Isabella... I found it!

Finally, it's on book rack at the bookstore! Isabella by Muhammad Saeed Dehlvi. You better go get it! You better read it! It's so gooood!

Let me tell you the story of me and this book. I first saw this book at a warehouse book sale near my home about 20 years ago. That time the price was only MYR8.00. The first time I read the synopsis, it was really intriguing. I want it, I want it! But still I didn't buy it. Then, school holiday was over and I had to go off to school. Somehow, this book kept lingering on my mind. I can't get it off of me. So, I called my best friend, Ms. F & asked her to help me buy it. I don't think she even remembers that she helped to buy this book for me... heheheeee...

I read this book at least 5 times end to end (at least) if I remember correctly. If I hadn't lost my copy, I could have read it even more. I didn't actually lost it. I lent it to someone and that someone still haven't returned it to me. The problem is, I don't remember who was that someone! Arrrgggghhhhh... I love the old copy even though it was really worn out, the paper was already so soft and the cover was almost torn out. This book is the type of book that I would keep under my pillow, to keep me company.

Ever since I lost this book, I tried high & low to find a new copy. Everywhere I go, every bookstore I've been to... I couldn't find it. I found a copy online, but it is not the same... I just have to have the hardcopy!

But now... I'm a happy blogger! I've found a new copy of my beloved read... *skipping*

A little bit of book review:
Isabella is a daughter of a high Catholic priest in Spain. This book is the story of her struggle in finding Islam. In this book, there are a lot of religious debate between Muslims & Christians scholars, discussions and arguments about the differences of the two religions.

*****

This book is a really interesting book for me because I learned quite a lot about Islam & Christian from it. My advice to all who wants to read this book, please keep an open mind. The information that we gathered from this book, is for us to check, confirm and verify. Finding the truth is never easy.

To those who are already in love with Saifuddin a.k.a Laksamana Sunan, you're going to love Umar Lahmi. He's not a tough warrior like Laksamana Sunan, but he is a scholar and he is very smart. There's a saying that 'a pen is mightier than a sword'. So... they are both equally attractive... heheheeee...

Oit... stop drooling :P

Isabella by Maulana Muhammad Saeed Dehlvi --> original cover

Please forgive me, but I truly truly hate a book cover with a photo of someone on it... why on earth does the publisher designed this kind of cover?

That is not Isabella! Arrrggghhhhh....

There's a gift inside... a bookmark. Same design as the book cover...

To further torture me... I guess...

The cover tortured me... it's messing with my imagination. Plus, I've read this book so many times... The Isabella that I have in my mind is totally different. She has soft eyes, Spanish looking, a face full of thoughts, she looks very smart, has a slender body... her walk is graceful...

The drawing on the cover of the lost copy, really reflect how Isabella looks like... I miss that book *sigh*

I just had to improvise the book cover...
So, tadaaaaaaa....

Isabella by Maulana Muhammad Saeed Dehlvi --> cover edited by me :)

Lalalalaaaaa.... no more picture to mess with my imagination.

I even fashioned my own bookmark from the cut out :)

So, quickly go to the bookstore and grab this book before it is out of stock. This is no ordinary story book... you really can learn a lot of things from here... it is only MYR22.00...

The truth is out there :)

The happy Speechless wishing 'Selamat Berbuka Puasa!

p/s: Not gonna lend this book to anyone... I've learned my lesson :)

What is Ramadhan...

...all about?

Like a blink of an eye, Ramadhan is swooshing past me. Feels like it started just yesterday, and today it is already in the third week. Soon, it will be over and we all have to wait for another year for it to come and visit us again.

How do you feel about Ramadhan? I'm sure the feelings are different for all of us for we are all different people in heart, in mind, in education, in beliefs, in religion, in faith... What if you & I are in the same religion? Would we feel the same about Ramadhan? Maybe... maybe not. Maybe our faith is different even though we are in the same religion right? Different level of faith :)

This year, Ramadhan revealed its meaning to me... Something that I think I should have known long time ago since I've been a loyal member of Ramadhan for about more than 2 decades. Even though I should have, I haven't... until this year's month of Ramadhan.

Before I go to what I learn this year, maybe I should briefly explain about what is Ramadhan?

Yes? No? Yes? Ok.... heheheeee...

Ramadhan is the 9th month is Islamic calendar. This month is a fasting month for Muslims. So, we fast from dawn to dusk, refraining ourselves from food, drink, sexual relations & anything that leads to it. Ramadhan is also a month full of blessings and forgiveness. So, during Ramadhan we should chase after those.

Why do we fast? Other than obeying the order of Allah, for me, fasting teaches me patience and strength... mentally, physically, spiritually. When I was muchhhh younger, I used to play catch with my friends at school during fasting month, even though we were fasting, full day. We were mentally, physically & spiritually stronger on those days I suppose. Running around in the field, under the hot sun was nothing... heheheeeee... Nowadays, I only managed a half an hour walk in the evening, followed by another hour of resting while waiting for the breaking fast time. So, I'm not sure which part is becoming weaker... the mind, the body or the spirit... hmmmm...

From health point of view, fasting is a month that gives your body a rest and a good time to flush out toxins. We've been feeding our body with foods for 11 months. So a one month of fasting is enough for the body to rest a little. Provided that we don't overfed ourselves during the break. It defeats the purpose.

I personally love Ramadhan, even more than I love Eidul Fitri. Ramadhan is the most happening month of the year! But seriously, I can't stand the too much of Ramadhan food market or bazaar. Most of the foods don't taste good & they are always so crowded.

Ok so, what is it that I learn from Ramadhan this year?

I learn that Ramadhan is a about SELF CONTROL.

That is what it is all about.

You see... Ramadhan is a month full of blessings and forgiveness. So, during this month there is no devils around to lure us towards temptations. This means, whatever that you do, it is all because of you. You can't blame it on the Satan or the devil. If you choose not to do the right or the kind things... it is all YOU.

Something to ponder upon...

If you are a Muslims and chose to or not to fast (without a valid reason).. it is YOU.
If you chose to tell lies or not... it is YOU.
If you choose to steal or not...it is YOU.
If you choose to cheat or not... it is YOU.
If you choose to be kind or not... it is YOU.

I think you get the idea.

So, in conclusion... Ramadhan is also a month where we can see what kind of person we really are. A month of revelation. This month alone... I read about a lot of crimes in newspaper. That was all them... humans that do not need the devil to lure them into doing crimes. I have my wrong doings as well, which were all ME. I also need to ask for forgiveness and work on improving myself.

Before I end my entry tonight, can I ask for all of us Muslims, to have a better self- control during this holy month? We are all aware of what we can or cannot do, what we should or should not do. But, if you are not sure, then ASK.

If we can't control ourselves in this one month, I can say that the future is 'grey'ish.

So, I'm praying for a fruitful Ramadhan for myself and all my fellow Muslims out there. If this is our last Ramadhan, may it be the best in our lives.

Take care y'all!

Disclaimer: I still need to improve my English when writing in the context of Islam, or any religion. So, please pardon me when my choice of word or sentence is inaccurate or misleading. Do correct me. The last thing I want to do is to misinformed readers who visits my blog.

Hikayat Sang Kancil & Monyet

My favourite cartoon of all times... When I was little, this short cartoon was always shown on tv... a short clip with lots of education and moral values in it. I love this cartoon so much that some of the phrases stuck on my mind until now, a century later *wink*

The phrase that I sometimes use; *In Malay*

• "Jangan monyet, kita tak boleh makan buah tu" --> when I want to stop someone from doing something that they are not suppose to do.
• "Aku tak peduli, aku nak juga" --> when I still want to do something even though I've been told not to do it.

I can be a monyet sometimes *sigh*

These kind of educational cartoons are no longer shown on tv nowadays. When I was little, we were taught of moral values in the most entertaining and colorful ways. I think, this cartoon specifically has taught my generation to work hard, to be kind, honest & sincere... like the Kancil & Kura- kura.

The best lesson is to NOT be stubborn, lazy & mischievous... like the monyet.

Enjoy this short cartoon... other than the lessons behind it, it's also a reminder of what an amazing childhood we had *big grin*

If this is not enough, there are a lot more on YouTube *wink*

Take care y'all!

Once a blue sky in KL

There are times when I feel so tired with my beloved KL. With the sky scrappers everywhere, traffic jam almost all the time, the increasing temperature, the crowded area everywhere...

But, just when I failed to see its beauty, it served me with these...

Clear blue skies... along PUTRA LRT track...

Once a blue sky in KL... it is still a beautiful place to be...

suggest@rapidkl

Today, there's a technical problem with Putra LRT. From end-to-end, which is from Kelana Jaya to Terminal Putra, passengers had to transit three times. Once at Pasar Seni station, second at Kampung Baru station & finally at Damai station. Throughout the journey only one track was used.

So, for example if you're going to KLCC from Kelana Jaya. First, take the train from Kelana Jaya, disembark at Pasar Seni station. Do not change platform... you just wait for a train coming from Masjid Jame'. Then take that train and stop at Kampung Baru Station. Disembark there and do not change platform. Wait until a train coming from KLCC arrived and take that train. It will take you to your destination. Waiting time for each transit, not so short... quite long. Well, only one track was operational. Imagine that.

But actually, I'm not here to complaint. This entry is more of a suggestion for improvement. Something that RapidKL should pay attention to, you know, to make their service literally rapid :)

Why am I not complaining? Hmmm... basically because there haven't been much technical problems with Putra LRT lately. I remember that it used to be at least once a month. But right now the service has improved much and with the 4 coaches trains... the rides have become smoother. Although if I'm not mistaken there are two incidents in July... Nevertheless, problems happen.  I'm sure they tried hard with the proper maintenance. So, I'm ok with that as long as  these technical problems do not happen frequently.

Another reason why I am not complaining is because all the other passengers were cool. I'm quite impressed with my fellow LRT riders today. None of us complained loudly nor whining nor cursing. In fact, I saw a lot of us laughing and joking about the situation. Our attitudes definitely helped us through the long waiting... and the strong air-cond inside the train definitely helped us who felt like sardines in a can :)

Plus, I had fun chatting with strangers and a family from Oman. I'm sure those children and their parents would tell their friends about this little adventure that they experienced in Malaysia. Luckily, there's a cool young lady (me *wink*) who helped them throughout the whole confusions... heheheeeee... 

Ok... what is it that RapidKL need to improve if I hardly have any complaint?

COMMUNICATIONS!!!!

Helloooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

To RapidKL, referring to today's incident, here I highlight the points where the clear & efficient communications should have been carried out:

1. At the entrance of all the stations - we do not need to find  out that the train is delayed only after we have bought the ticket and already waiting at the platform. If we have been informed up-front about the delay, we could decide whether we want to proceed to the platform or look for another mean of transportation. All this while, this is what happened.
2. Inside the train - please tell us, the passengers what is going on. Most of the passengers inside the train did not know that they were suppose to disembark at certain station. Some end up going back to where they were coming from. For your information, the announcements that were made can hardly be heard and most of the times the voice of the person were so soft, unclear, unsure and insincere. So, I would suggest training and an upgrade to the speakers inside the coaches. If you don't believe me, you can try it out. See whether you can hear those 'romantic' announcements inside a more than a crowded train.
3. At the platforms - the incident this evening, there were hardly any Putra LRT staff at the stations, especially at the transit stations to inform the passengers which train is coming from where & going to which direction. Where were you guysssssss???? That was the time which is crucial for customer service to be around to help. I mean, come on! Isn't this basic?
4. The pre-recorded announcement - 'Tren dijangka tiba lewat... kami memohon maaf...' not what we wanted to hear, at least not what I want to hear repeatedly. We're not expecting the train to be late because it is already late. We don't want to hear apology over and over. We want to know what is going on, what is being done, what are the instructions, which train is going where and at which platform should we wait... and we want to know that you actually care, ok :)

Another thing about the operation this evening... the train from Kelana Jaya kept coming, all the people disembarked and crowded the Pasar Seni Station but no train coming from Masjid Jame'. Up to a point when the train from Kelana Jaya heading back to Kelana Jaya, empty and we were all stucked at the platform. In my opinion, this is not a good strategy.

Ok, I guess that's all. I'll email these suggestions to suggest@rapidkl tomorrow. I don't think I can bear another round of technical problem followed by a bad communication by them.

Before I end this, to all RapidKL passengers... FYI, technical problem is a very good time to pay attention. Bad for reading books, listening to music or sleep pretending like 'I have no time for this madness'. Unless you intentionally want to go around in circles.

Impressed with KLians (is there such a word?) today, signing out.

-XOXO-

Big Enough...

I came across this news while browsing Yahoo.com last week.
The idea really stuck in my head especially when I saw how nicely it was done.
This is something that I would like to have... but, perhaps a little bit bigger, with a better plumbing system and a small beautiful lawn around it.

Sometimes we just forget that there is a big power in simplicity...

 http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Something Weird in Football...

Well, obviously I'm still in '2010 World Cup' fever... heheheee... Even though Germany had lost 0-1 to Spain in the semi-final * so sad*

It's okay darlings! You guys can try again in the next World Cup. Hopefully Schweinsteiger, Podolski & Oezil will still be in the next WC... Brazil 2014! Schweini & Oezil --> I hope one of you will get the 'Golden Ball' even though the nomination list is full of tough contenders.

Anyway, since I'm still in WC fever, I went to browse for WC and football clips on Youtube. There is a pattern that I noticed in all the games. Things that men do on the fields that I would personally thought disturbing if I saw them anywhere else, outside of the fields.

So, is it only me or it is totally okay for men to do an a** slapping, a** grabbing, kissing (on the cheeks or on the lips), hugging (or a little bit more), holding hands, whisper in each other ears, etc etc when they are on the fields? In the name of the spirits of the sport, it looked totally okay for them to do that. Sometimes, they even do it in front of the cameras or during interviews, but to me, they don't look gay at all :)

This is something that I found really weird. But somehow, it's cool... hihihiii... They are still men... macho men. They are only showing us the 'girly' part of them *wink*

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way... waka waka waka *WC 2010 laugh*

If you don't get what I mean, you can have a preview... follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AiWiMX8d0A

Have a look (perhaps, have a laugh? *wink*) and tell me if I'm wrong... hahahaaaaa...

Enjoy!