and the journey has begun

TARIKH HARI INI

Today, 06.10.08, the day that many people gaped with their mouth wide open at nadya amin shaharudin. after my last controversial entry on my blog, suddenly, i am doing the unthinkable...and i did it. I of all people, wore the infamous head scarf....the word that i had dreaded for so long, the T-U-D-U-N-G.

FOOTNOTE

Ok, so i promised to reply the comments about the stigma of bertudung and tidak bertudung. but i think at this point, firstly, people would want to know why i made such a drastic decision and change. SO, my next entry after this is for the comments. p.s= this entry is a bit jumbled up, im like really new to this blast of emotions im feeling...seriously

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Mind you all, i have been thinking about this for a long time, almost over a year. The last entry on my blog, was actually written when my heart was already set on wearing the tudung, i was just waiting for the right time. i have no idea why i am embarking myself on this strange journey to get me closer to God, i mean for heavens sake, i am surely a mere mortal, who is only another face in the crowd. But, looks like God did favor me a bit now and then, as i keep hearing a little voice inside me reminding me that i must be destined for GREATNESS(or was it just my imagination). Well, anyway, some people say you get restless if you do not do something, so thats the way i was.

PERASAAN BERGELORA DAN MEBUAK-BUAK

It was not an easy decision to make..who said wearing the tudung was easy must be senile. I set my heart to wear it on the first day class started after Eid. The whole holiday, my mind had been hovering over the fact was i brave enough to do something like this..i mean,its me your talking about...me who sold her soul to rock and roll!!(i got that part from the reapers series)..anyway, i went out once to bandung, wearing a tudung, to try out how it would feel, it felt ok,so i thought i could summon the strength to do my most daring act yet.

The night before the BIG DAY, suddenly i felt myself loosing it, i did not have the confidence to do it. i cried and wept at the thought of how my life will change 360 degrees, thank God, a good friend of mine called me at 2 in the morning to comfort me and give me the last strength i needed to go ahead with my decision. I was howling and crying to this friend of mine, and i told him, why cant guys wear tudung...i even asked him to wear a towel on his head for a day so that he could feel how it felt to wear a tudung..huhu...i thought that was funny at that time..

The next day, i wokup, took a bath, took a really really REALLLLY deep breath, and i wore the tudung without thinking twice. I felt i was brave enough to face the day...UNTIL....until i reached my university and went into class, people were staring, jaws dropped, eyes adverted mine, mouths started oowings and aahings and making their own assumptions as to why i was doing it....so i crawled into a little corner in class...and cried...and cried...and cried.....and cried even more....the whole lecture time, i was sniffling and sobbing while the lecturer was talking..

Some people started messaging me,asking me what happened...my non-muslim friends called and messaged and told me not to change, they were afraid id get too Malayish...ha...i hope that never happens...im proud of the mixture of my pakistani and chinese descent, atleast im not too MAlay ey..hehe...no offence...anyway, i told them ...read my blog...it says what i want to say...IF I DO WEAR A TUDUNG ONE DAY, IT WOULD NOT BE BECAUSE OF THE MALAY SOCIETY...BUT FOR MY RELIGION...

TAHAP IMAN YANG MUDAH NAIK DAN TURUN

At the end of the day, people smiled at me, my lecturer hugged me and said Alhamdulillah...i felt like i did something for myself, but at the same time, i made a whole bunch of people happy (god, my parents must be beaming on me right now from canada)..haha...Its only my first day, a big obstacle that i overcame....but i do not know about the other days to come and if i would go on with this tudung phenomena...but if i do not, or do, i hope everyone will not judge me for my decisions...as someone wrote on my comments....IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND GOD....



to be continued......

STIGMA BERTUDUNG DAN TIDAK BERTUDUNG : the essence of Malayzation and Islamization

DEFINISI PEMAKAIAN TUDUNG DI MALAYSIA --

A muslim girl in Malaysia is always portrayed as one with a head scarf or tudung as it is referred to in our language, the longer the tudung, the better the goodness and the sweetness of this muslim girl. On the other hand, a Muslim girl not wearing a tudung, is portrayed as the essence of evil, the drawer of bad fate and just cast aside in society as someone who lives in the modern world with no thought of her religion. i am writing here today, to vent out my anger, disagreement and also criticize the people who have criticized both of these situations, i stand on no side, and i write with an open mind. Whatever i have written, comes sincerely from my thougths and everyone is free to comment upon this.

WANITA-WANITA YANG MEMAKAI TUDUNG

Sometimes, people who do not understand why women wear the tudung criticize them, thinking that women with tudung are outdated, unfashionable, unknowledgeable and all the other UNs put together. Most of my friends do don the tudung and they are the opposite of this. of course, in this world, there are some who are narrow minded, but not all of them are like that. some women wear the tudung because of our malay society who accepts only muslimahs who do, some do not even understand why they wear it, they simply wear it because others do. that is why in our society today, we can see some people wearing the tudung who are not as good as they appear to be. this shows that the tudung does not really portray who a person is, it never is about how long your tudung is, its always inside that counts.

We hear news from other countries where they ban the use of the headscarf in public places like schools and so on. i do not agree with this and i think it is a shameful thing to do to people who choose to cover their heads and hair. it is in already in the new milennia for Gods sake, its a free country, and everyone is permitted to do what they think is right. I am against this ban and i am against people who have a stigma against modern women wearing the tudung.

In Turkey, under the evil regime of Kamal Antartuk, Muslimahs were dragged to the ground for wearing headscarves and were spit on for doing what they think is right in the religion. I cried when i saw my fellow Muslims fall to the ground while still keeping close to their faiths to Allah.

SAYA TIDAK MEMAKAI TUDUNG

I write this statement boldly to proclaim that i am not wearing the tudung at this point of time. But, i warn you, that does not make me less a muslim than any others. i LOVE my religion,I BELIEVE in only ONE GOD and most of all, i try my best to do all the things needed in the daily life of a muslimah. i hate the fact that when i tell people that i want to improve myself in the Islamic way, the first thing people say is to wear a tudung. Some people who do not wear tudung are more islamic than some who do, I am not self-proclaiming myself how pious i am, but thats just the way it is.

The stigma around people who do not wear the tudung is actually even more stronger than to the people who do. Yes, there are women who do not practice the Islamic ways eventhough they are muslims, but most who do not wear the tudung, still pray 5 times a day, read the Holy Quran, and believe in what God has proclaimed

PROKLAMASI MALAYZATION DAN ISLAMIZATION

Let there be a big barrier between these 2 thoughts, the MALAYS and the MUSLIMS. To me, i respect the people who wear the tudung, from my point of view, it is actually an honour to wear one, where it checks the modesty of a muslimah. BUT...NEVER EVER think that to become more of a muslim, the girl who does not wear one must straight away don a tudung on her head.NO! if one day, i were to wear a tudung, i do not want to wear one because of the Malay society, not to impress people with how much i cover my modesty...BUT its for the LOVE OF THE ONLY GOD THAT I BELEIVE IN AND THE ONLY RELIGION THAT I HOLD. islam

DIE ANOTHER DAY

If we were to die today, what would you do in the last few seconds of your life. I asked myself this question a few months ago, when i woke up from a nightmare, in which i had only a few seconds to live, and all that i have done passed through my head.

Im 21, and what have i achieved in my life so far...am i just another dot in this large world...?When i was smaller, i dreamed big dreams....i wanted to be well known in this world, in a good way, maybe join the Olympic Games, maybe be a young philantrophist, maybe rule the world.....but what have i achieved in these 21 years of my life?....none of that...what have you achieved in yours up until now?

If you were to die today....would you have regretted not climbing mount everest, not being able to see the world, or something simple like not being able to love your family and tell them they mean a lot to you....regrets, theres nothing good about regrets, its just something we should never do....always do what is right before it is too late right...i hope that all of us can do this


sometimes we need a reminder to tell us, life does not last forever...we are just actors in this universe, one day, we will all shrivel up and retire, some of us take the bus to hell, some of us take a first class flight to heaven...lets book our flight ticket and hope we get the front seat..

lETs start with an inventory of what have we achieved in our lives and what we dream of accomplishing....people who are succesful, start with big dreams which live on to become a reality...so dream big, pray hard, play hard, and remain focused....everyone has their own capabilities....just free our dreams, and it will all come out.

My 4th and last week here

Ramadhan has just dawned on the 1st of September all around the world. I would like to wish everyone a happy ramadhan and may this holy month bring us peace and tranquility in our busy lives. i just came back from the Toronto Mosque where we performed our Maghrib prayers. There, i met a fellow moslem sister from Indonesia who is an active member of the mosque which is situated about 20 minutes from where we are staying. Anyway, we moved to a new suite today, a smaller one but its for the best as only my parents will be staying for the following months.

i cant wait to get back to Indonesia to start my new life as a third year student. i pray that Allah will bless me with a happy and fulfilling year..InsyaAllah...I have lots of new things to write in my blog that i had thought of during the summer, but im waiting until i go back and can write nicely...

Hmm, what do i have to say? well ...lots... ok, in the posts before, i forgot to mention that i went to Buskerfest at St Lawrence Market. it is a street festival filled with lots of street performers. if i have time, i would really like to post some videos of --- A MAN GOING THROUGH A SMALL SQUASH RACKET --- AND LOADS MORE!! The days after that, i went with mommy to the CN Tower which was ironically just behind our apartment. That was not such a good trip. But the day after that, we went to Casa Loma and Spadina Museum, that was worth it because Casa Loma is a very big castle-like-mansion built by this really rich canadian named Henry something2...which i had forgot...ill look it up again. The castle was amazing!it had more than 100 rooms and for your information...u know the movie X-MEN AND THE PACIFIER??well, most of the movie was taken at this very castle!! Do wait until i get back to indonesia and have time to show you all the pictures, they are really magnificent, wait for the pictures ok!

Then, yesterday, (31 august), we went to Wasaga Beach...I basked in the sun for the last time..it was great! we had a picnic on the beach. but the best thing is, the beach is not a sea!!instead, it is a lake!the longest freshwater beach in the world! there were so many people there, it was like a spring-fling and we enjoyed it very much!

Today, is daddys birthday, we did not celebrate it much as we were tired from the moving and all. but tomorrow, we are going to have dinner at Big DAddys Resto. it serves louisiana food which my dad misses from his days back when he was in university. i will put more photos, but not today, im too lazy...hehe...dont mind me...and i will make another post to conclude the whole holiday i had this summer...so wait up!!

a wonder of the world

Saturday... 23rd august..after 21 years of waiting, we finally went to a place where we could take family portraits. i have been bugging my family to go ever since i was a kid as they had taken a family portrait before i was born. dont you think it is unfair that the others had a family picture while i did not?well, i thought so too!!! my father (an unnatural at smiling was forced to pose and smile...but it was extremely funny, dad never likes to pose), my brother(the one who walks like a robot had to pose too)haha...it was a fun thing, hope that the pictures turn out nicely.

We went back for lunch, and then we were well on our way to Niagara Falls...the must see attraction in Canada!! My sister was so busy with her orang putih boyfriend that she did not follow us on that day but subsequently she did on another day go to the falls. it was quite a long journey because many people were heading in the same direction, but when we reached there, it was worth it! it was spectacular....nothing in Malaysia can compare with that...it was truly an art that God created for us mere mortals to bask in His splendour.

The sun was shining so bright that my skin got burnt in a few seconds, the rush of the cool mist from the falls as we walked high above it gave a refreshing light touch on our sunburnt skin. we went on a journey behind the falls which my father complained was a rip off..haha...i wouldnt blame him, the ride on the boat would have been better. Anyway, after breathing in the beauty and one of the wonders of the world, i wanted to go to the IMAX theather where it featured the legend of the falls and also daredevils who jumped the high waters.

I had to practically lug everyone around, because everyone was tired. By 8 at night, we were on our way home, a day worth spent out.

finally...we went somewhere

THE TORONTO HOT DOG...REAL DOGS USED =p



THE OTHER TWO ANAK SHAHARUDIN




MY LOVINGLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY





17th of August...

One of abangs friends has a flying liscence (how cool is that huh??!!) His name is Frank and he works at the same company that Abang works (please note that i refer to beloved bro as abang) Anyway, we set out really early in the morning, and as the sky was clear,the weather was great for FLYING!!!! We went on a small plane around Toronto (another how cool is that for this!!haha). The best thing was..kakak got to fly the plane! It was awesome except for the part when the plane made a kind of dive and i felt like i was going to puke...eew! Thank God for bubblegum..or not my breakfast would have been all over the plane!

After the flight..everyone was so tired and we slept a few hours...when we woke up, we got back on our feet and went on a family afternoon to Toronto Islands. Its kind of like a big beaufitful island with a big beautiful park in it! It was truly a family hot spot! people brought picnic baskets, bicycles, dogs ...children ran around, kissed by the warm sun, smiling faces everywhere...it felt good to be out with my family who i do not meet much.

Actually, i have another entry that i want to write about, its about the anniversary of my parent's Nikah that we celebrated the day before, but i have so many things to write about my beautiful parents that i would devote a longer post for that later.

my amateur photos

in canada --- 1st week

its been a week since im in canada. im staying at this apartment we rented called the riviera, just in front of a lake...really comfortable loft that my bro picked out..im in subway now, right below our apartment where theres a wifi area...actually, we havent been around much because we are waiting for HER HIGHNESS(my sister)... oh yeahh!! THAT DAY...WE WENT TO ALASKA!!!!IT WAS SOOO COOLLLL!!!!!~literally speaking...anyway, i cant put in the pictures for alaska just yet, because its in my moms camera...

since it is the summer in canada, the weather bounces from sunny to windy to cold in just a few minutes!!! life here is very relaxing and very peaceful....but most of the things are expensive even if you dont convert it yet. im waiting for the summer sale though!!yeayyyy!!!!suddenly, im out of things to say...i dont know....my brain has become rust since i came here....here are a few incidents worth mentioning

1. i saw a super-duper fat big humongous cat!!
2. mornings---always jog with dogs--i mean people here
3.i ate my first canadian hot dog.. courtesy of my bro

how to get a free holiday to hong kong

Dearest readers...if you are reading this, it means im still in hong kong when i should really be in canada right now. what happened was, yesterday (atelast i think it is yesterday, im not sure about the dates anymore), we went out of our house at 5.30 am to KLIA... when we got there, after a long wait, eventhough there were only a few of us, we were told that our flight to Hong Kong (which was supposed to be only a few hours transit) on Cathay Pacific was cancelled. So, all of us were issued new tickets on Malaysian Airlines. All aboard safely on the plane, i settled down for the 5 hour flight and got comfortable watching the flight entertainment....

NEARLY REACHING HONG KONG......

we were only i think an hour away from hong kong when suddenly...the pilot announced...."LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, WE ARE SORRY TO ANNOUNCE...THERE IS A TYPHOON IN HONG KONG AND BECAUSE OF THE STORM.....WE HAVE TO TURN BACK TO KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" ...gleeelllaaaaahhhh......we were nearly there for Gods sake!!!

Unperturbed, we went back to KL...all of us were given free coupons to eat for lunch and dinner....dhla dapat makan burger king for free~~we kind of had a burger king fiesta at the aiport, ~me, my mom and dad....as our flight was due at 9.30pm...imagine that....we had to stay at KLIA from morning until night!!!

Finally, we were on our plane to Hong Kong, and our transti was supposedto be 4 hours...mark the words SUPPOSED....Well, what happened was, when we landed, the people on the grounds told us to go in another direction, the strange thing was that the other passengers went the other way....i was like "huh??"...Turns out, my instincts were right, we were at the wrong place......so, me and my wide eyed family --patah balik--- the whole long way around the airport....we asked so many people and most of them did not understand about our plight....

So...yesterday...my first thought of Hong Kong and their airport-----rude, unhelpful, weird, worst airport of the year and bla bla bla....i was extremely mad at them!!IMAGINE...me and my parents had to carry heavy bags ulang-alik all the way and yet no one knew where to put us because our next flight was the next day(today) and Air Canada did not open any counters....what happened to the other passengers then???!!!D-UHHHH.....

After 2 hours of excruciating wait....FINALLY....(thank God)..there were helpful people from Cathay Pacific, which directed us to the place that we should have gone in the first place... So, we got free hotel stay for one night....(that is the story laa)....NOW YOU KNOW HOW TO GET A FREE HOLIDAY IN HONG KONG---HOTEL, BREAKFAST LUNCH AND DINNER PROVIDED...WAAAHHH

I guess, after the ordeal, atleast my wish was granted...i did get to stay in Hong Kong and we did get to walk around the city for awhile...God said "Nak sangat tengok Hong Kong kan....nah...tengokla....tapi kena susah2 dahulu"...(my mom phrased that) ...


Im now in the airport...waiting finally for my flight to canada...hope to update soon....!!

BALIlast day

BALIday 7 260708

Morning people…the sun was shining bright on our last day in Bali. I woke up really early for the first time in Bali because I had some last minute shopping to do. I bounced off to wake up Elis and Natrah in the next room and in a few minutes we were already at the breakfast table. Both Tahirah and Natrah did not feel up to it today to swim in the sea, so it was just me and Elis who with excited faces ran to the beach. Just our luck, this guy offered to teach us how to surf for a good price and we jumped at the deal. I was still having a bit of a phobia from my days during wakeboarding. I fell a lot during the first few tries, but in the end, I finally got to surf which was cool because I had always wanted to surf….finally!

THE CLIMAX OF MY STAY IN BALIà

I WENT BUNGee JUMPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I told you before I am really afraid of heights, and here I was, 45 m high up in the sky, the jump of my life. We went to Club 66, AJ HACKETT, the guy who actually founded the sport of bungee jumping. I was the last one to go up, I had to do it! No matter what, I had to face my ultimate fears!!! The total cost of one jump is nearly RM 400 (which my dad was fussing about when I told him) (after the jump, of course). The ride up was extremely SLOW… I could see the human beings down there getting smaller and smaller until they only dotted the land that I saw. When I reached the TOP, my heart started racing and I wish that I did not have to do it. The instructor fastened the ropes on my small feet, it looked so flimsy compared to the jump that I had to do. I was damn scared!!!! The instructor said some comforting words (which were not enough), counted from 5 to 1, and I had to jump on my own. I took a deep breath, looked straight towards the ocean, and dived down like crazy!!!! I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** reminder to self---- I am still alive, even after the craziest thing I have done in my life --- if I can do bungee jumping, I can do anything!!! BRING IT ON!!!!! Woo hooo!!!!!!

The night stretched out not long enough, and at 11.30 pm, we were all on our way back to Jakarta……Now I am safe and sound in Malaysia…..I am dark, and I plaited my hair…I look like a nigga….huhuhu….thank you for reading my updates on Bali…don’t forget to tune in next week about my travels to Canada….

XOXO---the crazy gurl who jumped 45m from the ocean….

BALIday 6

BALIday six 250708

Come to think of it, I think there are a lot more sweet memories that I did not write in this blog. I really feel as if I am writing rubbish, but I still want to write the only basic pieces that I remember…in case I forget everything if one day I come back to Bali with my cucu and cicits, at least I can tell them ….nenek dh buat nie….that would be so cool. Gosh!! I do feel so old, im even already talking about grandchildren, that’s crazy!

Day six is free day… no guides, no plan, no nothing. So, the four of us single people decided to do some last minute shopping at this place called Sukawati. In Bali, it is really cheap to buy early in the morning. They believe that the people who come and buy in the morning are “pelaris”. So, if you want to shop, be an early bird. We got good stuff at really great prices and once they get hold of the money you pay for the item, they will wave it at the other items in the shop in hope of rezeki for the whole day.

Our next stop – GWK, Garuda Wisnu Kencana. It is supposed to be a really large statue that has been built since 1993 and works on the statue is still going on, believe me it is really big. Once it is finished, it can be seen clearly from the satellite. One really disgusting thing happened while I was there. I don’t know if the word disgusting is appropriate to be used. Well, what happened was, I wanted to take a picture with this woman who was wearing the traditional kebaya. Suddenly, while putting her hands together Balinese style, she said softly so that only I could hear ….MINTA TIPS NYA YA!!! Oh god, I was so shocked! But I had to give tips as the picture was taken already. You know what, I should have cancelled!!

Dreamland-----we had to go there….the ocean was sooo blue….it was beautiful like sparkling diamonds shining in the sun. the wave was huge and covered the surface of the beautiful white sandy beach. ANOTHER THING HAPPENED TO ME HERE!!! I was happily posing for a photo on the beach, curling my toes in the dry san far far far FARRR away from the waves, when suddenly, a large wave came and washed half of my body.!i was totally soaked!and I did not intend to get soaked! I did not have any extra clothes, and what was worse, my handphone was in my pocket of my pants!!!!!! AND NOW MY BELOVED NOKIA N76 DAH ROSAK……….THAT IS SO SAD….

From Dreamland, we set off to Uluwatu Temple, the time specifically planned so that we will arrive just in time for the sunset. To go into the temple, everyone must wear a piece of clothe tied around the waist and for those who are wearing shorts, they are given purple coloured sarongs. The view from the temple was breathless…..waves crashed onto murky rocks,green leaves dropped at the song from the wind, monkeys fooling around. By the way, the monkeys here are the worst so far. They will steal glasses, hats and anything detachable, and if you do not give him food fast, they will tear the thing they stole into pieces right before your very eyes.

By 5, we sat at an amphitheatre to watch the Kecak Dance. This dance is only done during the sunset. It was really cool and funny. The Kecak Dance is supposedly to satisfy the Sea God and there are nearly 70 men praising that God around a fire. The day was hot when the dance started as the men danced and chanted while the sun was setting in the background. After nearly two hours, the show finished and it was already night time, the day which was hot had turned into a cold breeze, blowing the hairs on my face.

BUBBA GUMP----that night, we ate our hearts out on shrimps, shrimps and more shrimps at BUBBA GUMP. I can still taste as the butter on the shrimps melted in my mouth---that good ey….and the price was gooood…..put a hole in my pocket it did……but no worries, it was all worth it.

BALIday five 240708

ITS MY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!!!YEAYYYYY!!!!

This year on my birthday, I started the day with a big YAWN…..i was still tired from water sports the other day and the bed felt sooo good! I just felt like dozing off the whole day with the warm comforter around me in an air-cond room…in Bali…aaahhhh…life is good…..

Before I start this entry, I would like to (cewah) thank everyone that wished me at midnight and times after that. A simple birthday wish comes a long way, every single message and call means so much to me especially if it is from people that I am close with. This year’s award for the person that first wished me goes to = my beloved KAKAK!!!!yeayyy….actually my mommy called earlier on to wish in case she fell asleep before midnight(which she did).

Anyway, we went rafting that day. Alhamdulillah, duit MARA baru masuk!! Did you know, I was in Bali with not enough money!!!! If my parents knew about it, they would have killed me thrice! I felt blessed as the money I needed to finish my trip in Bali had finally arrived, and I skipped happily to the place for rafting. It was a bumpy 2 and a half hour ride down the river, the jungle opened its arms to us and we breathed in the fresh green jewel Bali was showing to us. As if the ride was not tiring enough, we had to climb a few hundred steps to the top when the ride finished. Lunch was provided and we ate like wild hogs. The cold water and the lush jungle made us hungrier than ever. By the way, since I was in Bali, everything I ate tasted good and as usual, if Nadya eats more = Nadya weighs more…. Sigh…..

After rafting, we were going to head back to the hotel when we passed a safari. Just for fun, we went in the newly built animal safari and it was a cute thing to do. All of us had fun in there even though the place was going to close shortly. I got to ride on a camel, which was my first time.hehe

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!!!!!

WHEN I WENT OUT OF THE SAFARI….JENG3…….MY DEAR FRIENDS PULLED A SURPRISE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE SAFARI!!!! NATRAH---ATHES---ELIS—TAHIRAH—HAJAR---FARHAN---PIKA….ALLL OF THEM WERE THERE AND GUESS WHAT….THEY EVEN BROUGHT A CAKE!!!IN THE ZOO!!!HAHAA…..DAT WAS SOOO CUTE!!!!THANKZ YOU GUYS….I DID NOT EXPECT IT AT ALL!!!!!

The night was spent at the beach…in front of our fave hangout…the rock shop stop!hehehe….those were good times….

BALIday four

BALIday four 230708

We set out early in the morning…it is watersports day! Finally the day that would make us feel like we really are in Bali. If you had read the posts before, most of the places we visited was cold, which is quite unbelievable. So, the fourth day in Bali is dedicated to getting our skin burnt and crispy!!

In my long pants and long sleeves which were chosen to block the sun, we got on a boat and headed of to another part of the beach. Kicking it off firstly with parasailing, (for all who do not know me well, I AM AFRAID OF HEIGHTS), we are hooked up to a parachute and straight away blown by the wind when pulled by a speed boat right up into the air…. I could see a hundred miles from up there. The scenery was awesome! I thought I would be afraid, but I guess because it was kind of leisurely, it felt good up there.

Next item on the list, we went snorkelling. The ocean was not as clear as most days so we could not see much. We were given bread to feed the fish though, but by the time the bread reached the swirling water, it was gone with the waves…

I kinda feel very touristy…is my blog entry getting a bit too much like a family travel guide? Well, what the heck, its my blog anyway…hehe.. as I was saying, we took a trip to turtle island and I think it felt more like a zoo, I took pictures with animals (so budak kecikky). Barefooted as we trudged in the sand, I think I stepped on a lot of animal poo….

Once we were finished with those, only the three of us (me, elis and miss guling a.k.a tahirah) took up the other sports while the others basked in the hot sun. We got on a banana boat for starters and it was more like a scenic ride as it was slow. I did enjoy it as we sped along the coasts and I could see more of that part of Bali, which is known as Nusa Dua. A famous spot for water sport and also resorts. The next activity was one which took a toll on me – wakeboarding! I really felt like giving up when I was trying. It is kind of like skateboard in water. I felt like the water running through my nose every time I fell back into the sea was trying to blow my brains out!for Real!! We ended the day with Flying Fish, which I went on alone, not scary but quite cool. At the end of the day, it was already nearing four and we were the last ones to go home. I enjoyed the day, but I just cant seem to write a more exciting entry for this day because im kind of tired. (this blog is written late and not on the day intended)

BALIday3

BALIDay Three 230708 2010

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My most favourite pastime of all. I went crazy over souveniors in this shop called Krisna. (By the way, ill make a small continuation from the day before…about the shopping done in Ubud). Ubud is like a marketplace, we have to haggle for the best price on every item. Some shopkeepers were kind to give their good price at it was nearly the end of the day, while others stubbornly stood by there stand in charging the foreigners at outrageous prices! I absolutely loved the bags sold there, really, they were lovely. I tried finding for those bags in other places, but unfortunately, I am still unfortunate in finding them. So, today, the driver took us to this shop where all things have a fixed price, and cheap and best of all……..CAN USE CREDIT CARD MA! Im so sorry to have to use my credit card at this point, because I kind of promised to myself to use the cash that I had in hand. Again, unfortunately, my scholarship money has not been banked in yet and I am totally cashless right now. Here I bought stuff for my aunts in Malaysia, souveniors for friends and for myself, only the essentials. (yeahh right).

--Bedugul

Today, at this very place, we felt the coldness of Bali again. Bedugul is another place high up in the mountains of Bali. As usual, none of us were prepared for cold in Bali, so we were practically shivering way up in high altitudes. The journey up was a long one, so once we reached the top, we decided it was time for lunch already. Our stop—Mentari Restaurant, another Balinese Buffet. By the way, did I mention yet, so far, all the food that I ate and munched and crunched in Bali tastes sooo good. Im beginning to think that my body metabolisme has increased as my sense of hunger has grown a few inches longer!

--Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

The floating temple, the locals call it. And yes, it is a sight to behold. The clean temple grounds boasts the magnificent glory of the Hindhus in the past of Bali island. The splendid architecture was exquisite and each temple had its own unique carvings. This place is just a few minutes away from Bedugul. The lake from this temple is connected with the same lake from Bedugul.

--Strawberry farm and Monkeys jumping on me in Monkey Temple

That one was a looser tourist site (jahatnya saya cakap macam tu). The strawberry farm was just a short stop so I did not get too pissed off about it. Our next destination was the Monkey Temple. Something interesting happened to me while I was in the monkey temple. We were strolling down the road leading to the temple with our guide when a dozen or so monkeys suddenly began oo-oo-aa-aa-iiiiiiiiing at me and the big mamma jumped on my head and began jumping on my hair!!!i felt like I was being held hostage on a practical joke being pulled by cheeky monkeys!! Then as Big Mamma jumped down after I was screaming, Big Daddy tugged on my jeans and gave me cute puppy-dog eyes, looking up at me and asking for food. That was the cutest thing ever! Monkeys sure know a way to a girls heart or head, especially mine =)

--Tanah Lot, sunset and sad sea

We arrived late at our last visit, the infamous Tanah Lot, which temples crown the front pages of many Bali post cards. The day was not meant to be, and we did not catch the sunset in time. We took pictures before it got dark, bought a few things in the tourist market and headed back to our hotel after a very tiring day traveling the inner parts of Bali island.

--Night à Same tradition, tapaw food and ate on beach, went to Legian Street which is famous for its night life. There were loads of hot clubs for groovy clubbers. On the way back, we past the place where two of the clubs were bombed – Paddys club and another one which I cant remember. There were 500 casualties during the bombing and a monument stands to remember the dead during those dark days.

*REMINDER

MY POSTS ON BALI ARE ONLY TEMPORARY BECAUSE I DONT HAVE TIME TO UPLOAD PHOTOS AND ALSO WRITE PROPERLY....AWAIT THE UPDATES AITE

BALIday2

BALIDay Two 210708 2320

--morning swim in the ocean

6.30 a.m…I was awaken by the loud thuds of Tahirah waking up. We were already quite late for our morning swim at Kuta Beach. I grabbed my towel, brushed my teeth and all 4 of us bounded to the beach. To our surprise, we were early birds, there were not so many people swimming or surfing as we had imagined there to be, after we got ourselves in the water, then we realized the reason why---it was COLD!EXTRA COLD! The waves sweeping beneath my little feet felt like smooth ice cutting through the warmth of my body. Brrr…coldness…coldness.

--barong and keris dance

9.30 a.m…The car that we traveled in sped into the winding road of Bali Island to bring us to our very first stop for the day—the Barong and Keris Dance Theater. The cost of entering this theater was Rp50k and I expected the best with such a price. As it turned out…it was not worth my penny watching it. Personally, I thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience, something like the Hakka Dance that I watched in New Zealand, but instead, it turned out to be on the verge of dreadfully terrible! Basically, the concept of the traditional dance was one of uniqueness but the theater itself did not catch the essence of the dance and they evolved it into one dance that had vulgar scenes. A lot of the `orang putihs` shaked their heads in disagreement, some even told their children not to look. It was pitiful to see such fine art go to waste.

--batik, silver, art, woodcraft center

The rest of the day was spent without much acknowledgement because we went to places that sold pretty expensive stuff which were not up to the products name. I guess because the driver took us to tourist stops. We did take lots of pictures though. By the way, did I mention that I would post pictures later coz it takes a long time.

--lunch overlooking the volcano in Kintamani and lastly of coffee beans and cocoa fruits

My Rp100k was gone when we took lunch overlooking the volcano in Kintamani. It was a Balinese buffet and we enjoyed the taste of Asian delight at the laps of luxury (by the way, I never knew Bali could have cold spots, Kintamani is one of them~colldddd).

* I will edit these blogs some time…im writing these in a hurry…its not that perfect yet….sorry

BALIday1

BALIDAY ONE 20.07.08 2310

I still cant believe it! Im finally in Bali! Ive waited for this moment since the month of April which was when I finally booked the ticket for this one week holiday. There are 8 of us in this group- me, tahirah, elis, natrah, hajar, athes, pika and farhan. That makes us four singles and two pairs of couples. Us singles stay in a separate hotel which we also had pre booked, the Bakung Sari Hotel. One night costs us around RM80, two people per room. My roommate happened to be Tahirah, which was decided after the Lat-Tali-Lat thing..hehe

Before I go on, I would like to describe the sight that we beheld when we were on the plane to Bali. We crossed the oceans and there were land filled with volcanoes. It was magnificent, It looked like mankind were humbled by the work of God Himself at such dangerous beauty. The plane landed on a stretch of land right in the middle of the ocean, it was awesome, and it was a really beautiful first hand experience.All of us squealed with delight as the tyres screeched when the plane landed on the landing strip, we were finally living our one week vacation!

Our accommodation was a reasonable place, it is quite comfortable and we have not faced any problems so far. When we settled down, I took a much-needed cold shower and joined the others to look around the part of Bali that we were staying in,KUTA. We walked in the steaming hot sun, me and my white flip-flops, with sunscreen and sunglasses equipped, our first stop – Kuta Beach. On the way to the beach, we passed lots of surf shops, Hard Rock and a boulevard of shopping-not-so-heaven as it is quite expensive. By the way, of all the things we did first, we stopped at can-you-believe-it ---KFC!!HAHA….bought ourselves some food, and ate on the beach, looking at people surfing and laughing at people trying and failing at it. (Although, obviously, all of us don’t know how to surf!!)We stayed there for an hour or two, just enjoying the summer breeze under scorching sun and getting darker by the minute. After that, we headed back to our hotel and I took another shower as tonight we were going to eat seafood at Jimbaran.

At 5.00 pm, our transport arrived and all 8 of us went to Jimbaran. Our stop—Segara Restaurant. When I got there, personally, I felt that I wanted to get married in Bali!!HEHE.. The restaurants there had tables and chairs on the beach itself! Imagine this, we dined on the beach while watching the beautiful sunset!!!!What could be more beautiful, serene, peaceful (and words cannot describe it!!) than eating out on the beach like that! I LOVED EVERY SECONDOF IT!!! We took many photos, some of them showing the warmth of the island, while some showing the fun side of us all…So, when the food finally arrived, night had come..and with fresh coconut juice trickling down our parched throats, and fresh seafood as our feast, the night was perfect. And to top it all of, we were serenaded with a band of musicians a little while, (actually they didn’t come to our table, I guess they could see we were students---poorer than most!!)huhu..

To ease the food in our intestines, we went back to the hotel, prayed and went out again to walk in Kuta at night. We were followed by this half-drunk Englishman, but in the end, he did not exactly trouble us, so the night turned out alright. Now, I am safe and sound in the hotel room, silently typing my first day in Bali. Hopefully, tomorrow would be another day filled with wonders. For now, that is all from Nadya in Bali. Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. Updates more tomorrow!! ZZZzzzzZZZZzzzZZZ

BALI day1

PRE-BALIDAY ZERO 19.07.08 2200

I waited two whole days without my beloved housemates as they had gone back already. I really miss you guys, and really wish you all would be in Bali with me *sigh*. Well, as the story goes, I had little money left in my pocket and the electric was out the whole day. The only amount of cash I had was Rp6000. I couldn’t go anywhere with such small amount, so I stayed home and ate Maggie (huhu), I cleaned up my room and the house and slept for the rest of the day. When I woke up, it was already time for Maghrib, so I took a bath and headed out to find some company. Incidentally, I watched Batman that night with Elis and Natrah who will be going to Bali with me too. The movie lasted for three whole hours! It would have been better if it wasn’t that long I guess. But anyways, we finished around 11, and I decided to sleep with my friends from Twinning(intan and aishah).

The next morning, we had a pre-bali meeting and planned the whole vacation with everyone on the trip. I went back home after that and just watched television the whole day…and by the way, that was really relaxing! So, I waited and waited until midnight….when our transport to Jakarta airport finally arrived as planned. I said my goodbyes to Abang Hisyam and Kak Nik (and I cried!!!)huhu….(im going to miss them so much) and was then well on my way to Jakarta.

The flight to Bali was at 6.35 am.

Another year has passed in the field of medicine

Well..well..well.....isnt it another year that i have survived in this country, away from home and family. Away from the luxuries of home and KUALA LUMPUR (argh), away from it all..

I am sitting my remedial exams, hopefully to increase my marks for this semester, its going to take me half-a-month and i am not studying as hard as i had hoped *sigh*. `Nadya, Nadya,Nadya...what has gotten into you, you lil twerp!`...My exams begin this wednesday and eventually ends on the 14th. Then its freedom for Nadya!!! (by the way, im going to Bali after that, so be sure to look up the updates later on my blog)

So, today i felt like writing on how our worlds can change in just 1 year. I remember well, during the beginning of my second year, i had just suffered from a really insecure life in Jatinangor..i had problems with friends, family, guys and myself. Its like i was a total different person from who i am now. Life had never been so hard as it was the year before.


When the 2nd year began, it felt like a fresh start and i was determined not to let the past haunt me in my new beautiful home filled with new friends. Alhamdulillah, we are getting along well and have been for this year and hopefully for years to come. A person that used to be in my life, and now with another (hrmmm) had really caused the early months of my life here to be tormenting. The pain of trying to forgive and forget is one of the painful deals our tender hearts have to handle. But gradually, and hopefully, i have healed from it and only time will tell if memories can be erased. I have met other interesting people now, and they have been really great in helping me out throughout my ordeal. When one wants to forget something, always remember that everything happens for a reason. Feelings do change over a year, why suffer remembering what doesnt want to be remembered right.

How about my studies u say...*cringe*...i call this part the PEDOMAN AKHIR TAHUN. This means that, we human beings always go through the year without thinking and planning, and just when we nearly reach the end of the year, we look back and say `argh, IF ONLY i studied more, focused more and bla bla bla`. news for people like these(me especially)...why did i not do it in the first place...d-uhhh. I had hoped to really work hard for these remedial exams and the Bali trip is something like a reward, but looks like im not working hard enough, im playing hard though..*sigh*

Anyway, im someone who believes in second chances, so, i hope that i dont miss them anymore. I am grateful that i have lived through yet another year, thank you God for blessing me and my family with prosperity and happiness, and i pray for a thousand more years under Your guidance. ..

the month of rejab

my dearest mother messaged me the other day...reminding me that it is the month of rejab, the 7th month in the muslim calendar..her first message was for me to fast during this month as there are incredible wonders that can be bestowed upon us this month. Gladly, i made a pact with mommy to try and fast as much as i can. mommys second message was that i should increase good deeds (which should be done everyday) but especially in this month. Well, that is my target for this month. For whatever bad things i have done, i would really like it to be gone. And i guess. God does give second chances...and here we are, given a whole month of second chances and golden tickets.. lets take it people!!

FADHILAT BULAN REJAB
Bulan Rejab kembali lagi. Ia merupakan bulan yang sangat dimuliakan di dalam Islam. Banyak hadis Rasulullah S.A.W. yang telah diriwayatkan oleh para sahabat Baginda mengenai kelebihan bulan Rejab, bulan ketujuh di dalam kalendar Islam. Rejab bermaksud ta'azim (kebesaran, keagungan, kemuliaan) kerana Allah S.W.T. akan melimpahkan rahmat-Nya, kemurahan-Nya dan Ruangan Bimbingan Rohani kali ini menyorot fadhilat bulan Rejab dan beberapa hadis Rasulullah S.A.W. berkenaan dengannya.
Amalan terbaik di dalam bulan Rejab ini ialah berpuasa. Maksud hadis Rasulullah S.A.W. tentang kelebihan berpuasa di dalam bulan Rejab adalah seperti berikut:
EPuasa 1 hari - Seperti berpuasa 40 tahun dan mendapat keredhaan Allah serta syurga tertinggi.
EPuasa 2 hari - mendapat kemuliaan besar daripada Allah dan dilipatgandakan pahalanya.
EPuasa 3 hari - dijauhkan dugaan dunia oleh Allah, dijadikan sebuah parit panjang yang menghalangnya ke neraka,
EPuasa 4 hari - diselamatkan daripada siksaan akhirat kelak serta fitnah Dajjal.
EPuasa 5 hari - aman dari azab kubur.
EPuasa 6 hari - dibangkitkan dari kubur dengan muka bercahaya.
EPuasa 7 hari - Allah mengunci 7 pintu neraka jahannam baginya.
EPuasa 8 hari - Allah membuka 8 pintu syurga baginya.
EPuasa 9 hari - keluar dari kuburnya lalu menyeru "Laailahaillallah" dan tidak ditolak dia dari memasuki syurga.
EPuasa 10 hari - Allah memperkenankan semua permintaan dan hajatnya, dijadikan hamparan perhentian di titian Siratul Mustaqim setiap satu batu dan dijadikan 2 sayap untuk terbang seperti kilat di titian Siratul Mustaqim.
EPuasa 13 hari - Saidina Ali berkata bahawa fadilatnya seperti puasa 3,000 tahun.
EPuasa 14 hari - Saidina Ali berkata bahawa fadilatnya seperti puasa 10,000 tahun.
EPuasa 15 hari - Allah mengampunkan semua dosanya yang lalu di samping menggantikan amalan kejahatan dengan amalan kebaikan. Saidina Ali berkata bahawa fadilatnya seperti puasa 100,000 tahun.
EPuasa 16 hari - dapat melihat wajah Allah di dalam syurga dan orang pertama menziarahi Allah di dalam syurga.
EPuasa 19 hari - Dibina sebuah mahligai di hadapan mahligai Nabi Allah Ibrahim dan Nabi Allah Adam.
EPuasa 20 hari - Allah mengampunkan segala dosanya yang lalu, dan melakukan amalan baik dengan baki umurnya.
ESesiapa yang berpuasa 3 hari dalam bulan Rejab dan beribadat pada malamnya seperti dia berpuasa 3,000 tahun, diampunkan baginya 70 dosa-dosa besar setiap hari, ditunaikan 70 hajat ketika keluar nyawa dari jasadnya, 70 hajat ketika di dalam kuburnya, 70 hajat ketika terbang suhuf (ketika Al-Quran dinaikkan ke langit), 70 hajat ketika ditimbang amalannya di Mizan, dan 70 hajat ketika melalui titian Siratul Mustaqim.
EBerpuasa pada 27 Rejab (Hari Israk dan Mikraj) seperti berpuasa 60 bulan pahalanya, jika disertai dengan sedekah seumpama puasa 1,000 tahun.
E Dapat meminum air sungai yang dinamakan Rejab yang mana airnya lebih putih dari susu, lebih manis daripada manisan, lebih dingin dari salji.
E Setiap umat Islam yang berpuasa di bulan Rejab seperti mengerjakan ibadat seumur hidupnya. Tambahan bersedekah seperti beribadat seribu kali haji dan umrah. Dibina untuknya seribu mahligai dengan seribu bilik dan seribu bidadari, lebih cantik daripada matahari seribu kali.
E Sedekah di bulan Rejab seumpama sedekah seribu dinar, dituliskan kepada tiap-tiap helai bulu romanya seribu kebajikan, diangkat seribu darjat dan dihapuskan seribu kejahatan serta dijauhkan daripada api Neraka.

Orang yang lemah dari berpuasa di bulan Rejab hendaklah bersedekah tiap-tiap hari, sekurang-kurangnya sebuku roti.
Kelebihan lain bulan Rejab:
1. Di dalam bulan lain Allah membalas amalan umat-Nya 10 kali, tetapi di dalan bulan Rejab Allah akan membalas amalan umat-Nya 70 kali.
2. Sesiapa meminta ampun (beristighfar) pada pagi dan petang 70 atau 100 kali di dalam bulan Rejab, diharamkan tubuhnya daripada api neraka.
3. Rejab bulan Allah, Sya'aban bulan Rasulullah. S.A.W, Ramadhan bulan umat Rasulullah S.A.W.
4. Rejab adalah bulan menabur benih, Sya'aban bulan menyiram tanaman manakala Ramadhan bulan menuai.
5. Amalan di dalam bulan Rejab menyucikan badan, Sya'aban menyucikan hati manakala Ramadhan menyucikan roh.
6. Rejab adalah bulan maghfirah (keampunan), Sya'aban bulan syafaat manakala Ramadhan bulan menggandakan kebajikan.
7. Rejab adalah bulan taubat, Sya'aban bulan muhibbah manakala Ramadhan bulan dilimpahi pahala amalan yang banyak.
8. Pahala amalan baik di dalam bulan Rejab diganda 70 pahala, Sya'aban diganda 700 pahala dan Ramadhan diganda 1,000 pahala.
Beberapa amalan lain yang baik dilakukan dalam bulan Rejab:
1. Menyucikan diri daripada dosa dengan bertaubat dan memohon ampun
2. Membersihkan hati yang lalai dan alpa melalui amalan istighfar dan zikir
3. Mendekatkan diri kepada Allah dengan menunaikan solat
4. Memohon keselamatan dan kesejahteraan dengan berselawat dan berdoa kepada-Nya
5. Menginsafkan diri dengan membaca kisah teladan perjuangan Rasulullah S.A.W. dan sirah Islam lain.
Peristiwa penting yang telah berlaku dalam bulan Rejab:
1. Israk dan Mikraj (27 Rejab)
2. Solat 5 waktu difardukan ke atas umat Islam (Malam Israk Mikraj)
3. Perang Tabuk terjadi di dalam tahun ke-9 Hijrah.