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...

Jue and Man in Tokyo

Well, it's been more than a week since Jue and Man arrived in Tokyo.

Due to some traffic problem encountered by Che Lee on his way back from grocery shopping, Jue and Man had to wait for about an hour in Narita airport before we arrived there. I quickly assisted them with phone rental and changing their exchange order to get JR Rail Pass.

Side note - we had been receiving visitors daily since Thursday, 20 March 2008, which was public holiday in both Japan and Malaysia - for being Spring Equinox day and Maulidur Rasul respectively. Hubby had been invited to give a Maulidur Rasul related ceramah in Ichikawa Ono (more about this could be read at HE's blog). In early Thursday morning, there were Kak Yan and Tuan Syed Nahar from Aoyama who joined us to be picked up by Rosli to go to Ichikawa Ono. When we returned, there was Hafiz from Iwate waiting to meet hubby. Friday noon we received Faizal and his wife Aishah-chan, a Nihonjin Muslim revert. Friday evening, Fary came with her mom and her brother's mother-in-law. It was amazing to learn that Fary's mom actually knows hubby's family members while her besan knows my mother. What a small world, eh?

Anyway, back to Jue and Man. They came bearing us lots of goodies - Malaysian stuff that would cost a small fortune here in Tokyo. They even brought us a packet of Ramly burger, woohoo. The burger sold at halal shops here doesn't taste as good and they get 'benyek' very easily. Jue even brought Acuvue monthly disposable lenses for me - which is not available in Japan. Here they either sell the daily or 2-weekly variations. Apart from that, I finally got my hands on Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic and Baby" as well as Sis Zabrina's "Life is an Open Secret" - thanks so much Kit dearie!. And not forgetting Pokcik and Kak Mai who sent us some traditional kuih (I have no idea what it is called - but Pokcik said it comes from Kedah), dodol and jeruk. Honest-to-goodness miscellaneous jeruk all the way from Penang which made me cried out in delight the instant I saw it. Hehehe. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, okay, back to Jue, Man and their little cutie Husna (who was born a month after Huzaifah, but could now pass for someone a year older than Huzaifah due to her bigger size and ability to talk). In the past week, they have

• made lots of changes to their over-ambitious earlier schedule, making it more feasible.
• been to Imperial Palace, Roppongi, Akihabara on Day 1 (I have to miss a meeting with blogger Lina at blogger Kak Ani's place since hubby could not play tourist guide for that day, having other mosque-related commitments.)
• spent a day in Universal Studio Japan, Osaka on Day 2 without taking too many photos since Man forgot to recharge the camera's battery the previous night
• been to Yokohama on Day 3 but scrapped earlier plan to visit Hakkeijima Sea Paradise on the same day. Bought 1 Day Ticket (450 yen) for Minato Mirai subway line, covered Yokohama eki area, Minato Mirai 21, Chinatown, Yamashita Koen, missed the opening hour of Anpanman Museum, rode the Cosmo Clock (a big feat for Jue who normally suffers aeroacrophobia or 'gayat' as Malays call it) in Cosmo World, and were treated to several sing-a-song-while-preparing-orders sessions as they enjoyed their "Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip" and "German-chokolatekake" (while I devoured my "Romancing the Cheesecake") in Cold Stone Creamery.
• been to Shinjuku Gyoen for ohanami, Oriental Bazaar in Harajuku, took a second trip to Akihabara and dined in Malaychan in Ikebukuro on Day 3.
• had some 'escapade' episode at Tokyo eki on Day 4 when they realized at the last minute that they have boarded the wrong train to go to Maihama, where Disneyland is situated.
• gone to take a peek at Jom Makan (Malaysian Kitchen franchise in Tokyo) in Daikanyama, only to find it already closed for the day after an exhausting day in Disneyland. I know it is probably not patriotic of me to say this - but after my one experience in Jom Makan, personally I wouldn't recommend it to others to go there... (Chances are, despite not being an accomplished cook, I could serve more authentic and better tasting Malaysian food at home...)
• been to Kyoto on Day 5, but only achieved half of their earlier-set ojectives. Disappointed to realize that some part of Ginkakuji was on construction after they have already purchased the ticket there and had to give Gion a miss because their daughter Husna was not feeling well by the time they were boarding the shinkansen back to Tokyo.
• shopped till they almost dropped in Kichijoji, and experienced panaromic view of Tokyo at night in Tochou (Tokyo Twin Tower) in Shinjuku on Day 6. Passed by Ginza for the second time (the first time on Day 3) and Jue had resolved to have a stroll in Ginza at least once before they return to Malaysia

It's been an interesting week. They are in Karuizawa today, to enjoy some time in snow and maybe do more shopping too in the nearby outlet.

While they were in Tokyo on Day 3 & 4, they have been very generous to let hubby and I used their JR Rail passes for 2 days , and we in turn had taken the opportunity to have a touch-n-go tour around Kansai on Wednesday followed by a day tour in Hiroshima/Miyajima on Thursday. Thanks to Jue and Man, hubby and I had our first shinkansen experience - and not just once, we boarded 5 different shinkansens all in all.

Yes, while it was tiring to travel with two knapsacks and two kids (and one of them an extremely active 2 1/2 year old toddler who could get really cranky at times), hubby and I had heaps of fun too. Many thanks to Ghazali and Fiza for their warm welcome when we stayed overnight at their place in Higashi Hiroshima.

Ghazali picked us up from Higashi Hiroshima eki at around 11.00 p.m., long past his normal sleeping time. Fiza insisted on us having late night supper (dinner was more like it) and when we woke up the next day, not only had she prepared breakfast, she also made extra nasi goreng and sandwiches for our bento. On top of that, both Huzaifah and Humaidi were presented with a t-shirt each (Huzaifah insisted on wearing his new t-shirt for 2 consecutive days and refused to take it off despite my many pleas). May Allah bless them for their generosity...

Like us, Ghazali and Fiza are returning to Malaysia in September, so we look forward to strengthening the silaturrahim that began here when we go back home, insya Allah.

Tokyo DisneySea

I am too lazy to write a proper entry, so I'll just let the photos speak for themselves...

Minggu murah rezeki...

The week started well, with an invitation for a housewarming kenduri in Miyazakidai, an hour away from Asakusa. Hubby and I didn't sleep the whole night, as we waited for the Malaysian twelfth election's results. It was a long busy night - attending to numerous phone calls, instant messages, surfing the net, getting and feeding information. And what a night to remember... Finally the persons I endorsed for won their respective seats even without my personal vote. Heh.

Hubby and I were so tired in the morning after, so yes, the invitation for a small feast of nasi tomato, ayam masak merah, ayam masak kicap, kari daging and kek pisang was certainly most welcomed. Never mind the long trip - Huzaifah and Humaidi hadn't been out for quite some time due to my worry in exposing them to pollens, so yes, it was good to have a family trip somewhere without having to prepare nasi goreng in advance for a change.

Tuesday saw me receiving a parcel from Malaysia containing 2 batik blouses and 1 long batik sarong suitable to be used for solat. Thank you my dear old friend. That was very nice of you and please don't hesitate to let me know if you would like to get you some suitable souvenir from Japan in exchange, okay?

Wednesday, March12th, was hubby's birthday. A quiet day - we didn't even celebrate it with a cake, and I didn't get anything for him yet. The year before last, it was a Lego model of Ferrari, and last year it was a huge (and quite expensive) remote-controlled Ferrari. No, we still can't afford the real thing, so I thought of getting him a little something later as a belated birthday present. Poor guy checked my blog on his birthday, perhaps expecting some loving wishes - and found none. I do love you more with each passing day, and sorry for my lack of effort in making the day more memorable apart from cooking bifstik (not proper beef steak, mind you, mine is the version meant to be eaten together with rice, as 'lauk') and ehem, being a little naughty. He he.

Thursday saw me assisting Kak Ita, a tourist guide, handling a group of Malaysians visiting Tokyo for the first time. I had some reservations at first whether or not to join Kak Ita, but hubby encouraged me to go ahead and help. Kak Ita after all was not very familiar with Tokyo Big Sight or Meg@Web, so she said it might help to have someone more familiar with these two places around.

So I played tourist guide for a day - a big difference from playing tourist, of course. For once, I had to answer lots of question on what to eat ("tempura is made from veggies and seafood, not meat", "ebi furai is fried prawn in breadcrumbs", "the Turkish restaurant in Nagoya and Indian restaurant in Kanda that you went to serve halal food although they also serve liquor in the premise","anman is Japanese version of pau kacang"), became instructor of Nihonggo crash course on important phrases ("takasugi, iranai", "hokani iro/saizu arimasuka", "toire wa doko desuka", " e ikitai, oshiete kudasai", "ima doko desuka", "denwa bango oshiete moratte ii desuka") and had to consult friends here and there to ask for information on behalf of others (and in the process found out trivial stuff like in Tokyo, apart from the Ueno eki branch, there is another Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi) No, I kid you not, someone actually wanted to know how to ask for a girl's phone number in Nihonggo. In fact the guy actually hit on two kawaii Nihonjin girls, using Kak Ita as simultaneous interpreter, which got the girls giggling all the way from Daiba to Shimbashi on Yurikamome line. A Malay kakak asked him - "nak cakap apa kalau pun dapat phone number?", to which he confidently answered, "tahulah orang nak ayat macamana". Ha ha.

Anyway, at the end of the day, the leader of the group asked me if I would like to join them again for a trip to DisneySea on Saturday. I quietly explained that apart from having to ask for hubby's permission first, I also felt that it might not be fair to ask him to spend another day home alone with the two kids . I thought that might discourage them from pursuing the matter, but the next thing I knew, the leader announced to the group that he would like to invite this "kakak yang tolong guide kita hari ini dan suami sama" to join the trip to DisneySea and for the group to help sponsor both of us. And to my surprise - they agreed. Just like that. Yeayyy... Okay, so Ihave to play tourist guide for another day, but given that I've never been to Tokyo DisneySea before and have been planning to go before returning to Malaysia, to be offered an "all-expenses paid for" trip was really cool.

And as if all these cool stuff were not enough, today I just found out that I got an A+ for the subject I took last semester, alhamdulillah. "International Journalism" was among the classes I enjoyed tremendously, and I thought my final report might deserve an A, so A+ came as a very nice surprise. No, I am not a straight As student, but along the way I've learned that I do well in courses listed under "International Society" and "Human Capital and Organization" groups. Now, if only I'd realized it sooner I would have taken more subjects under these two groups than those listed under "International Relations" group...

And to those who might wonder how did I fare in my PTK exam in December - alhamdulillah, I passed with Aras 3, for both kompetensi umum and kompetensi khusus. Although I am glad that I do not have to repeat the papers, I'm still unsure whether the result is an apt measurement of my real competence as a PTD officer. Oh well...

Will update more on Tokyo DisneySea later, insya Allah.

Pemilih hadir yang tidak hadir

Sorry for not updating for quite some times - lately I've been a keen follower of the Malaysian election fever from afar, reading all kind of stuff online, watching all kind of videos (on you tube) and I must say that this election is really, really something. Unfortunately, I won't be voting this year, which should have been my third time, and the first time as a postal voter.

I've been a registered voter since 1997, but I didn't register as a postal voter ahead of time, so after asking around and being told that registration for postal voters was closed ages ago, I thought there goes my chance of being a postal voter. Then, last Monday, after stumbling onto a few blogs, I realized that I still had a chance to be a postal voter by filling out Borang A and submitting it to SPR before 27th of February, 72 hours after nomination day (24th February). I called the Embassy and was told by the guy in the Consular section that yes, I could come and pick up Borang A, but I have to send it to SPR by myself.

Hubby was supposed to be teaching in Ichikawa Ono that day, but I asked him to cancel the class, and let me go and pick up this Borang A in the Embassy instead. He was feeling rather groggy too, so he agreed to look after the boys while I go to Shibuya. Mind you, when I realized this, it was already 2.30 p.m., and hubby suggested me to go pick up this Borang A the next day - but I insisted to get it done and over with sooner rather than later.

So off I went to Shibuya - cycled as fast as I could to Asakusa eki, boarded Ginza line subway, read "The Real History behind the Da Vinci Code" while passing all 19 stations to Shibuya, and practically ran to board a Transee bus to Daikanyama which stopped next to the Embassy. By the time I reached the Malaysian Embassy, it was 4.15 p.m. and the guard dutifully informed me that the consular desk is closed for the day. I explained that I was not there on matters regarding visa, but the election. (I didn't know the word for 'election' in nihonggo, so I said 'election' ala Japanese Engrish style which sounded, ehem, "erection" - while keeping a very straight face). The guard made a few calls until I was finally greeted by some guy from the Consular desk - after I asked to meet the head of Consular since the guard seemed so reluctant to let me in. By then it was already over 4.20 p.m.

Turned out the guy who let me in was the very guy who had answered my queries earlier, so he quickly got the Borang A for me. I asked if I could take more than one form to be distributed to my friends (hubby planned to postpone his class to the next day, Tuesday, when it was still possible for those who had their name on the electoral roll to register as postal voter and hubby would be meeting a lot of friends who hadn't register as postal voters), and I was given the whole form pad, consisting 13 forms, and 3 small slips containing SPR HQ address, where the form should be sent to.

I dropped by Redha's office at the Human Resource Department. He was surprised when I told him that I was there to pick Borang A up to register as postal voter, apart from some other HRD related business. Apparently, he was told that the registration was closed in October 2007. I told him that I've read on several blogs that those whose name is on the electoral vote could still register as postal voter, by filling up Borang A and sending it to SPR.

I fall under the three categories of Malaysian citizens living overseas who are allowed to cast postal votes under the Election Regulations (Electoral Roll) 2002 and Election Regulations (Postal Votes) 2003 - which are military personnel, students, staff of embassies and high commissions and their spouses. Malaysians living abroad who fall outside these categories cannot cast postal votes for God-knows-what-reasons. Didn't make sense to me that some are more equal that others regarding this matter, but I also believe that it might be good to abolish the postal votes system altogether. It's more amenable to both fraud and manipulation than voting at polling places, it depends too much on the reliability of the postal service, and there's concern on the use of absentee ballots - or so claimed those who are against postal voting.

Anyway, I quickly filled up Borang A right after I reached home, filling in the blanks by referring to my ballot details as they appear on the SPR electoral roll online. Tuesday morning, on which day this piece of news appeared in NST (when it was already too late for most to act - but who says SPR has ever been really effective in disseminating valuable information), I was busy trying to call SPR HQ. Could not get through, so I tried calling up SPR Kedah instead, where I was supposed to vote. I could hear the operator's voice clearly, but she could not hear me back, and she hung up on me, all five times I tried. I was confused on what to do - since it was too late to courier the Borang A back home to reach SPR in time, I was hoping to just fax it, but I needed to know to whom should I fax it so that my name would be printed as "pemilih tidak hadir" and not as "pemilih hadir" on the ballots.

As it happened, in between making calls, I chatted with a friend who is accompanying her husband doing PhD overseas. She said that both her and her husband are not voting as postal voters even though they are both registered voters.

"But why not? Surely it's important to vote. It's a responsibility that we might be queried about in the hereafter?" (yes, I personally take my voting duty very seriously, not just a moral obligation, but also a religious one)

"Dear, don't be so naive. How reliable is the postal vote system? A friend of mine voted in 2004 for the opposition, but when she and her husband waited patiently for the counting of postal votes at her constituency - none of the postal votes went for the opposition. Something was wrong - both her and her husband's votes had been tampered with somewhere"

"But the officers here in the Embassy seem like decent people with integrity who won't tamper with ballots...I trust them..."

"Okay then, go ahead and vote and do let me know how it goes after that..."

What my friend told me scared me and put me in a dilemma. I believe in voting. I want to vote - but I do not want to risk my vote being tampered with. I didn't mind balik kampung to cast my ballot in Kedah in the past two elections, but I am not rich enough to buy an air ticket to return to Malaysia solely to ensure that my vote is all mine and not tampered with in any way.

I suddenly found myself reluctant to be a postal voter, yet I also do not want my ballot to be used up by some cheats or phantom voters. What was that again - I don't have to worry about phantom voters because of the usage of indelible ink? Oh, but I have heard that SPR is going to introduce some form, allowing people to be excused from using indelible ink. (SPR scrapped the whole plan of using indelible ink at the eleventh hour after so much hypes and everything) Chances are, the dead will rise and the phantoms are going to be there, so what now?

Some friends finally suggested me to ask my family/acquaintances in my polling station to alert the polling and counting agent that I will be here in Japan on the polling day, so that they can issue a protest if anyone come up and use my ballot paper. I might not be able to cast my vote, but at least I can ensure that my vote is not being used by anyone else. Hmm, not the best option, but at least it ensures that nobody is taking what is legally, rightfully, exclusively mine - my vote.

I have since asked for help around and it seems like I might have found my way out - to be a "pemilih hadir" who is definitely going to be "tidak hadir" and noted so in advance by some polling and counting agent. A friend who had registered as a postal voter in Japan, but found his name listed as "pemilih hadir" in his hometown, has also taken similar option. (Funny to note that his wife - who registered as postal voter the same time he did, was listed as a "pemilih tidak hadir" aka postal voter... hmmm...)

To be honest, in the past, none of the people I voted for with exception of one, has actually won. But who knows, maybe without my vote the people I endorsed from afar might win this time around...

Still for those who are on the electoral vote and could vote - please do so. In Huzir Sulaiman's words -

"And even if you claim not to like a single one of the candidates in your constituency – which is entirely understandable, given that political parties of all sorts are occasionally obliged to distribute seats based on loyalty rather than competence, or indeed sentience – there will always be one candidate very slightly better than the others: the “least worst”.

Please vote for the least worst. Doesn’t Malaysia deserve the least worst, at least?"

Happy voting!

Okinawa Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque Project

Our Muslim brothers and sisters in Okinawa are now seeking financial assistance to build a multi-purpose Islamic Cultural Center with a built-in mosque.

The Muslim community there are looking into the possibility of getting a suitable site in Nishihara town. They have so far managed to collect about 200,000 yen, yet the first phase of the project, a mosque with a parking lot, is estimated to cost about 44 million yen.

Reasons for needing a place of their own?

• In order to be approved as a full religious body in Okinawa-ken, they should own land or a building or both land and building.
  
• The Muslim community there is diversified with international students, foreign residences, workers, American military, Japanese, etc , so they obviously need bigger space than the current Culture Room in Ryukyu Dai which they borrow occasionally.
• Double larger place is required for Jumu'ah and tarawih
• Triple larger place is required for Islamic school activities
• Four times larger place is required for Eid
  

In line with the hadith "Whoever builds a mosque, desiring thereby Allāh's pleasure, Allāh builds for him the like of it in paradise", I humbly urge all who could, to please donate to:

Postal Bank
Name: Okinawa Islamic Cultural Center
A/c no: 17010 224981

or

Bank of Okinawa, Ginowan Branch
Name: Okinawa Islamic Cultural Center
A/c no: 1391831 (SWIFT/Routing code: BOKIJPJZ)

For more information, as well as buy-haiku-book-and-donate-to-the-masjid opportunity, you can contact Kak Lela. No, she didn't ask me to post this entry, but since I already wrote one for Niigata Masjid Project, I figured why not give some publicity for Okinawa too, it's all fisabilillah, and I being an Imam's wife, know first-hand how difficult it is to get donation for a mosque here in Japan.

Al-Fatihah

Really appreciate if you could join in making do'a and reciting Fatihah for an ex-collegemate, Zaimirawati Ramli aka Atie who passed away recently.

Atie bravely fought lymphoma cancer for four years.

I was not close to Atie, but can't agree more with Ms Anita's description of Atie being "sweet and humble"...

Here's praying that she will be placed among those blessed by Allah...

#####

(and this nasyid goes for Atie's surviving friends...)

Kau Sahabat Kau Teman

performed by Hijjaz
song & lyrics by Munif Ahmad

Telah tiba saat waktu kau tinggalkan kami
Kerana takdir yang Maha Esa telah menetapkan
Sedih rasanya hati ini bila mngenangkan
Kau sahabatku kau teman sejati

Tulus ikhlasmu luhur budimu bagai tiada pengganti
Senyum tawamu juga katamu menghiburkan kami
Memori indah kita bersama terus bersemadi
Kau sahabatku kau teman sejati

Sudah ditakdirkan kau pergi dulu
Di saat kau masih diperlukan
Tuhan lebih menyayangi dirimu
Ku pasrah diatas kehendak yang Esa

Ya Allah,tempatkannya di tempat yang mulia
Tempat yang kau janjikan nikmat untuk hamba Mu
Sahabatku akan ku teruskan perjuangan ini
Walau ku tahu kau tiada di sisi

Perjuangan kita masih jauh beribu batu
Selagi roh masih di jasad hidup diteruskan
Sedih rasa hati ini mengenangkan dikau
Bagai semalam kau bersama kami

Moga amanlah dan bahagia dikau di sana
Setangkai doa juga Fatihah terus kukirimkan
Moga di sana kau bersama para solehin
Ku sahabatku kau teman sejati

Don't believe everything that you read in the paper.

This is what the paper claimed. That Malaysia ranked 6th in the world competitiveness for countries with a population of more than 20 million, and that we ranked better than the UK, Germany, Japan and France.

This is what was found direct from the source.
Even if one takes a closer look at the ranking of nations with more than 20 million people, Malaysia has been placed lower than Germany and UK.
And there's not much to be proud in being ahead of Japan in this - Japanese are very meticulous but they love their paperwork too much.
Too much paperwork and lengthy procedures = inefficient = less competitive .

And this is the past 5 years ranking.
We dropped from 16th place in 2004 to 23 in 2007.

Talk about dropping - have anyone noticed how badly UM has been performing lately?
If one follows the THES - QS World University Ranking, UM was ranked 89th in 2004, 169th in 2005, 192nd in 2006 and 246th in 2007.

This piece of info, of course, was blacked out from appearing in mainstream media.
Ah, but then, what can one expect from the country's mainstream media, when we had been ranked at 124 in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007? Even UK and US ranked 24 and 48 respectively, supporting those who claim that there is no 'real' press freedom anywhere in the world, but Malaysia's rank has been falling, and that is a cause of worry because free media is
part of a healthy democracy... Isn't it?

Yuki 2008

It snowed last Saturday in Tokyo, the fourth (or was it fifth?) time this year. Since Tokyo doesn't get much snow, I kind of enjoy it every time it snowed. Both my kids also love to gaze out of the window at the falling snow - and as cliche as it sounds, falling snow is kind of magical. Very mesmerizing.

Anyway - it's been some time since I last posted an entry and I promised some friends that I am going to post merrier entries, so I guess sharing some pics of yuki might be a good place to start. We didn't get snowy Chinese New Year in central Tokyo, but I heard that it kept snowing in other parts of Kanto, not to mention the rest of Japan. I am grateful that I get to realize a small dream of building a yuki daruma at the top of the mosque. I was too lazy to build a big one - so it was just a tiny one that do not deserved to be called a snowman. A snowbaby maybe. Heh.



I am also sharing some pics of us taken in Karuizawa, Nagano... Went there by car courtesy of Zafran and Shima. Hubby and Zafran had their first experience of putting on snow chains to car tyres. We had to stop twice after that to adjust the snow chain back to the tyres, but after the second stop the chains were in place and we made it to the Prince Ski Resort safe and sound, alhamdulillah. It goes without saying that Zafran was driving oh so very carefully and slowly and we were often overtook by other cars (with snow tyres, and thus could drive at higher speed than 50 km/h)

The ski resort is conveniently located very near to Karuizawa eki, and for those who are into retail therapy, there is a huge retail outlet centre just next to it - 4 complexes that took ages to finish browsing even if one is just there for window shopping. The price were reasonable - Timberland boots and shoes were slashed down by 40% off normal retail price, and Coach handbags were on sale at 50% off normal retail price. Huzaifah had a great time at Lego outlet - he refused to leave the play area in the store that we had to 'pancing' him out by enticing him with a Bob the Builder Lego set. We didn't actually buy it though - which caused him to throw a tantrum all the way back to the car - so later we bought him a small tractor at 100 yen shop to make up for it. The thing is Huzaifah has lots of playing blocks at home but he doesn't really know how to appreciate them as he loves unstacking more than stacking, so we figured it might be better to wait until he's a little older before buying a Lego set.

Under different circumstances, I might had enjoyed the trip more - but since we went there just a few days after I lost my little one - I tried to keep myself warm by staying more in the heated cabin for those who want to take a break than being outside. The ski resort was filled with lots and lots of people and while they have Kids Area, there was no secluded area where we could build private snowman - like we did in Urasa last year. To his father's disbelief, Huzaifah who enjoyed sledding last year, even refused to sled more than twice - but he enjoyed other stuff though. Humaidi is too young to really enjoy playing with snow, and we didn't bring any snow/waterproof outfit for him, so he like me, spent more time inside the cabin than outside. (Huzaifah was not wearing wellies too - which might explain why he didn't want to play in the snow for too long)

It was good to see people laughing and enjoying themselves. It was getting too depressing to stay at home, thus I quickly agreed when hubby asked me if it was okay to go to Karuizawa so soon after what happened. A change of scenery could help, and for me it did. Despite the cold temperature of the ski resort, the smiles and laughters of people sledding, skiing, snowboarding and the bright blue skies with flecks of white clouds here and there - made me felt a lot warmer than being in Tokyo with its (then) dull gray weather.