Mid Term Break: At Dentistry

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Alhamdulillah, I had just settled matters with the God which is salat al-'Isya' (night prayer service). I feel very much relieved because I didn't late to see Him for the service : ) Not so many people in masjid today perhaps it is weekend so people would spend more time with family or friends at home or in other places. I had just get an idea to do physical exercise to maintain health. I can use Tamil song videos to work on physical movement because they have lots of ideas regarding choreography, hahahaahaha. What can I lose if I try... I am just alone in the room so nobody would laugh at me if I use Tamil movie scenes to jog. 

Oh yeah, I went to bookstores too at Sungai Dua and I saw many interesting textbooks such as Social Research by Earl Babbie, Sociology Essentials by Anderson Taylor, Introduction to Social Studies, Human Communication, Microeconomics, Management of Strategy and Concepts, Ayurveda (Indian Traditional Medicine Studies), Medical and Nature, and other religious books. I have got no enough money to purchase them for personal references. Only if I found them earlier, perhaps I could also excel in examinations because I could understand basic principles from textbooks before reaching other journals and articles for applications. 

In the end I just bought a book about wudhu' which its title is translated as Characteristics of Wudhu' from Sunnah written by Abu Ezzat al-Mubarak. I had saw many other series but I think wudhu' is also important. I love religious science but nowadays I think religious science is only my dream since I am not suitable to be one of the student for religious science. There are many obstacles but at least I try to approach Him. Does not matter if He hates me, He has every right to hate me but I will still pray for Mercy and Love on everyone and also for myself. I just wanted to remind myself and beloved brethren... we just appreciate whatever that we have even if we think that it is lame and does not look great like others. Because perhaps it is better for us. 

I always feel down when I am among people. I don't know perhaps my past experience and treatment received had made me turning to be like this. I think that I don't deserve to be around people or even being seen. When I watched a Korean movie called 3 Iron which is about a loner guy who could make himself invisible, I was so curious to know how did he do that???! I wanted to be like that!!!

Now let us scan what had we done last Thursday...

Thursday, 14 Zulhijjah 1432 H (10 Nov 2011) 9:20 am

 Pusat Sejahtera which is the Health Center in USM

I went for dentistry to remove the plaque at my lower front teeth. In the beginning I thought that the previous dentist who dealt with my wisdom tooth suggested me to repair my upper wisdom tooth but when I arrived at the dentistry another dentist and her assistant just removed my plaque. I felt my head giggled when the machine working and I only think that it could thrust my head so I said my testimony of faith to the God and His messenger and seal of prophethood, Muhammad s.a.w. 

I actually hate clinics or hospital and always try to avoid from sickness because I don't want to be admitted to hospital. My dad was actually a heart disease patient. We had cried when he was admitted into hospital around the year 2000 and he had underwent bypass surgery. Human life is not always a happy life. We always have to face trials and tribulations where He taught us to be patient and to pray to Him for Mercy and Love. Many times dad was admitted to hospitals because he also refused to be admitted to hospital each time he was attacked by the heart disease. When I studied in upper secondary school and silently observing Buddhism, he was also attacked by stroke. 

Passage to dentistry

In Ramadan 2010, dad once again was attacked by stroke which makes him paralyzed at his right side. He can't pronounce words properly and his right hand can't moves. Before he was attacked by stroke he came to me and stayed in my previous room. He actually loves to have his meal in mamak restaurants and that's why I am so angry with mamak restaurants. They cook things without sincerity and it caused diseases to customers. In Islam, business is for community service and survival. Business and trade is not for excessive benefits which tyrannize community! I can't do anything to prevent dad from mamak restaurant since it became his habit and perhaps other Malaysians as well. Be careful with what you have brethren and I think having meals that we cook ourselves are much better than having them at restaurants or hawkers. In this campus, I have no choice because we don't have stove nor kitchen. In maqasid shar'iyyah (methods of deriving legality of acts and stuffs), we do not only observe halal slaughtering for meat or do not take pork and parts of swine as food but we also check other aspects as well. If the preparations of food is harmful for health, and ingredients are harmful then it is classified as haram (illegal). We are very discreet even in term of politeness toward customers and services. That's why some Muslim teachers of mine who went to Japan said that Japanese had observed Islamic values while most of them are not Muslims because those values are actually "the nature" of human-being. I was not surprised when I heard that because I believe in those values and believe that they should be implemented in society. Not just being discussed and left without any implementation.

School of Physics

Some of those Tabligh kids who approached me last time were students from this school, haha. I don't think that I am worth to be around them because I am not a student who excel well in academics since schooling time. I'm just a human-being who deserves no recognition nor important in this world. Perhaps they are from those schools such as Mara Lower Science Institute (MRSM) before they attend the university without non-Malay students because non-malay students usually are not supported by government so they felt weird to see a "Malay" who speaks in Chinese and do not behave like a Malay. It is because I am not a Malay but a "Malayanized" person. We were forced to be ones because we have no place to go. If I lived a happy life or my life working on smoothly perhaps I don't try to find my ancestral root like other Malay-Arabs but unfortunately we do not live happy life since the time of our grandparents. Even I came to the extend that I tried to lose my Islamic identity because I hate how people looking down on others and actually selfish despite talking about the Greatness of Islam and we are holy, others are filthy swine-eaters, ungodly people... They just talk and talk but never walk the talk even they do not look at things discreetly including the soul and environment around which by the God is called as fitrah (the nature) : )

We live in the world as travelers who have no original homeland, and that explains why I understand how Jews and Chinese compatriots feel when people spew things like "lu India, lu Cina balik negeri lu lar!" (you Indian, you Chinese go home to your homeland!). I am not supporting the killings and tyranny toward human-being but there are many people who have no homelands like Jews for example the Kurdish, the Armenian, the Rauhingya, the Southern Thais and others. Their lands were absorbed into other countries and nations. Racism is something which is used to justify nationalism. It is proved as bringing harms to human-being and the environment because human will spill blood because of it. In shariah, it is haram (illegal) and must be uprooted because it is evil!

Above this building was our Global Political Economy (IPE) class, it is in opposite to School of Physics

Anyway, this school of physics is just in opposite to the health center. In front of this school is a part of Hamzah Sendut I library. We used to have our Global Political Economy class at the upper level of the library with Dr. Zainal Abiddin during our second semester.  

The backyard of Hamzah Sendut I library

So, anyone who have some nostalgia in USM may take a look at those pictures. Perhaps there are many pictures regarding this institution but I just keep some of them here for those who have no camera or video with them. There was also a Malay movie I guess its title is "Ali Setan" took its setting in this institution. Last time when I was a first degree student many of those first year degree students played the movie. Many Kelantanese students too and most of them were students in the School of Humanities taking courses such as History or Geography. Some were in School of Education. 

My ex-roommate brother Zaidi was from School of Education. I know he is a quiet person but he didn't want to talk with me... Maybe I treated him wrongly or maybe I looked like a weird guy. I'm sorry brother Zaidi if I wronged you though you may not read it here. Sometimes, people would look at me like an ignorant person or impolite because people always saw me with "naughty" students or students who have no "good/religious" friends. I tried to bring them to Him while nobody wants them and I could not showing up myself as an orthodox Muslim nor supporting Muslim Students Association in the light. I am actually supporting the Islamic Center though I do not join any association. I sincerely apologize even after many times I apologized to you and others dear brother :'(

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Relieved: I don't have to pull off my wisdom tooth, fyuhhhhhhh!

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Wisdom teeth above and below, I thought that I am already old but I had been told that this problem always happen to teenagers from the age of 18-25 years old. I don't think 25 years old is a teenage anymore but more to late teenage. I hate being a man my sins is increasing : (

I am quite relieved after returning from the dentist. I went for oral check at the campus' dentistry and the doctor said that I need not to pluck it out. The problem which caused me pain is the ulcer caused by the upper wisdom tooth. It is too long and stretching to the cheek flesh besides scratching it. So, here it is, the ulcer.  It's not because of the lower wisdom tooth that just newly emerged.

Sometimes when we face pain and sickness we would remember the God more intensely right. Even, Vladimir Lenin who was a Marxist that believed that "religion" is opium for people called for churches to call for prayers with bell and urging masjids to call for prayers with adzan when his country in danger. As for myself, I also tried to call family members or friends just to talk. But for friends I always feel that I am a selfish if I just talk with them when I am in pain. I don't like to be a burden for friends because they are not related to me by blood though I consider everyone brothers by soul. So, I called my little sister to talk about the solution of the problem regarding the wisdom tooth and she said that I would just have to bear with it. Mum also said the same. Perhaps it is also the pain which eliminates my little sins. I wish so. Then I just tell mum and sister to pray for me if I die though this pain is actually just a small pain. Everything that came to me just reminds me to death. It's not like I badly wanted to die. It's just an unavoidable fact no matter if we want it or not. We have no choice : ) I wonder if we also remember Him in all of the time whether in happiness, sadness, while we are scared, while we are courageous, and etc? 

The pain actually began since last four days but I just realized it last night. Last night I can't really sleep so I sent messages to few friends. I have some Malay acquaintances here but I don't feel close to them. Just telling friends that wisdom tooth sometimes could cause pain and reminding them to quickly see dentist if they have the same problem. I don't want people to experience same problem especially those I know. Before I went to the dentist, I was actually so afraid, hahahahaa. I went for the mosque and asking the God to forgive my sins if I have to pull out my wisdom tooth and if it bleeds me till death. I had been late to prayer services because of the world and I feel that I am so evil and shameless to the God. 

Anyway, I think it is a good experience for me though it's just a plain experience, hahaha. I always took everything even the lamest one as nice for me just to make it more fun for myself. I also love to listen to friend's story about plain things like some friends and acquaintances used to tell me. I think their experience though just plain ones but it has some significance in our life : )

The receptionist in the clinic was nice to me. A girl I don't know younger or older than me. Because she called me "adik" or little brother so I assume her as older than me. But later she just call me with my title in Malay which is enchik or mister after she handled my matrix card. I hate people calling me abang or older brother here in the musalla. Maybe those Malay kids are younger but I don't like to be called as abang. I just prefer to be called as saudara or equal brother. Usually only girls at home are calling me abang so I feel a little weird, hehehe. 

Not so many people there in dentistry so it's moving quite fast. I just wait there around 15 minutes and get to my turn. The dentist told me that there is an ulcer and infected area in my mouth. I just need to properly rinse my mouth with mild salt water and carefully clean my mouth after each meal. I don't have to pull out my lower wisdom tooth that just newly come out. She just repaired the sharp edges at my upper wisdom tooth and setting another appointment for next Wednesday at 9:00 where I have to come again to dentistry and repair more my tooth. Then she prescribed me two kinds of medications which are the pain-killer and antibiotics. 

The above one is Mefenamic Acid 250 mg which I have to take a tablet twice per day. Lower one is Bacampicillin HCI 400 mg, I have to finish the packet all in four or five days. Take it at the same time gap and a tablet twice per day. I just took tablets from each packet at 23:22. These drugs are controlled medications.

Last night I used mouthwasher and perhaps it irritates the ulcer. So, I avoid it today and just using salt water. I am actually very particular with cleanliness and hygiene even I would also make people around me to be particular with it. I used to wash my nephews and nieces stuffs like plates, toys and etc many times to prevent them from diseases. Their mum or dad never did that to them, hahaha. Parents should be careful with children health, it is important for them especially they will enter educational institutions. I learned about this from third sister's assignment too and it makes me more particular and strict especially when it is also related to religious rituals.  

Everyday when we still breath, the God is actually giving us some more opportunity to thank Him and to be grateful to Him. He is also Generous in term that He gave us the chance to repent and asking forgiveness. When we wake up from the bed, we must remember to say His Name in supplications:

With the Name of the God Who makes us alive and also makes us dead.

It implies that our faith is only with Him. He is our Guardian and also the Guardian for life and death. He protects us while we are sleeping either our soul or our mass. We offer thanks to Him for the chance to repent and bless us with the blessings for the future in the hereafter.

Already few days I just drink water and had some porridge. I can't find any place here selling porridge except at the fast food restaurant like McDonald or the Peranakan Chinese restaurant called Roti Bakar. I saw local Muslim Chinese having their lunch there so I just went into the restaurant because I believe they don't simply went in but they know about the restaurant. I already know few Myanmar workers in the restaurant. I love to make friend with migrant workers either from Myanmar, Vietnam, or Nepal. Most of them are nice though some of Malaysians said Nepalese or Vietnamese slaughtered dogs as their source of protein. As long as I don't see it myself, I don't want to believe it : ) I had took bus to Kuala Lumpur for my A-Level classes with these migrant workers. Most Malaysian possess cars or motorcycles so they don't really use public transport. Maybe we can see more expats and Malaysians in Light Rail Transit system or other rail systems in Kuala Lumpur.

Might be these migrant workers' country are third world countries unlike countries in Europe, Australia, the US or New Zealand so most of Malaysian who are working in the office and having good positions such as executives, engineers, doctors, lecturers looking down to them. I don't mind to sit with them. Even if people wanted to call me a Nepalese or a Myanmar or Vietnamese when I sit with them. I don't care. We are the same human-being, what differentiate us only sincerity to the God and only He and ourselves could determine it  : ) 

Hairan orang semua apabila bersembang akan berkata yang mereka hendak berhijrah ke negara di Eropah, Amerika Serikat, Australia, atau New Zealand tetapi tiada siapa pun teringin berhijrah ke Myanmar, Bhutan, atau Tibet. Saya suka Bhutan, Mongolia dan Tibet walaupun orang tak kenal dan berasa bahawa kawasan-kawasan tersebut tidak maju, hahaha.         

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Indian Natural Remedies : Turmeric

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Fresh turmeric

I would dedicate some of posts for Indian natural remedies. I actually love Indian herbs and it is because they are low in cost and can easily be found in our country since our climate is almost the same to Southern India. Most of all I don't have to waste money for chemical stuffs which is not really good. I just wanted to record some benefits of turmeric. It is a kind of herb which the God has created for the benefit of human-being and His creatures. 

I always avoid many kind of meats except for chicken and that is only if I do not involved in the slaughtering process. It happens since I was a young kid. I would rather fast than eating meat including fish. When I saw mum slaughtered dead fishes, I felt nauseated looking at blood. When I saw my late grandpa slaughtered a chicken, I did not take the chicken meat and just giving it to others after it was grilled. I guess there also lies a wisdom by the God that I did not take any medical course. I had also been offered a course by public service commission just after undergoing the National Service program to be a pharmacist but I refused to go there and just remain in isolation. Many people had also criticized me for that, lol. So, when I was a kid I took veggies more and that sure affected my growth. I look like a retarded guy while I am already 25 years old and my hair turned to be red because of the lack of nutrients, hahaha.  

 

Turmeric trees

In South East Asia, we sometimes take herbs as our side dishes beside of rice. Rice is of course our staple food here as we would at least have it twice a day. Last time I would enjoy having rice with herbs and vegetables even without any meat. We can't afford to buy mutton, beef, chicken, and etc for daily food. When I was 13 years old, I began to avoid beef too. I was introduced to turmeric by parents. We are not Indian and turmeric sounds like Indian for me. After I had fresh turmeric with rice, my tongue would turn to be yellow. I don't know how to tell turmeric taste but I love the taste, haha.

Turmeric actually is good to heal sinusitis. Last few weeks I did not know what to do when my face had grown pimples and it was so painful. One reason for pimples perhaps is pressure and polluted environment. My room is also dusty and sometimes I had no time to clean it up like I was in my previous hostel during first degree time. I used to polish up the floor of my room in previous hostel for my roommate, brother Zaidi to perform prayer services in the room. I insisted him to be my imam for most of prayer services in the room and it still remain shining when I visited a friend who coincidentally live in the same room last month. I had took bath early in the morning like half an hour before Fajr prayer service with water mixed with turmeric powder. It heals also itches and rashes at skin. Glory be to the God, He is indeed Wise in His creations because the effects took place very quickly!!! 

Although it is an Indian prescribed herb, but it is still created by the God. I heard that Hindu fellows had also used turmeric for purification and concentration in tasks purpose. I was not really sure about that but I had done this since long before I heard about their medical system called Ayurveda. Perhaps there are some similarity in customs that we received from around. In countries like Myanmar or Thailand, people sometimes mixed up turmeric with rice powder beads and put the paste at their face as the effect of the color from turmeric would not too obvious. Indian ladies usually put merely turmeric at their face to heal pimples and those Hindu or Sikh girls who are about to get marry will also purify themselves with turmeric water before wedding ceremony took place.     

When some of my friend had flu or cold, I would suggest them to find dried turmeric, pound it and mix it with water. Then put it on their nose and drink some pure honey mixed with warm water. I also read the information provided at the packet of turmeric I bought and it says that turmeric powder is an antiseptic agent, not only used for food flavoring and color. It removes odor in food and giving fresh fragrance for food. Malays would also use turmeric powder to marinate meat, chicken and fish before frying them. In Indian cuisine, perhaps they mixed turmeric in their curries or boiling lentils. It only costs me 0.60 cents or 0.80 cents rather than buying chemical stuffs. 

I would suggests sisters who wanted to clean up their face to try turmeric powder and mix it with water. It is very useful and your painful pimples would be dried in few days. When we clean the floor of house, ants, insects and termites would stay away from it. It is also good to plant turmeric in our garden. We can also eat it and it is easy to be grown. I don't know about in Europe but in South East Asia, the climate is just fine. If we are lazy to plant flowers, just plant turmeric trees all over our house to make our compounds looks green and environmental friendly, hahaha.

Turmeric is good to prevent hypertension. Some people would take the juice from turmeric in the size of a thumb and mix it with a tablespoon of honey and a tea spoon of black pepper powder. They drink it twice in the morning and evening. I never try this. I just take a pinch of salt after I clean up myself when waking up from sleep and drink it with plain water. After Fajr prayer service, I usually take a tablespoon of honey mixed with a glass of warm water. Recite the Name of the God and asking Mercy and Blessings, drink.  

I also had read some information saying that turmeric was introduced to Europe in 13th by Arabian traders. It was called as Indian saffron. In Sanskrit it is called as Haridra while its Latin name is Curcuma Longa. Maybe I could use this to find other products made of this herb with the name. I wish it is beneficial for health care of brethren. 

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!