Salaam Maal Hijrah 1430

It's the Muslim New Year (yesterday).
My prayer is that all my Muslim friends (in real and cyber worlds) would be better in all the good things they do.

December Birthday Bash @ Bangkok Expresso

Today, the department went for birthday lunch to celebrate the december birthdays of four of us. Jan's on the 11th (she turned 31), mine on the 14th (38th), Shaf on 20th (40, yes the big one) and KN on 30th (also 40).

Food was abundant and delicious, typical Thai style but cannot beat Bangkok No.1's food. Service was good and we had a jolly good time, spoiled only by the out of tune choral singing downstairs at the Weld.

Thank you my friends and my boss, of course!!

Majlis Khatam & Jamuan Aqeeqah

It all went well. Haakem and his cousins Khatam Quran recitals (readings of the last few surahs from the Quran to indicate that they have finished reading the holy book) was smooth. For the record, Haakem had actually finished his readings at the age of 7 a few months before we went for Umrah but we never got around to organise a proper ceremony for him and we decided to wait for his cousins to finish their readings so that they can join him. Initially it was just haakem and Syahmi but later Amirah was also included.

After a few days of hard work and running around to get things, the ceremony went really well. My eldest sister (Bu) helped alot in getting things done. She bought the rehal (Quran stand), bunga telur (flowers for the eggs) and their stand and imported the old curtains from my mom's house. She also was the one who drove me around to get the new Belgian carpets (Udani), curtains for the dais and cushion covers for Zara's cot (Kamdar and I also managed to buy some materials for Haakem's baju melayu uniform), plastic containers for the mini muffins, plastic plates, cups, fruits for the fruit salad, cordial and soda for the drinks, festive lights etc. etc.

My youngest sister Angel sewed the beads onto the boys long shirts (which we bought during our umrah last year). Our niece Amirah also joined, decided a week before the ceremony and she stayed at my place since Eidul Adha to practice her recitals.

A few of pur Muslim neighbours also came. Haakem's dua recital brought tears to many eyes!!

After the dua, we recited the selawat (praises to Prophet Muhammad) with me taking Zara around to have little bits of her hair to be cut (and be kissed and blessed by everyone present). After that was the photo session and later we had our lunch, essentially Zara's aqeeqah (slaughtering of a goat or a seventh portion of a bull) feast. We ordered (catering) pilau rice, beef korma (from the slaughtered bull), chicken in chiili and tomato paste and my mom prepared pineapple chutney. My aunt made the palm sugar jelly and I prepared the fruit (kiwi, grapes, honey dew, apple and prserved mango) salad and punch. My elder sister brought some curry puffs.

By 1.30 almost everyone left and later a few other relatives and friends came. As it was raining many could not make it, in fact hubby's cousins arrived at almost 6pm.

We planned to send the food to the nearby mosque but since not many came to the house, a bigger portion was sent and Alhamdulillah there were many kids at the mosque as they have a feqah class that night.

We finished cleaning up at 1.00am and I continued undoing the dais, cleaning the carpet etc the next morning. the house was back to normal by noon, Sunday 14th December 2008 - my 38th birthday.

Eidul Adha 1429

A beautiful day indeed. Rainy, wet, not bright... but BEAUTIFUL!! Hubby is in Kelantan to perform his Qurban but the whole family of mine were at my house. All my siblings and their families, my Mak and my aunt (Mak Yah) of course. They arrived from 11.00 am starting with my younger brother's family and the last to arrive, at 4.30pm, was my elder sister's family including her mother-in-law.

Earlier, Mak Yah and Haakem went to perform the Solat Eidul Adha at the nearby mosque, returning home at 9.15 to have something to eat before going back to the mosque together with me at 9.40 to witness our Qurban and Aqeeqah rituals. By 10.15, it was completed. There were 4 cows/bulls and 2 goats. They were done slaughtering by 10.30 and done packing and distributing by 11.30am!

I cooked tomato rice and ayam merah and prepared the tomato salsa. Mak Yah cooked beef curry. My Mak cooked and brought nasi himpit (compressed rice), rendang ayam pencen (semi-dry chicken curry), kuah kacang sotong (peanut & squids gravy), serunding ikan (dry fried coconut and shredded fish) and lodeh (fresh & dried vegetables and tofu cooked in coconut milk) and my elder sister Aja cooked and brought nasi himpit, serunding ikan and rendang paru (lungs).

All stayed until 9.00pm except Aja's family who went off earlier after Maghrib prayer.

Zara was an angel, everybody was awed by her but Millie was the centre of attraction, with her charm and non-stop talking. She fell asleep on one of her cousins' lap, very very exhausted.

Mak Yah and Haakem went to bed at 11.00, Bibik and I finished cleaning up at 11.30. Zara slept at 12.00 and Millie at 1.30am.

Numbers in the Holy Quran

Keajaiban Nombor di dalam Al Qur'an..
Ajaib tetapi benar!

Lihatlah sebahagian daripada hasil kajian seorang cendekiawan Islam terhadap kandungan Al-Quran. Didapati banyak perkara telah disentuh dan telah dibuat kajian oleh manusia seperti nombor, astronomi, angkasalepas, perubatan, geologi, kejuruteraan, minda dan sebagainya. Bilangan tentang perkara yang disebutkan di dalam Al-Quran:

DUNIA - 115 kali

AKHIRAT - 115 kali

MALAIKAT - 88 kali

SYAITAN - 88 kali

HIDUP - 145 kali

MATI - 145 kali

FAEDAH - 50 kali

KERUGIAN - 50 kali

UMMAH - 50 kali

PENYAMPAI - 50 kali

IBLIS : PENGHULU SYAITAN - 11 kali

MOHON PERLINDUNGAN DARIPADA IBLIS - 11 kali

BALA/MUSIBAH - 75 kali

BERSYUKUR - 75 kali

BERSEDEKAH - 73 kali

BERPUAS HATI - 73 kali

ORANG YANG SESAT - 17 kali

ORANG YANG MENINGGAL DUNIA - 17 kali

MUSLIMIN - 41 kali

JIHAD - 41 kali

EMAS - 8 kali

KEMURAHAN HIDUP - 8 kali

KEAJAIBAN - 60 kali

FITNAH - 60 kali

ZAKAT - 32 kali

BERKAT - 32 kali

MINDA - 49 kali

NUR - 49 kali

LIDAH - 25 kali

SUMPAH - 25 kali

NAFSU - 8 kali

KETAKUTAN - 8 kali

BERCAKAP DI KHALAYAK RAMAI - 18 kali

BERDAKWAH - 18 kali

KESUSAHAN - 114 kali

KESABARAN - 114 kali

MUHAMMAD - 4 kali

SYARIAT - 4 kali

LELAKI - 24 kali

PEREMPUAN - 24 kali

SOLAT (SEMBAHYANG) - 5 kali

BULAN - 12 kali

HARI - 365 kali

LAUTAN - 32 kali

DARATAN - 13 kali

LAUT dan DARAT = 32 + 13 = 45

Justeru itu, peratusan laut = 32/45 x 100 = 71.11111111 peratus

Peratusan daratan = 13/45 x 100 = 28.88888889 peratus

JUMLAH = 100 peratus

Kajian sains oleh manusia telah membuktikan bahawa air meliputi 71.111 peratus daripada bumi dan tanah meliputi 28.889 peratus.

Begitulah kebesaran dan keagungan ciptaan Allah SWT!!

Nota: Diterjemahkan daripada karya asal yang dipetik daripada "The Series Of The Scientific Miracles In Quraan," oleh Dr. Tariq Al Suwaidan.

Zara's Development

Zara had her immunisation jab last night and she didn't cry or even utter any sound at all. We were prepared for the "Millie style" screams but she just looked at me and only stopped smiling when the needle penetrated her oh so smooth and podgy hip!!

She now weighs 6kg!!

Anxiously looking forward to her aqeeqah this coming week.

End of Year Plans

Insert: Me at Carcosa

It's going to be a hectic December - professionally and personally.

3/12 - A one day seminar to be attended at Carcosa - hmmmm, have to find time to sneak out to express milk! (Update 04/12/08): It was a waste of time. I am not recommending Azmi and Associates - advocates & solicitors, to anyone and food wasn't up to the standard at all. I wonder how much Carcosa is charging AAA for the venue);
4/12 - Drafting some templates;
5/12 - Appraisal (mine and the junior staff - most likely i will have to do the appraising for my boss). Night to go buy stuff for Eid preparation. I need to buy carpets. Zara's due for her immunisation;
6/12 - More spring cleaning - office and home. Hubby shall leave for Kelantan as he is performing his qurban there;
7/12 - Some preparation for the Eid and laundry!!
8/12 - Eid Adha - need to get up early to cook the food (Tomato rice, chicken korma and beef rendang, jelatah - pineapple, onion, cucumber and chilli salad), set the table, dress the girls, wait for family members to come back from prayers, eat a little, go to the mosque for Zara's aqeeqah slaughtering, come back home and have more food.
9/12 - Filing arrangement;
10/12 - More spring cleaning;
11/12 - Meeting (hopefully in KL). Jan's and Sam's birthdays;
12/12 - Leave - to prepare for feast;
13/12 - Morning - Haakem's & Syahmi's khatam ceremony, Afternoon- Zara's aqeeqah feast;
14/12 - I SHALL HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BE 38 AND MORE!!! Haakem's taekwondo competition. Haakem and hubby to leave for Kelantan;
15/12 - Meeting;
16/12 - Hope to take it slowly;
17/12 - A one-day risk management seminar at the office;
18/12 - A half day risk management seminar for higher management group - hmmm... higher risks? Appraisal deadline;
19/12 - Drafting;
20/12 - Shaf's birthday. Nothing else on my diary;
21/12 - Blogging and facebooking. ALOT!!! Cousin's nikah ceremony in Shah Alam, most probably will miss it;
22/12 - Nothing on my diary;
23/12 - Nothing on my diary;
24/12 - Haakem and hubby to come back from Kelantan;
25/12 - Merry X-mas!!
26/12 - On leave. Hope to go to Habib Jewels and to shop for Haakem's uniform etc!
27/12 - Cousin's wedding reception in Kulai, Johor, hope to attend;
28/12 - A sure busy Sunday;
29/12 - Maal Hijrah, plan to organise my wardrobe (read: tidy up the built-in cabinets in my bedroom);
30/12 - Hope to "update" my desk at work for the new year;
31/12 - Leave.