperial family. The garden is closed on Mondays and Fridays. The Imperial Palace buildings and inner gardens are opened twice a year, for public appearances of the Imperial family members on January 2 (New Year's Greeting) and the current Emperor's birthday (for now, it is December 23).

Then, there are plenty of industry-related museums like TEPCO's Electric Power Historical Museum in Shibuya (closed on Mondays), or NHK Museum of Broadcasting, also in Shibuya (and closed on Mondays too). Odaiba/Shiodome area houses some interesting showcases too such as Panasonic Center, National Home Center and Toyota Meg@web. If you are a Ferrari enthusiast like my hubby, there's a former F1 model used by Schumi on exhibition at Shell Cafe Museum (closed on Saturdays) on the first floor of Daiba Frontier Building (the same building which houses Saizeriya restaurant, just next to Daiba Kaihin Koen eki on Yurikamome line). Or if you are in Shinjuku, maybe a drop at Living Design Center Ozone in Shinjuku Park Tower will remind you a bit of a trip to IKEA, only with more tasteful and stimulating exhibits.

If a stroll in a Japanese style garden is what you have in mind, then feel free to go to either Chinzan-so or New Otani Hotel. Ninomaru area in Kokyo Higashi Gyoen too has been maintained as an Edo Period Japanese garden.

Many are aware that one can visit the observation decks on Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building , better known as Toucho, for free. For different views of Tokyo, one could also give observation decks at Shinjuku Nomura Building and Shinjuku Sumitomo building a chance. Less tourists there, and no toy shop (like the one they have in Toucho, which could be a threat to parents with kids who would guling-guling on the floor unabashedly insisting on getting expensive toys)

Jue and Man in Kinugawa Onsen - the photos

Last full day in Japan...

Jue and Man in Yokohama - the photos

Day 3 - off we went to Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan

Jue and Man in Tokyo - the photos

Some photos taken on Day 1

Unexpected dose of unfriendliness

I don't know what was in my previous entry that drove somebody to write mean comments - in 4 different guises. Labeling me as 'kedekut', greedy, inferring all Malaysian government servants as corrupted beings without any concrete proof, topping it with some immature political biasness - it was rather shocking to see this kind of comments appearing in my blog.

Seriously, what gives?

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The ojiichan I met in the park - he had no idea whatsoever that I am a government servant, so no I don't think he would go around telling anybody how he had generously donated 10,000 yen to a poor government servant in a third world. Chances are he would be too embarrassed to share with his friends that he misses his own grandchildren so much that he tried to make do by presenting gifts for kids that remind him of them.

The 10,000 yen I received was on behalf of the children. Not like I greedily accepted it too - I was hesitant in accepting it, but he insisted. But honestly, I see no wrong in accepting his offer - I asked around, and lots of people agreed with me. I didn't ask for it, and there was nothing attached to it. It was something like receiving 'duit raya ' on behalf of your kids from a kind stranger... What is so greedy or kedekut with that?

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For some reason I despise people who make baseless assumptions about other people's state of finance. When I was in high school, I heard dorm-mates whispering behind my back about how 'kedekut' I was with my crackers/biscuits.

What they didn't know was that my father was declared bankrupt when I was in Form 2, and it took quite some time for our family to recover. For a long while, Mak had to walk a kilometer away to board a bas mini to work, a big change from driving her own car to work, and she was in a quite senior position back then. I was given a pittance for monthly allowance, thus I looked forward to volunteer going to canteen for the seniors in my dorms - because that was the easy way for me to get a treat from the canteen using the tips, instead of using my limited pocket money. When I was in form 4, I was happy to be made a co-opian, as it also meant I could earn some extra pocket money (or rather buy stuff without using my small allowance).

Back then, I wore mostly hand-me-down garments from Mak out of necessity - Mak needed the money for other more important stuff, like paying bills, school fees and what nots. Due to our differences in size, I always had to make some 'alterations' to the waistline of Mak's kain sarong - once the sarong even 'melorot' to the ground but quickly re-put to normal condition in the evening prep class. I was not a brat - but sometimes I wished that I could wear stuff that are tailored made just for the (then) skinny me instead of risking wearing a sarong that might 'melorot' to the floor any time...

So, yes, while I admit that I was pretty stingy in sharing my crackers/biscuits, it was not because I am 'tahi hidung masin' by choice, but rather because I could not afford buying lots of crackers/biscuits, and I didn't feel like sharing with others about my family's financial situation back then. Looking back, I realize now that I should have just went ahead and shared what little I had. Might be tough for a teenager who got hungry frequently, but it might had spared me from hearing people saying stuff like - 'nama je anak orang Kampung Tunku, tapi biskut pun susah nak kongsi' when they didn't know the real truth. It hurt - and for a teenager who already had a tough time at home, it hurt pretty bad.

I still don't like discussing my personal state of finance or my savings or anything - but kindly note that we live frugally in Tokyo for a reason. I wouldn't cycle when I was in my third trimester nor would I take a bus when I was in my second confinement week (after Humaidi's birth) for Huzaifah's 18-months check-up for no good reason... Just because I am in Tokyo on paid study leave, please don't start making assumptions that I 'have a lot of savings'. It could be far from the truth, just like the assumptions my unsuspecting dorm-mates once made about me...

Unexpected doses of kindness and compliments...

1. Kamarol told me that when their Farhan was still a baby, Ija and he received 1000 yen from an unknown obaachan they met on a train. They used the money for an ice-cream treat. Then, last year, Mak told me that Huzaifah received 500 yen from an unknown obaachan when Mak, hubby and Huzaifah went for an outing in Mother's Farm (while I was still in the hospital after giving birth to Humaidi).

Well, to add another story to 'encounters with Nihonjin grandparents who miss their own grandchildren and give money to unknown children instead', yesterday while waiting for hubby snapping some 'hanami' photos in Sumida Koen, an elderly gentleman played with Humaidi (Huzaifah was asleep at that time) for some time, had a brief chit-chat with me, before telling me that he would like to give my kids some small token, as according to him, it is customary to give small gifts for small kids around here. To my surprise, instead of a 1000 yen note as I thought, Kitanaka-san handed over a 10,000 yen note. That never, ever happened before - to be given 10,000 yen by a total stranger who we met briefly in the park... Rezeki anak, alhamdulillah...

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2. Scribbled on Marroad International Hotel Narita, a note from a couple I helped guided while they were in Tokyo read:

"Assalamualaikum

Dear Azra,

We were touched with your hospitality & kindness. Here is some small token from us. Call us at 56****11 once you're back in Malaysia

(signed)
Mohd Hatta K.Zuraidah"

Enclosed in the envelope was two 1000 yen notes. Some would consider it tipping, but I'd rather think of them as hadiah for my two kids.

I was touched by getting an old-fashioned thank you note. I don't know about others, but snail-mail notes and cards are getting more difficult to come by for me nowadays...

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3. Helped Kak Ita for a short while with another Malaysian group of tourists for a short while. This group comprised mostly pakcik and makcik who are not very confident of ascending or descending the stairs without holding onto the rail. One makcik could not see properly even after going through eye operations for 4 times, her husband is having heart problems, numerous others are diagnosed with age-related problems such as hypertension and diabetes, and a few have to rely on walking canes. There are only 2 young persons in this group, both of them assisting their respective mom. One of them happened to be my ex-schoolmate too (MIO hasn't change that much too Zarin. Perhaps just like Ida,Basya and Firouz haven't change that much...)
I was surprised to find out Pallette Town to be their first stop in Tokyo. While yes, Toyota Meg@Web and Venus Fort could be unique in that you won't find anything like them in KL, at 10.00 a.m. the place was still closed. Yet, some makcik and pakcik were already busy looking for places to buy some drinks to take their medicine with. The well-to-do had no qualms entering Starbucks, but there were some who had their doubts, so I showed them the hot drinks section in ampm, next to the Starbucks.

Within the few hours I was with them, I found myself assisting one pakcik who wanted to buy stamp and send a letter to his former student in Chiba, answering some questions regarding Tokyo and Odaiba, requesting the management at Tokyo Camii to let the elderly makcik-makcik to use the men toilet on the ground floor so that they could be spared from going down to the basement floor to use the ladies, assisting the makcik in ascending and descending the stairs, in particular the makcik who could not see well. Alhamdulillah this group is not expected to board any normal train during the rush hours - they would be touring Tokyo-Hakone on bus, take a shinkansen from Hamamatsu to Kyoto, back on bus in Kyoto-Osaka area before boarding the plane back to KL from Osaka. Personally I don't think many of them could handle being in a super-crowded train during peak hours.

Anyway, even at 30-something with two kids, it is still flattering to overhear some pakciks referring to you as someone they would like to "buat menantu". It is even more meaningful when these pakciks later found out that they actually know your parents, and even attended your wedding a few years back. I guess when one says "boleh buat menantu", it is a compliment for both the person and his/her parents...

Jue and Man in Tokyo part 3

I told Jue that she could make really interesting blog just sharing her experience in Japan. Once I met a foreign correspondent in Japan, and he said that they have to be transferred to new places after 3-4 years in a particular area, so that their journalistic could be re-sharpened and not dulled by familiarity with any particular area.

And I have to admit that maybe after living in Tokyo for more than 2 years, I've gotten too familiar with how things are being done here that they fail to amaze me anymore.

Like how clean Tokyo is even without having lots of rubbish cans.
Like how lots of Japanese will go out of their way to assist if they are asked for help.
Like how good it is to have a street clean of cigarette smoke since smokers only smoke in designated smokers' area.
Like how one actually doesn't need to know that much Nihonggo to enjoy touring in Japan, as one could get by with knowing some Engrish phrases - so it's not toilet, but toi-re, not escalator, but es-ka-ree-ta, and not elevator, but e-re-bee-ta...
Like how difficult it could be to get halal food when one could not read Japanese (and in the end they stick to buying what they bought when they were with me - Van Houten cocoa, Calpis, Pasco Sandwich bread etc)

Jue and Man too now have first-hand experience of rushing to change trains, carrying the stroller up and down the stairs where there was no escalator/elevator to be found in the eki, and walking a few hundred meters back to the mosque after they'd missed the right bus stop, not once but a few times (they dozed off in the bus, and yes, it could take ages to reach Higashi Asakusa from Tokyo eki by bus)

Main point is - they had an interesting family vacation, and I am really glad to form part of it...

Jue and Man in Tokyo part 2

Jue, Man and lil Husna returned to Malaysia on 1 April. Went to Narita , carrying two boxes as they didn't have enough space to put everything in their one large suitcase. They came here with a total of 32kg baggage, half of it probably were the stuff they brought for us, yet returned to Malaysia with 30kg of baggage, the supposed to be empty spaces filled up with souvenirs they bought here in Japan.

On Monday both Man and Jue got to realize their 'hajat' to visit Tobu World Square and take a stroll in Ginza - no prize for guessing which of them wished for what. It rained in the morning of their last full day in Japan, making them rather hesitant in determining what to do for the day. Although we all woke up early, and I had already prepared breakfast/lunch even before 8.00 a.m., we didn't reached Tobu Asakusa eki until about 11.48 a.m., when Man finally said he would very much like to visit Tobu World Square despite the cold weather, or even light snow as it was predicted earlier.

The girl behind the counter at Tobu Travel Service asked us if we could visit Kinugawa Onsen on any other day, and I replied that my guests would be returning to Malaysia the next day. In order for us to be able to enjoy the theme park longer, we were advised to board the Limited Express Spacia (extra 800 yen for each person), since we had just missed the normal Rapid train . Man quickly agreed, so we found ourselves seated in Spacia 10 minutes after he bought the ticket, and arrived in Kinugawa Onsen at around 2.00 p.m.

Tobu World Square and Edo Village are both opened for free on certain selected days during Yokoso Japan campaign period (late January till late February) It was during the free open day period when Hubby and Che Lee's family went there last year while I was still pregnant with Humaidi and busy attending a one-week Winter term intensive course in Waseda and could not join them. Hubby consoled me back then, promising to have another visit this year during the free period, but both of us forgot all about it and only realized it when the free days were already over. Zannen datta. So for those who are interested in spending a day or two in Nikko/Kinugawa Onsen in late January/February, try googling "Yokoso Japan campaign", to find out more about these 'free open days' offer as it is only announced on Yokoso Japan website, but not on Edo Village or Tobu World Square websites. Otherwise, you could opt to buy a Kinugawa Onsen Theme park pass at Tobu Asakusa Travel Center like Man did. The 2-days pass covers normal train fare from Asakusa-Kinugawa Onsen, unlimited train rides within Nikko-Kinugawa Onsen area, unlimited bus rides within Nikko-Kinugawa Onsen area, and entrance ticket for particular theme park. The pass costs 4000 yen for Tobu World Square, 6000 yen for Edo Village, and 7200 yen for both World Square and Edo Village.

Alhamdulillah, the sun was shining amidst brief light rain in Kinugawa Onsen. Had a quick foot dipping in hot spring rest area right in front of the station, before we kelam kabut rushed to board a bus going to Tobu World Square (I wore my socks properly only after we were on board)

Man concurred with hubby who opined that while the theme park is not that big, it could be rather fascinating to feel like Gulliver for a short while as we 'traveled' from one 'continent' to another. My camera's battery went kaput when we were in still in 'Europe', so for the rest of the 'travel', I had to rely on Man's camera. Since hubby had a lot of pictures of the replicas, Man took more pics of us rather than the replicas - "gambar bangunan nanti cilok yang dah ada je lah". We only had less than 3 hours to rush though the whole theme park, in order not to miss another Limited Express train back to Asakusa. Jue who had passed by Ginza three times without stopping would really like to take a stroll in the upmarket area. On the way back, we had to pay extra 1000 yen each to board the Limited Express as 800 yen is the 'special price' if we had bought the Limited Express ticket together with the discounted Pass, like we did in the morning/noon. Oh well...

Right after we arrived in Asakusa, we quickly rushed to 100 yen shop not far from Kaminarimon for last minute souvenirs shopping before we boarded the Ginza line subway to Ginza. By the time we reached there, most shops were closing - it was a little past 8.00 p.m. But Jue was satisfied with having a chance to take a stroll there. Having already visited Harajuku/Omotesando and Roppongi areas, Jue at first thought that there would be nothing new to see in Ginza, but she was delighted to take in the sight and sound of Ginza. I remembered Mak insisting on buying us cake and tea in Ginza two years ago when she was here visiting together with my brother and two aunts, all because she wanted us to 'experience' Ginza. There's something very classy in Ginza - the people more well-dressed and less rushed than in other parts of Tokyo, the architecture of the buildings more upscaled, and there were some interesting advertisements unseen in other parts - like the white-against-black/black-against-white light show on Chanel building.

To entertain Jue's wish to have a picture in Ginza, we decided to have dinner there and recharge my camera's battery while dining. Jue was thinking of having nan and tandoori for the night, but the only halal restaurant I knew in the area was Rasa, a Malaysian restaurant. I have never been there personally, so only when we arrived there we realized that there is a Pakistani restaurant 4 floors below Rasa. We decided to ask if they serve Halal meat - and yes, they only serve halal meat there, or so we were assured by the 'concierge' who greeted us as the elevator's doors were opened. So we had our dinner there - and Man insisted on giving me a treat, just like they insisted on paying for my fares.

I almost left the battery and the charger in the restaurant but Jue who could not wait to have her photographs be taken in Ginza reminded me of them as we stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor. So we went up again to retrieve both the battery and charger, and quickly had another round of stroll down Ginza street, happily snapping here and there.

Personally I think Jue and Man came at the best time - when they could still play with snow in Karuizawa, yet also enjoy hanami in Tokyo. We took the earliest normal train to Narita Airport from Ueno, passing by lots and lots of sakura trees lined in parks and near rivers, giving Jue a final chance of enjoying the cherry blossoms from the train.

I finally bid farewell after they had checked-in their luggage, giving Jue a tight hug, kissing a sleeping Husna softly on her forehead. Till we meet again my friend - kalau ada rezeki maybe we can give you a visit in Switzerland - otherwise we'll meet again in 2010 after you are done with your MA, insya Allah...