Eid Mubarak 2013

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Wishing everyone a blessed Eid Mubarak. Presenting you this video from USM. Well, I can't differentiate sweet or bitter memories in that university but it is still my alma mater.

USM

By the way, I know that brother who brought a watermelon in the video. His name is Naim. Once I took the same flight with him to return to USM from KL. And we joined Tabligh session in Bakti Permai, I cannot remember the date and details but it is the time where Tabligh kid from our hostel, Nawfal I guess delivered his speech or their bayan in the Bakti Permai hostel musalla. The good thing in that Naim guy was that I could see that he joined every movement and talking with them other than what we can see in the video. I just avoided to talk with him because I do not think that I am worth to speak with good people since I just have my patronage for unfortunate people... Eid Mubarak, Selamat Hari Raya...

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

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

It's now Spring time which will be marked by the Harvesting New Year by Chinese brothers and sisters. I wish everyone who celebrate it in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea and everywhere with Chinese diaspora community Happy Agricultural New Year 2012. I can't go home because of the pressure to finish up this thesis yet I am trying to find the design of the thesis. Quite tensed and sad but what can I do. I must try to finish the thesis as it has become apart of my responsibility to finish up whatever that I had begin.

Point of Culture

Nakhorn Sri Thammarat Coat of Arm, Southern Thailand Province 

About the culture of the Malaysian Northerners or Orang Kedah and how does it is related to Chinese New Year and why I also celebrate it. Orang Kedah generally refers to the citizen of the state of Kedah and it also includes those outside of the border of the state but speaking in the language and its dialects regardless ethnicity whether Malays, Hybrid Arabs, Arabs, Chinese, Indian, Siamese or etc. 

We actually have the traditional cycle of year called as Piama or Cycle of Agricultural Season. Not many Kedah youngsters know about this but I am aware about our differences from the rest of states in Malaysia because we preserve some points of our state's traditional culture as compared to other Kedah Malay compatriots. 

It is cognitive to Chinese zodiacs or calenders with some differences. Those zodiacs are called in different language which is different from Thai or Malay. Altogether there are 12 zodiacs just like the Chinese ones. Once upon a time, we also celebrate Agricultural New Year with the Sultan or King opening the water gate for paddy fields in the city and horse racing in the field. In case of respective non-Muslim King like in Thailand, there would also be Brahmin involvement and Buddhism rituals for blessings. The New Year in Southern area including Southern part of Yunnan with Dai ethnic begins with Songkrant festival around April like Indian New Year and not with the New Year as in Spring like Chinese brothers and sisters celebrate.

The zodiacs also represent our ancient states which collaborate with each others to protect themselves from foreign attacks. My state, the state of Kedah is represented in the coat of arm by the Merong or Dragon. Kelantan is represented by Khal or Tiger. And so on. This year is the year of Dragon which is also the same with Chinese calender. The coat of arm is not our state's coat of arm but belongs to Nakhorn Sri Thammarat of Thailand. It is a province in southern Thailand but it was also an ancient Malay dynasty in Siamese empire where it incorporates itself with another kingdom known as Sukhothai from the North since 12th C. Southern Thai area has a very long history since the first century which makes everything in our area being shared by each other and confusing.

The Zodiacs of Kedah Agricultural Year

Chuwat  Rat

Chalu Cow

Khan Tiger

Thoh Rabbit

Merong Dragon

Masing Snake

Mamea Horse

Mameh Goat

Wok Monkey

Raga Roaster

Chaw Dog

Gur Turtle

The year calculation is basically the same with Chinese zodiac year calculation. Usually Muslim farmers would use Arabic-Roman influenced monthly calender accompanied with this zodiac to check the season of paddy agricultural period. Buddhist would use Hindu-Buddhist influenced solar calender as well to count months with the zodiac for year calculation.

Once again, Happy Agricultural New Year and the Year of Dragon to Chinese brothers and sisters regardless what faith you are. We celebrate the same thing at this point. Take care and drive safely if you are returning home to celebrate it with family.

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

Deepawali Festival

Peace be upon everyone and blessings be to everyone

Just after 'Asr prayer service. Before I go out for some evening sight seeing, this one is about Deepawali celebration. I don't know when is the festival since I didn't watch TV for long and I didn't bother to check local newspaper. 

Basically our Indian communities are from Southern India and most of them are of Tamil descents. They celebrate few celebrations I guess related to their religion and customs too such as Deepawali or Deewali in Northern India. It is a celebration of light. We learned about this too in Local Research subject for primary school children. I don't know how to translate it into English. I don't know whether the subject is still in existence, haha.

 

This video is actually a Petronas advertisement aired in Malaysian TV many many years ago. It was directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad. She had also produced several movies and I had learned that she is quite famous in Australia. Well, her movies are not of my type but I still watch some of her advertisements. First time I watched this advert I burst out of laugh. Looking at how Asians trying to imitate American Blacks. I think those guys in the video are cool too.

The scene which is interesting could be seen at the part where the diggie-dee guy saw a paati (grandma) with white sharee at the night market. She called him and his real name is not diggie-dee something but Muniandy Chinnatorai. The kukutalee (friend) had also used a nickname which is Sam. 

This is some transcription from conversation, quite nice to learn about other compatriots, haha... Paati asked kukutalee...

Paati : Pyere na aiya? 

What's your name?

Sam : Sam... Sam... 

Paati : Ennama shaam shaam enggerengge, nalla pyere yelle?

What is that Sam Saam? You've no proper name?

Sam :  Muthusammy...

Paati : Huhhhhh???!

Sam : Muthusammy Karuppia paati pyere.

Muthusamy Karuppiah, grandma that's my name.

Paati : Muthusammy Karuppiye naala shyaami pyere..

Muthusamy Karupia what a divine name.

After that, the grandma gave them murungakai (marukku) which is Tamil's spicy traditional biscuit. Those girls are just laughing to those wannabe guys. In the end, the advert says, "the world is changing but we will always be proud of what we are." So, why must we follow other people's value when we have our own ones here? Whether we are forced to follow others' values or we choose to. 

Just because we see others' values for example hedonism, materialism, americanism, secularism, narcissism and etc look like popular or mainstream ones, does not mean that ours are totally out of date or we should also think like others : ) I also have friend who listens to Metal music and I learned about it from him. I also listened to some musics and watching movies but they do not really make me attached to them. I love my Quran more and I feel at peace with it compared to listening to other things. Being an Orthodox Muslim does not mean that we are smashing everything, I believe in gradual changes because nothing could change only in a day : )

Wish Hindu friends and teachers happy celebrating Deepawali Naal Valtugal... Take care of your health, safety, and drive safe if you want to visit relatives or friends.

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

Happy Chinese New Year 2011

安賽倆目阿來空!!!

這空間的時... 我向我們華人兄第姐妹大家恭祝一句...

新年快樂!!!

心想事成, 萬事如意...!!!

Happy Chinese New Year to all Chinese brothers and sisters. Although I am not a full blood Chinese and with Arab paternal lineage but I still consider myself as apart of Chinese civilization. I grew up alongside with Chinese environment surrounded me. It might be strange and might be unusual but that is what I am now.

No matter where we are, we still aware of our cultural root. We remember the traditional values taught by Confucius. Hahaha, my mom always remind us about Confucius even when we crossed the streets when I was a little kid. Allah has created us to know each other and to appreciate everyone as they are. 

This holiday is just a week, but Chinese New Year is about 15 days. I didn't get to tidy up my room, sticking some red papers  with good luck remarks like I did with my younger sister during Chinese New Years. I have a roommate whom I believe will not tolerate a different culture because he lives in a non-multicultural area. He might feel uncomfortable in a Chinese environment, lol.

Allah bless prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family and his companions, as Allah bless prophet Ibrahim (as) and his family. Keep us in peace, ya Allah to its due time. Sealed with love to brothers and sisters.

'Aiduladha Mubarak

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I wish everyone 'aiduladha mubarak, 古爾邦節快樂, 祝願安拉把全人遮蔽吧 kurbang jieh kuaile, zhuyuan Allah ba quanren zhebi bah!  I pray so that may Allah protect everyone in this uncertain period near the resurrection.

I am now still in the midst of our examination since I still have other two papers which are the Global Political Economy and International Relation. It is quite frustrating that I could not enjoy the celebration like others but I am thankful to Allah for having His mercy on me so that I could see the celebration this morning and pray communal prayer in the mosque.

Yesterday I fast so that Allah will grant His mercy on everyone. I had not performing fast since long after being advised by someone that it is not good to fast so much as I am just a skinny guy, haha. Frankly I don't really care about myself. But as to say everything has its right so I decided not to over the limit. Besides Allah will hate me.

This 'aiduladha will always be a remembrance for me. I went for Hajj pilgrimage last six years. I really miss the moment and the Holy Land since then. Today the people will getting ready to go for Mina for jamrah. I will always remember what I had experienced in Mecca. It is an interesting spiritual journey and hope that I could go through it as many times as possible. I love it so much, hope that my Arabic will get better again also I could memorize Quran in full insya'Allah : )

May Allah bless our honorable father, Ibrahim (as), and his family. Blessed be our prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family and his companion also everyone.