Two Weeks Before Final Exam

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I just returned home and coming back to the institution. Now, I think that it is silly because I just went back to settle down my printer matter since my younger sister had offered me the printer she used. She had already finished with her classes so I can use the printer. I refused to take third sister car too because I am not comfortable using others' belongings. I know third sister would not mind but it is good for me to learn to live in difficulties. It teaches me humility and makes me understand or sensitive to people conditions, difficulties and pains experienced by others. Gautama Buddha left his luxurious palace life to understand what is the life and what is the samsar (torture). Prince Vardhaman also left his palace life and being a Jina.

To be frank, I don't know how to use technological stuffs and I hate technology, hahaha. I prefer to live like a primitive man. Maybe people could take a picture of a Taoist priest or a Yogi and try to decipher how I look like but I don't have keshav (matted hair) here. I just wear normal cloth like others and maybe I take cloth that people do not want anymore because I am not used to expensive clothes. I don't like to take my own photo too nor I like people to take my photos.

At least I could relax my mind at home. The musalla at our neighborhood is now functioning. As to say I am so happy because I don't have to walk to musalla in others' neighborhood. But I heard that the musalla was broken by thieves and few valuable things are missing from the musalla so they have to lock the door of the prayer hall. Few Tabligh Jamaat members sometimes spending their nights there and I think it is also good as they could also help the neighborhood to watch what happen during the night. If they need anything of course I would be glad to help them but I would never join them anymore. Just feeling that I am not suitable to be the member of the movement but I encourage those who are interested to join the movement : )   

Still have another five days to send my supervisor the thesis. They said that the due date for the thesis is on the 23rd April 2012. I actually wanted to send it earlier because I am afraid that I might have to do some amendments but the first part of my thesis has to be repaired so I think it would be a start from the scratch.

These two weeks I would have to read journals provided by lecturer and thanks to the God, I have the printer with me so I could print them out without having to spend my time looking at the monitor. It is so torturing looking at the monitor. I also do not have to get down to print stuffs and saving time. I wish that the printer do not give me any problem until I finish this thesis and final exam. 

Little sister is still in the process of getting some experience of getting a job. She went to interviews. I had also received a news from my friend, Azren that he's going to be at an interview for a post in a private college. Poor he is as his own brother does not encourage him but questioning why he does not using his master degree while applying instead using his bachelor degree. Again, this is about critical and 'non-critical' course in the university. We do not have any specification in job sphere like those who are secured in the job market. We are not protected by anyone except by the God and the knowledge or experience that we get in the master degree level is more than the money 'wasted'. Anyway, I wish him good luck and hope that he could get a fine job for himself soon. I also wish my little sister luck. My future is yet undetermined, and I better worry more about my thesis and the present. 

List on What to Do?

Need to sleep around 23:00 and get up at the time around 3-4 in the morning. I recall what I did during the first year degree regarding to clean the soul from filth of the world in the list of what we need to do every morning according to rites and situation:

1. Raise up at 3:45 and recite the name of the God

2. Wash the mouth and clean the teeth

3. Shower

4. Recite His 99 Glorious Names

5. Recite Quran and pick a surah to memorize

6. Walk for mosque 

7. Fajr prayer service

Most important thing, no wasting of time..... It is not good for health. 

Current Issue about Suicide

I had heard the news about a student who commit suicide in UNISEL and I think students need to think on how to strengthen their faith to Him. Anyway the student is a Hindu and not a Muslim but still he is a human-being. What I feel as sad is that he might face depression because I understand how it feels when we are alone and we have no one to at least talking about the problem. I heard that he might have problem regarding love or something related to studies and he is only a 19 years old student. Just wishing his family a deep condolence. Satan will easily attack a person if a person is spiritually weak because the soul is the generator of the physical body. 

As far as I know in Buddhism and Hinduism, a person who kill himself or herself will not be immediately incarnated in the hell or in the paradise. Their spirit will keep repeating the act of suicide until their supposed age being fulfilled. Later, they will be tortured in the hell as the consequence of the karmma (act). And then being incarnated again in the earthly realm. I guess this is how Malays in our country got their folklore about the place will be haunted because the spirit which is not incarnated will be roaming around the place where the person commit suicide. This is the belief of a Buddhist. 

The death which is considered as suicide in Hindu-Buddhism are the death because of carelessness such as accident, maternity death, death because of abortion where the unborn baby will be tormented in the hell and being a ghost known as kumara thongkham (golden prince) or toyol but it is not golden instead looking like being burned and etc. In Malay based on Buddhist belief, this kind of death is called as mampui or taai hung in rough Thai. So, these kind of death made the spirit of the deceased roaming around and I can hear many Malay friends where 100% of Malays are Muslim talking about this without realizing that they are mentioning the belief of their ancestors, hehehe. But in Islam, the explanation is different.

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

Recap: Return Home

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

continue...

On 27th I guess my pocket is going to be broke if I stay longer. I had activated the account but my account would be insufficient while I have no one in the city. So, I decided to withdraw some 3000 bhat (RM300) at Thai CIMB and decided to board a flight to return home as it is more fast. Since I didn't stay for another booked night at the room. The receptionist lady had returned me some 25% of my money. Good, I could try some food out there if I am fortunate to find some halal stalls.

First I walked along Silom road first and finding some breakfast. I could see two Muslim stalls in the morning. So, I approached them and bought a round bread with butter spread and sugar sprinkled in it baked on a charcoal stove for 10 bhat (RM 1). And then I get some cold coffee from a stall ran by two Muslim girls for 18 bhat (RM 1.80). 

I could see some Buddhist ladies offering necessities for the monks who stand along the road and ladies listening to prayers in Bali after made their offerings. I just put some donation at the beggars along the road and also buying a pack of rice from stalls to be given to the monks. I do not offer it as a believer anymore, but as a sign that Allah mercy is boundless. His mercy does not bound only to Muslim but to all of His creatures. His unworthy slaves and servants must also propagate mercy, peace and love amongst fellow slaves.

Chong Nonsi BTS Station in day light. 

Morning activity in Silom road.

Stalls along Silom road.

Near Chong Nonsi area.

To Airport Rail Link heading for airport, haha.

An Asura replica in Suvarnabhumi airport.

Vishnu Kurmavatara churning milk sea which is an incarnation of Vishnu in the 10 incarnations from Thai Brahmanical narration depicted just after the customs check.

Going to the departure to board the flight for Penang.

Gate where I board the flight.

I took BTS line at Chong Nonsi but before that I thought that I wanted to take the train from Rajathamri but I was lost after crossing Henry Dunant. So, I walked again some kilometers back to Chong Nonsi line and from there straight to Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi airport. 

After arriving at Suvarnabhumi I bought a ticket at Thai Airasia counter after a short waiting and instantly paying around RM375. Just can't wait longer in the city or I have to beg beside the road to return. It would be different if I work or live there.

Then at 15:15, I board the flight and around an hour and 45 minutes arrived at Penang International Airport. Thank You Allah for this safe journey. I arrived at my hostel around 19:00 after an hour in the bus because there was so many cars on the road. Then I prayed at Sungai Dua USM mosque and thanking Allah again.

Thank You Allah through this short travel, I had learned a lot. Although I didn't get to cover many places, many mosques, or any interesting area but just wandering around Silom road but I had learned new things. I learned on how Thais feeling confident with themselves and they do not shy although they don't speak English. They keep talking in their national language and forcing foreigners to learn their isolated language. I was forced to speak in a language that I had left unspoken for about 10 years while in the city.

I saw many different cuisines although most of them are non-halal as the cooks are non-Muslims. I had tried public transportation in Thailand. Those rail lines are quite a headache for me even when I am in KL, but very interesting. I also get a new spirit after such a boring time at home and at hostel. At least I had done something meaningful for myself and I engrave this memory in this site to be revised again by myself if I have other opportunities to visit the city again, insya'Allah :)

Fin....

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa ahlihi wa sahbihi ajma'in. Our Lord please be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions and everyone. Sealed with prayers for peace, love, and mercy on everyone, amin!   

Alhamdulillah... Rao Klab Ban Leaw!

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just safely return from the City of Angel or Khrungthep Mahanakorn which is how Bangkok is called by Thais. It is a busy city and I thought that I could just finish visiting the city in only a day like Georgetown but I was wrong. It is a big city just like Kuala Lumpur and perhaps twice larger than Kuala Lumpur but with new features since three years ago like the Airport Rail Link, MRT (underground line), and Sukhumvit Line (BTS). Even I had several times planning visits in Georgetown and it was not like I had been there once and covered everything.

I took the flight to return instead of taking the land route since it will take me long and first Ramadan would be best spent in our place with proper worships and praises. I planned to be there until 28th or 29th but it turns out to be only a night spending and surveying the city. I just memorized see yaek (intersection), taang yaek (junction), thanon (road) and soi (branch of road) so that I could plan another visit to Bangkok without any problem like my first time in the city. 

It's quite a tiring journey by train but they have bed prepared for the passengers to Bangkok. I felt like I was in Japan in South East Asia when in Bangkok. Need to polish up my central Thai dialect. They have lesson for charity in temples even in Malaysia but I had repent my sin so I would try to avoid that boundary if I have the ability to do so, but rather finding other alternatives. Maybe next time I would try to apply job in Bangkok if it is difficult to find it here. This problem is everywhere. When I read a local forum about jobless graduates, I felt like I wanted to burst out in tear again. 

Again, people are generalizing jobless university graduates as lazy to find job or afraid of trying new things, choosy, and what not with negativity. Not all are like that. If it is as easy as people always talk. We won't even hear any fuss about this because not all of graduates are blessed with skills or studying in fields that involve them into skills. It happens everywhere, not only in Malaysia. 

What will happen to those in art streams? Humanities or Social Science? Being activists? Businessmen? Sales person? Why would a university providing these fields if these fields are useless? It would be better if students at the school being told earlier to cease studying if they have no ability to study or have no skills cakap Melayunya takda ketokohan begitu. Better start to work early in the factory as operators or being farmers, isn't it? It saves money and times a lot. And we do not have to import foreigners to do all of those low class jobs. Well, I don't want to blame anyone. It is of no use because this world is the world with evil. Let us just hope Allah bless us with His blessings. His sustenance is wide.

I have to have my meals together with non-Muslims in their restaurants because my staying area have no Muslims living around and I am out of budget. Even tried to restrict myself and not violating the commandments but we are only ordinary human-being with flesh. 

I just walked around and avoiding taking any taxi, motorcycle, tuk tuk or songtaew. Afraid that they will sense my southern Thai dialect and noticing that I am not a local Bangkokian or even a Thai. Most of them thought that I am a Thai and not even a Muslim because those local Muslims in Bangrak district looked at me with suspicious look when I walked inside their mosque. Managed to find the mosque last night when I slowly walked and asked a Muslim girl waiting for a BTS in Wongwian Yai way. May Allah forgives me my sins for the violation of commandments.

Allah bless prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his companions, and his family. Allah bless everyone, insyaAllah.

Return Home: Dad feels dull

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just heard that dad lost his way at Alamanda this noon... He left the car which he drives to the complex and bought a bicycle. Everybody was worried about him. I just packed my stuffs and simply walked to the bus stand to return home. 

Maybe I would plan other rehlah (trips) and da'awah for myself from home and finishing literature reviews rather than in the hostel since my supervisor had asked me to finish with first three chapters before showing her the outcomes.  A lawyer she is and I am quite worried when dealing with lawyers, haha.

At last I found a TV. Just sitting on the floor and watching the TV, just ignore everyone's eyes, I don't care whatever people want to think about me. Too many ethics sometimes constraining us.

I do understand, dad must feel dull. Our time will come too where we would be like that. When we finish our responsibility with job, we might lost friends surrounding us. Men function differently than women. They might be facing depression after resting from job since men mingles more with friends rather than with their family although they are married.

It's already 21:00 shops begin to be closed, nothing interesting there anyway. I don't like to shop in the airport.

Why I could say this? It's not that because I am male myself. I had seen people around me like eldest brother in law. And of course my dad. They have activities together with friends like playing soccer or just hanging around at mamak restaurants. During dad's younger time when he worked, he hangs out with friends at mamak stalls too. The place where they hang out is still the same but the brand might be different according to period of time. Brother in law is the mirror of a young married and career men. Dad represents the retired ones.

These kind of brochures save your money a lot compared to Lonely Planet book that you buy only to explore Penang, hahaha. You can use your money to try new things in Penang Island that you can't see in your hometown.

I'm just taking the flight home. Goshhh!!! AirAsia is not as cheap as it is when we book the ticket in rush. I've got to pay RM156.50 and the flight is only at 23:00. Well, it's comfortable compared to train or bus but maybe not a wise option for domestic travel if we want to have a budget one. Penang airport is still in renovation, and I noticed that after I saw it's clumsy condition when the bus reached the departure hall. Rapid Penang to the airport no. is 102 and it stops just in front of the airport building, so don't worry too much if you travel alone without company. I just hope I could help loners like me who happens to step in this humble site. For USM students or anyone going for the airport from USM, take this bus from Batu Uban gate, cross the road first and of course there is a flyover. Vehicles are crazy here. The bus fare is as usual, RM2 according to today's rate. 

Guides on what you can try in Penang in term of local cuisine and traveling around World Heritage Sites. Anyway, I'm bored of Khaleel, Pelita or Istimewa Mee Goreng or Roti Chanei. Nasik Kandaq today is not fresh like those days, so I don't like it too. I didn't really care about my food last time. I just eat any where without taking notes on who is the cook or the cleanliness I mean according to ritual manner when preparing the food, the cook must be a Muslim according to our rites. Last time I didn't take beef or other type of meats just like few Orthodox Hindus because of Buddhism influence, being a vegetarian and the food must at least be sattvik (light) to memorize mantras and gathas. There are few classifications for food for person who perform meditations. Now I still don't eat fishes including avoiding seafood according to my current madzhab angle of sunnah because I need to be in ablution state of purity most of the time. I don't avoid meat anymore but still we eat limited meat because we are poor. Only affluent could afford meat in their daily menu.

I've got new leaflets promoting Penang Tourism and Heritage. They are everywhere in the airport building. Unfortunately I won't be here in Penang for July since July is close to Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival. It is in the eighth month of lunar calendar where the hell gate down there will be opened and it releases restless spirits from the hell roaming around. When I was little, I used to watch Chinese Opera and also listening to Chinese Urban Legends about incidents in the months. I miss 林正英 Lam Ching Ying movies. His character as Taoist priest was awesome. Never feel bored watching him in that character even in many movies it would be the same. Anyway, those are just cultural superstitious around us and this is Malaysia. I don't take them seriously anymore after growing up, lolollollllllllllll...

Mum's cousin sister who works in the airport is giving me some bread and bubur Durian, haiyoyooo. How am I going to bring it into the plane? I don't eat Durian neither and I'm sure she knows about that. Maybe she wants to send it to mum. They have free wi-fi here in the waiting hall so am just benefiting the infrastructure that we have. Malaysian loves free things, maybe not all but it is normal here... hehe. 

If anyone in the airport including the airport police asking you to bring something for their friend, just refuse and leave them!! Don't ever think of politeness because it might drag you to be drug smugglers. If they force you to do so, just run your way to the police station in the airport and make a report!!! An airport police officer just asked me to bring some medication for his friend and pass it when I reach LCCT. I don't know him so I just refuse him. I'm always reciting ma'thurat and my instinct says that don't take the package. I believe that, and I just walked passed the 'officer.' The package shows that it contains seabuckthorn capsules. I know about the medication but better be cautious than sorry.  

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith. God bless!