Moshi-moshi...

So curious to know..what would my name be in Japanese....

My Japanese name is Arisa Matsushita.
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And this is Afafita's name..

My Japanese name is Akane Kajiyama.
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And Wafitos name is...

My Japanese name is Azumamaro Iwahashi.
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And hubby's is...

My Japanese name is Kitahachi Matsumara.
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But I think...my name sounds nice....heheh

Afafita's nasyid performance...

Aritu terlupa nak upload this short video. Afafita's performance during the jualan amal. Actually I'm so mad at the boy who kept on walking in front of the kids during the performance. So disturbing. Geramnya...nak amik video pun terganggu. Rasa mcm nak cakap jer ngan parents dia...tolooonglah ikat your son...so disturbing. Sometimes, some of parents don't even bother about how their kids irritate other people.

Jualan Amal..

Last Saturday, despite the fatigue and morning sickness, hubby, Wafitos and I attended Afafita's school "jualan amal". There were nasyid performance by Afafita and her classmates, potluck feast and jualan amal for a maahad tahfiz anak yatim. We bought Spiderman buttons, old magazines (wanita & home decor) and several second hand sandals for Afafita. Here are some pics at the jualan amal.

Afafita performing nasyid "Rasulullah" in conjunction with the maulidurrasul. She's the second from left. She has been practicing this nasyid for weeks, and everybody in the house has to bear her very hi-pitch voice.

Abang pun ikut nak tengok adik perform..tapi adik malu2 bila dah berdiri kat depan...

Abang and Adik participated in the colouring contest.

Abang won the third prize in his category

Updates...from the voice a mom..

Alhamdulillah... at last, I manage to spend some time sitting on this study desk and post something on this blog. For the last few days...I was really occupied with 'spending most of my time lying on the couch in front of the TV'. The morning sickness, -which I bet is no more suitable to be called so, since it does attack regardless time of the day- had brought chaos in my daily routine and activities. The dizziness; the sudden dislike to all kind of food except green apples, plums, oranges , pears and crispy toasted breads; the unbearable hate to onions, cooking oils and the aroma of cooking; all these are enough to make my life go haywire.

I feel so pity for the kids. This pregnancy has a great impact on everyone in the family. Luckily the kids have never lodged any complaints about Mama didn't cook, didn't help them with homeworks, etc. Maybe, the thrills and excitements of getting a new sibling make them willing to accept the fact that Mama is being inefficient as a mother lately.

The books? Well.. forget it. I haven't read or even touch any book or reading material since last week. But I don't want to think much about it right now since I don't want to make my life more stressfull. I just need to make myself "normal" again a.s.a.p, so that I can resume my writing and reading. So at this moment, even though it will take several more weeks, I will just enjoy this gift from Allah- the chance for me to sleep the whole day, craving for food that I can eat, asking for a massage from my better half- hehehhe. And for Mimi's information, my golden color Sony Viao laptop is no longer the gadget that I love most. Now, the things that will always be my side through thick and thin are the Losyen Mustajab Pati Halia (untuk sapu kat badan bila terasa masuk angin and mabuk) and the asam boy (makan bila terasa nak loya).

Alamak...got to rest for a while. Mcm dah mula mabuk nie...



Ok. After applying some losyen halia, I'm feeling much better. Now, enough about myself. I'm going to talk about the kids.

Wafitos is doing quite well in his recent test at school. He scores A in all subjects except Arabic and Pendidikan Islam. I didn't push him to score A...but alhamdulillah, he had his own initiative to learn and do revision prior the test. He didn't do well in Pendidikan Teras Islam (actually Mama malu jugak...dpt 60% jer) simply because he didn't understand the questions, since the questions were all in Malay Language. Knowing the fact that Wafitos is not so fluent in Malay, so it's acceptable for him getting only C in that particular subject. Actually it's quite hard for him to understand even the phrases 'menunaikan zakat, mengucap dua kalimah'. So, his father has to translate the lessons to English and explain to him in English. The problem now is, he can only understand the lessons in English. But sometimes, I think that translating the lessons to English is not the best way to teach him, cos' after all, teachers will teach in Malays and the exam questions will be in Malay too. If anyone can help me with some tips how to handle this problem...please feel free to give us some advice.

Wafitos has been exposed to English Islamic books long before he could read and write. That's why he's quite terbiasa with terms and phrases in English. He knows selected stories of the prophets, but he can only re-tell them in English. Actually, his English is not excellent, it's just that he is more comfortable conversing in that particular languange.

After some thoughts, I may conclude that I fail in trying to make my kids bilingual. At last, they end up in the middle- not too good in either language, English nor Malay-. I think I must find a new method to teach the coming soon child inshaAllah.

Well, there's another intriguing story. Actually it's not that intriguing, but it's rather disturbing. (Sorry, nak gi ambil asam kejap. mulut ni rasa lain mcm jer...pause kejap yer)

Ok I'm back. Tak jadi makan asam...I makan plum jer. sedapnya...yg masam cicah ngan garam sikit. U know, when I was doing my degree overseas, I love eating plums and peaches during spring and summer. Believe it, sekali makan dok dpn tv, boleh habiskan sekilo dua, non-stop. Then muka pun jadi warna peach...heheh.

Actually I'm quite worried with the way Wafitos' Maths teacher teach the kids Maths. One day last week, the teacher asked each and every students to MEMORIZE addition table. The next day, she will ask them one by one. I do was very shocked to hear that. As far as I know, it's not the appropriate method to ensure the students can addition sums correctly and quickly. There are many other ways to make them see the patterns of addition and adding numbers logically and correctly. But certainly, MEMORIZING is not applicable in Maths.

I may not an expert in education or teaching and learning, but I did attend courses on T&L for the past three years in the University which I'm attached to. Memorizing 1+3+4, 1+5+6....so on, actually is a waste of time. So, instead of helping Wafitos to memorize, I teach him the patterns of addition. I explain to him that whatever number is added to one, the answer must be the next number. Whatever number being added with O, the answer must be that same number. So at last, alhamdulillah...he could actually do the sums without memorizing "membuta tuli" as suggested by his teacher, with my intervention.

Oh...it's so hard to be a Mom nowadays. Being a mom is like being a General Manager or a CEO of a big company. There are so many things boggle your mind, so many thoughts brewing in your head. It's really a never-ending position or job. Once you accepted this job, you'll stick to it for the rest of your life. No retrenchment scheme, no quitting, no pension, and the worst of all, not even an off day.

After being a mom, I understand why Islam forbids women to be the head of a country (Prime Minister or Queen or President). It's not because of women are less competent than men or women are weak, but it's because Allah has given women the more important, noble and complex executive job than being Prime Minister, which is being a mother. Who says a mom is nothing compared to a P.M? Let us compare between a mom and a P.M. Does a mom has many other ministers to help her taking care of her family affairs? Does a mom just give out orders to other people to carry out her missions? I bet all the answers are NO.

Who is the Education Minister in a family?
Who is the Minister of Entertainment in a family?
Who is the Minister of Solidarity and Family Development in a family?

So, that's why. When Islam forbids women to be elected as the head of country, it's merely because women are more competent and capable of managing the family affairs than men. No one is more suitable for the job other than women. That's why, those women who fight for equality, or fight to become a leader is actually those who don't realize their own privileges given by Allah to them. It's so sad to see them fighting for something that is not suitable for them, and abandoning their own privilege.

Ok. I think it's enough for this time. The couch has been waiting for me.....

It's here again...

It's here again after almost 5 years.

It's quite unexpected, unplanned yet most welcomed!

The moment I knew it come, I'm quite thrilled yet nervous.

What is it going to be like this time around?

Can I cope all the challenges and dizziness and throws?

How should I celebrate it?

Would it change my daily routine tremendously?

How should I react to it's arrival?

Can I patiently wait for nine months to really enjoy the 'sufferings' and pain?

May Allah bestows me His 'inayah' to go through this.....

MORNING SICKNESS!!!

Maulidurrasul....

The blessed day of Maulidurrasul was celebrated with joy and varieties of so-called Islamic programs was held all across the country. The annual gatherings in every states, forums, talks, nashid concerts and so on were among the routine of this important day for the Muslims. The question is, are these the most proper and right way to celebrate the birth of the last Prophet of mankind? Are these sufficient for the Muslims to show their gratitudes, love and respect towards their beloved Prophet?

Celebrating Maulidurrasul in such ways is neither unlawful nor prohibited. However, we must bear in mind that one of the ways to show our love to Rasulullah s.a.w. is by following his Sunnah as much as we can in our everyday lives. Following the Sunnah is also not only restricted to personal matters, ibadah and family affairs. We shouldn't confine the true concept of Sunnah to trivial matters such as polygamy, the way we dress, keeping the moustache, etc. As a matter of fact, the Sunnah of Rasulullah transcends politics, administration, etc. Sunnah comprises every aspects of life and relevant enough to be followed and implemented till the end of the world.

Thus, we should try to understand Sunnah profoundly and correctly. This is due to the rising numbers of Muslims who misunderstood the Sunnah or distort it to justify their needs and acts. When Rasulullah s.a.w. said that we, Muslims couldn't go astray from the right path of Islam if we hold on to al-Qur'an and Sunnah, it means that provided we understand the true meaning and spririt of Sunnah, InshaAllah we will we safe.

May Allah subhanahu wa Taala bless upon our beloved Prophet, and place him in the place that he most deserved.

Cuti-cuti Malaysia ...pt 2

Cuti-Cuti Malaysia...

Last week, I went on a "cuti-cuti Malaysia" vacation with my family, my parents and three aunts from Singapore. (they are above 50s, ok. So basically, it was just like being a tourist guide for persatuan warga emas). My parents and aunts arrived at my house at 12 pm. After a short rest, quenching their thirst with some juice, we started our journey to Terengganu in two cars. We used the Karak Highway, then went on the LPT until we arrived at Kuala Terengganu at 9 pm. It was really tiring, but luckily I was only the map reader, not the driver. So, every now and then I could take a short nap throughout the journey.

That night, we stayed at Primula Beach Resort at K.T. The 4 -star hotel was quite good and cosy, nevertheless, we couldn't spend much time appreciating our stay at that hotel, since at 10 a.m the next day, we checked out and started our tour around KT. Our first place in the tour list was the Pasar Payang. Takkanlah gi KT tak gi Pasar Payang. IT was really a BIG test for me, since shopping around with warga emas was soooooo challenging. Just imagine, they could lost anytime, they were sooo slow, every now and then one of them would go to the toilet....bla..bla..bla. Memang mencabar, cos I'm the type of person yg mcm lipas kudung kalau shopping. So actually, eventhough we spent more than two hours there, we only went to half of the shop lots at the second floor only!

Then, we went to Masjid Terapung. It was built on a lake, we performed our Zuhur prayer there and took some nice shots around the masjid. After lunch, we went to the must-visit-place, and in fact the main reason my parents and aunts came long way from the South of Peninsular Malaysia to KT. It was Pulau Wan Man...

The main attraction at Pulau Wan Man is of course the Masjid Kristal. It was not so magnificient in architecture, but anyhow I think it's worth to be visited. It was made from glass, so, it looks like a sparkling mosque at noon, when we arrived there. What I like most about the masjid is the cool air-cond. Ha ha.....tak masuk akal kan...? But, as I entered the mosque, I felt like entering Masjid Nabawi...cos' it was so cooling in the masjid. (Oh, I miss Makkah and Madinah...)

Then, we went to the nearby Taman Tamadun Islam. It was still under construction, yet tourists and visitors were allowed to visit and enter the completed phase of that taman. My kids and my aunts were so excited seeing and snapping pictures of the replicas of mosques from various places. There were mosque from Brunei, China, Indonesia( Wali Songo), Iran and also Taj Mahal. However, as I saw Masjidil Aqsa's replica there, I felt so touch and sad, thinking of the future of that holy place of Muslim and the people of Palestine.

From Pulau Wan Man, we went to Pulau Duyung. I wanted my kids to see the traditional boat making. We reached there around 5 pm. After that, we dropped by at Losong and bought some keropok lekor. Then only, we continue our journey to Kota Bharu.

We reached KB at 10 pm, straight away checked in at New Pacific Hotel at KB. The next morning, still feeling exhausted, but we went to Pasar Siti Khadijah after breakfast at Hotel's coffehouse. It was Friday...so most of the shops around that Pasar and in KB in general are closed. Anyway, we bought some turtle's eggs, pulut hitam, madu kampung, tudung bawal (for my sisters) and several baju caftan. We had our lunch at at a special restaurant that served Turkish and Arabic dishes. Yum.yum....lama tak makan. Murah betul makan kat KB nie...tak mcm K.L.

After Friday prayer, we spent an hour at Pantai Chaya Bulan. The kids played kites with their father, while my Mom and I spent time talking and drinking coconut juice at the beach. Hmm...so relaxing. After that, we went to Pulau Melaka.....guess what? We searched Tok Guru's house! That was not included in our initial planning, but my dad really wanted me to find the Tok Guru Nik Aziz's house. So, I called my best friend, who is a Kelantanese. With her clear and good guide, alhamdulillah we arrived at Tok Guru's house and masjid at Asar. Tok Guru was not there, but we managed to snap some pictures of his markaz.

From Tok Guru's place, we continued our journey to Paloh Rawa, a relative's house. He is my father's long-lost second cousin. So we spent our night there, sharing our stories and it was so good to hear from them. Dapat mengeratkan silaturrahim. Actually, the main purpose of our journey to Kelantan was to visit our relatives here. My Dad is a kind of person yg suka menziarah sanak saudara, tak kira tua atau muda. Fifteen years ago, we had done a journey menjejak kasih to Kelantan, purposely to find our long-lost realtives there. So, this time, after fifteen years, my Dad brought his three sisters to visit them.

Staying a night at the "real" kampung was so great and indeed a new experience for my kids. They could see buffalos, cows, perigi, and the rubber plantation. The kampung is really a kampung, where everybody knows each other well, where we could experience staying in a wooden house with no window grills,where the kids couldn't run around the house cos there were scared of the sound of the wooden floor. The morning dew, the chill water, the simple life...ohhh...I love it so much.

The next day, we went to Jeli, to visit another relative. After that, we started to journey home, but this time around, we followed the Jeli-Gerik route. Since the air and scenery along Jeli-Gerik was so fresh (mountains along the way), we decided to switch off the air cond so that we could feel the nature around us. On the way, we stopped by about half an hour at a hot spring near Jeli.

Upon entering Perak, we spotted a very nice place. It looked like a big lake or a dam. We stopped by there. It was Pulau Banding (kalau tak silap), yg ada hutan simpan Belum. Apa lagi, seronoknya. We went on an hour tour around the island by boat. Subhanallah..cantiknya...rasanya mcm nak bermalam jer. Ada camping site lagi.....but susahlah cos bawak warga emas nie...bukanya boleh activity yg lasak sikit.

We reached home at 11 pm that day. Though the journey was sooooooo tiring, but it was an enjoyable one. I'm so satisfied cos I had the chance to make my aunts and my parents happy. Actually kesian betul dekat my aunts tu....they have money, they have time, but nobody wants to entertain them, even their own kids! Nak harapkan anak2 bawa berjalan...jgn haraplah. So terpaksalah menumpang kasih ngan my parents and my husband and I untuk entertain them.

Honestly speaking, the vacation was not our dream vacation. It was more like bringing them for a tour, melayan org2 tu (I prefer a vacation on an Island in Terengganu or Tasik Kenyir...) Trust me, bukannya senang nak pergi berjalan ngan 5 org warga emas...kena banyak sabar. However, kami berpuashati sebab we believe, if we make our parents and elderly happy, Allah will make us happy too. And, Allah Maha Menunaikan Janji, a day after I reached home, I got a good news. Allah has really made me happy. MasyaAllah..sekejap jer Allah dah beri balasan yg setimpal dgn keikhlasan dan kesabaran kami ingin menggembirakan org2 tua.

So..what's the great and good news then? InshaAllah next time I'll announce it.