What do I get from Travelling?

A few years back, somebody made a remark to me about travelling, which I couldn't really comprehend at that time.

'There's nothing special about travelling. You visit the place, do some sightseeing, shopping, spend a lot of your money, it's tiring and then you come back home which you feel really happy to do.'

I really couldn't understand that.

Although my home is my favourite place in this whole wide world, I always felt happy to leave it for a while and go explore some other places.

But, since last year, I've been thinking about this... What do I get from all the travelling that I've done other than some temporary excitement and happiness? Have all my travelling made me a better person than I was before?

That's a very tough question to answer because if I'm the judge of myself, the answer to that question is 'not so much'. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but that's how I feel.

So maybe after this, I should plan things to do on my travel carefully and start evaluating whether I have learned something from my travelling and whether it has positively changed me.

Wish me luck!

Not all those who wander are lost...

Although, that was where she had been. Lost, not wandering...

2014 had been quite a testing year for her. She thought what happened last year did not have that much effect on her. But, losing a much beloved Father will leave a deep unexplained feeling inside anyone.

An independent, strong and adult daughter, is still a daughter. As much as she thinks that she's handling losing her father well, she apparently did not. Subliminally, without her knowledge, it did affect her.

Somehow, it left her struggling & wondering what is going wrong with her. Nothing interests her anymore. Her moods kept on plunging. She finally reached for help worrying that it will hit rock bottom. Aren't she glad that she did that?

So glad :)

She's back now. She thinks so... She can feel the energy and the excitement coming back into her. Bit by bit.

2015 has a new set of challenges for her. The big one served to her at the very early of the year. Even though the light at the end of the tunnel is still so very dim, she stays optimistic and hopeful.

She has little to worry about knowing that she has all the support and love from her incredible family and friends.

And for that, she is forever grateful.

"Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us."

Al-Fatihah - To my beloved Father, my Grandmother and the whole crews & passengers of flight MH370 who had all left us on the first week of March, 2014 (although I am still hopeful for MH370).

Al-Fatihah.

Don't Quit

The last verse is like a mantra that keeps playing in my head whenever I feel like quitting. This has been with me since I was in high school but I still don't know who is the original author.

****

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

 Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

 Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

 

Ben Affleck R.E.S.P.E.C.T!

I read this post on 9gag last night and my first thought was... Wow! Ben Affleck! Wow!

Finally, someone said something that has to be said.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T!

http://9gag.com/gag/aj658D0/-respect-ben-affleck

You can search for the debate on YouTube --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vln9D81eO60

Listening to the interview, I feel offended.  Especially when 'It's the only religion that acts like a MAFIA' was said. The woohooooo and the clapping from the audience was like adding salt on a wound.

I am offended. Deeply Offended.

Honestly, the 'ISLAM' that they discussed is NOT the Islam that I know.

The ISLAM that I know is peaceful, is fair and definitely does not oppress women.

Just look at me and all my female Muslim friends. We are smart & educated, we have careers, we wear hijab without it ever limit the things that we can do, the married ones are not abused by their husbands, the married ones even helped with the family economy, we have our freedom. I am free to travel even on my own without anyone ever holding me back. We can do everything we want and we also know how to protect our honour and always behave like a muslimah.

Obviously, I cannot deny the fact that there are Muslims who are extremists and the reason behind all these generalization on ISLAM... and on Muslims.

I admit that there are also Muslims who are unfair, who are always in rage, who oppress women, who are extremists, who are terrorists etc etc... But, are these behaviour limited to Muslims only? I don't think so.

Except for that terrorist part; lately I feel like for someone to be called a terrorist, that someone must be a Muslim. Otherwise, that someone will only be called a shooter or a hijacker.. something like that. You get the idea right?

The truth is, ISLAM is the one being oppressed right now.

So, I thank you Ben Affleck for keeping an open mind and giving ISLAM a chance of getting a defense in the western world.

Tentang Melayu...

 *In Malay

Awal pagi ini, entah bagaimana saya terbaca lagi berita tentang 'Melayu Pemalas'. Berita yang amat melemahkan hati. Sebagai seorang Melayu, saya tidak bersetuju sepenuhnya walaupun kenyataan itu ada benarnya. Tetapi, saya juga tidak begitu tersinggung kerana golongan 'Melayu Pemalas' hanyalah segelintir. Bukanlah 100%. Sekurang-kurangnya, 'Melayu Pemalas' yang saya kenali hanyalah seorang dua. Tidak sampai 5% pun.

Memang benar bangsa Melayu perlu berusaha untuk menjadi lebih rajin dan menjadi bangsa yang lebih maju serta berinovasi.

Rasanya, benar juga jika saya katakan sikap pemalas bukanlah khusus kepada bangsa Melayu saja.

Entah kenapa, kita sebagai orang Melayu sukanya bercerita tentang kelemahan dan kekurangan. Tidak nampak keistimewaan bangsa sendiri. Lalu saya berasa gembira dan bangga apabila seorang kawan di Facebook berkongsi kenyataan Tun Sambanthan terhadap orang Melayu.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204357547640867&set=a.2289285873688.132885.1295203991&type=1&theater

Terima kasih Tun Sambanthan kerana mengingatkan bangsa Melayu tentang keistimewaan bangsa kami sendiri.

MH17 & MH370

Saddest news over and over again...

I was not so sad when MH370 went missing. Because I live with hope and with that, I know I shouldn't give up on MH370 until hard evidence is found. As far as I know, they crews & passengers are still alive and MH370 is hidden somewhere... I don't know where, but it is somewhere...

MH17... was shot down. All the crews & passengers are dead.
My tears cannot stop coming...

Sadness aside... The ridiculousness of what happened to MH370 and MH17 is hard to process.

Don't you smell how fishy this is?
This smell very, very fishy!

MH370 went missing... without a trace... in 2014! No radar can trace it? The pilot went silence? There is no shred of evidence of the aircraft crashes or anything... At least something. But, there is nothing!

MH17 was shot down in a war conflicted zone? The military mistaken a passenger aircraft for a military one? Weird... I know, s**t happens... But, this is one unbelievable s**t!

Because of all these fishiness, I'm leaning towards believing conspiracy theories.I don't know which one is the right theory, but in my heart, somebody somewhere is gaining a BIG advantage by doing this to my country and to my favorite airline.

Whoever they are, one day karma will get to them...
I hope that day will not be too far away...

Al-Fatihah to all passangers and crews of MH17... 

My deepest condolence to their families, relatives and friends. 

MH370... Our prayers are still with you.

Malaysia is being tested in a great way again... 

Let us stay united in this time of tribulation.

LEGO, Y U DO THIS?

Dear Readers,

Would you please sign a petition to tell LEGO to break ties with Shell?

http://LegoBlockShell.org/

They are destroying the Arctic... I'm so sad...
Please help save our environment.
Signing a petition is the least we can do...

 

NOW EVERYTHING IS NOT AWESOME ANYMORE!!!