Effortless Da'wah.

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Watching this video shared by my junior in MRSM KKB, Bro Azmir Azlan, made me feel I would like to share one of my status updates (trust me if you are a follower of my Facebook account, one just have to bear with me with super lengthy status updates. I always hang out with Ummi, my mother especially when she is always and out of the hospital and we have doctors' appointments almost everyday, so I release my stress on it just to communicate with other people) about da'wah and hidayah on women.

This video, enlightened me on the fact that if we keep having good intention among others, without trying to preach them but showing good examples, and especially pray for them, Allah will help us to spread da'wah effortlessly. This 5 minutes video also made me cried a bit, because in this vid, Aamir Khan pushed his mother's wheelchair among the millions of humans during Hajj season. Reminded me during Hajj 2008 when Ummi was sick as well, and I had my lunch but Ummi was too weak to follow me to the dining area. I got a plate of food for Ummi, but as usual, there were too many people waiting for their turn to get on the elevator. I gave up on waiting, and Allah knows where I had the might to climb up 20 flights of floor to reach our hotel room at the 10th floor. Just because I was worried Ummi was getting hungrier by the minute. We might think that it would be something for us to do for our parents, but no that kind of deed could never ever be compared to our parents' love and sacrifices for us.

You may see that right now I keep updating my blog more, even backdated posts because sometimes it gets too exhausting from managing my mother's illness, I just relax myself a bit by updating my blog. Where I feel like I am in my own zone. Although I intend to have my blog more like a Travel-Foody blog (not so lifestyle because I mainly focus on travelling and eateries reviews) but insha Allah if I have status updates which I might feel beneficial on us mankind generally and Muslims specifically, I will share just with the intention and hope that it will bring benefit to others no matter how small it may be.

This status update was well-received (almost 200 likes) so maybe, insha Allah, if others read it, ponder over it, might spread more benefit I hope. I have edited it to add some more points which I think explains more of it. So here goes :

"One reason I am never sarcastic or harsh about Muslimahs who do not observe their aurah (yet) because I always remember who I was before I observe my aurah. 

And I always remember my sister when she wore skirts & definitely no Jilbab yet, she was condemned & those who condemned her also condemned my mother & I for observing our aurah while my sister did not, were the ones who observe their aurah 

or as for the men, the so-called pious ones. And yes these 'pious' people hurt my feelings so bad till I cried wondering "What have I done to them? Did I ever hurt their feelings?" 

However when my Sister obtained hidayah to finally wears hijab, lillahi taala, after she read a Malay novel which had the sentence "What if when one wants to repent on the 12th hour, dies at the 11th hour?" Only when she confessed to me, that moment I confessed I wept when people condemned her for not wearing hijab yet, while I know she's a good daughter, protects her modesty and prays 5 times a day. And on 1st Ramadhan last year, she started to wear Hijab, I remember most of those who congratulated & supported her are the ones who don't observe their aurah, while those who condemned my family, and made me cried with such bitter words, the 'pious' ones, did not make a sound at all.

So yes those are the reasons that I don't judge people by their appearance. Some people I opine, are riya' and takabur with their piety. They look down upon those who are not as pious as them. I reckon that is wrong because I always remember Allah is Powerful, if He wants to make us all humans as Muslims or all of us Muslims as obedient Muslims, with all his Might & Power He can, only He chooses not to for His own reasons because He is the Wisest. I am also in the opinion, if, we are sarcastic to whom we may think not as pious as us, and we only mingle among those who may be on the same level as us, then how can we spread da'wah? 

I have experienced in my life a few ladies, whom wore skimpy clothes before but when I complimented them after their Hijrah, they told me "I wore them because I see that you are so beautiful in Hijab. And you are nice to me although I didn't wear like you before." So for me, da'wah can be spread with smiles, tender loving care, and especially good kind words & respect. One of these ladies I mentioned, she past away right after a few weeks she wore Hijab in Ramadhan, and past away in Shawal. Before that when I knew her, she would wear the skimpiest clothes even during Ramadhan, but when she started to wear Hijab, she started to be close to Al-Qur'an back, but Allah had better plans for her when she died in a car crash, the car was entirely burnt. It gave me goosebumps when I saw her photo in the news that she was wearing the Hijab that she bought from my booth (our Ramadhan booths were neighbours so our families became close). So I wonder, she past away when Hidayah came to her, so it was not impossible that she was purer than most of us at the time of her death. Wallahu'alam. I also recently encountered a 63 year old woman, sitting very high positions, but she humbly asked me "Can you teach me how you wear your Hijab? Your style is so pretty. I just recently wore Hijab." I just smiled to her and said "Alhamdulillah of course I can." So if a lady that is so much like my own Mother, can have great humility on the aspect of life which she feels she does not master, who are we to belittle others on the imaan?

I always pray for my Hidayah to be steadfast, but I don't like to judge, I will always remember who I was before. And who I am going to be tomorrow, I don't have the power to foresee my future. I may still be observing my aurah, or nauzubillah I may not. I may still be a Muslim, or nauzubillah I may not. However I always try my best to pray for myself & others, with the hopes others will pray for me too. However sarcasm on one's ibadah or 'amal is never my way of life. Allah is the Most Powerful to turn someone into a better or worse person. If we love our brothers & sisters just like the Rasulullah SAW loves us, I believe we should be kind to them, and pray for them insha Allah. And Allah will help us insha Allah. Wallahua'lam bissawab."

Just to recap, the lessons learnt from this very video are :

1) Allah can guide anyone he pleases, so never give up hope.

2) Do not pre-judge anyone, no matter your perception of them is.

3) Allah draws the creation to his friends and grants them honour.

4) Do dawah with wisdom and kindness, so as not to overburden and pressure people.


As usual, thanks for reading. =)

XOXO,

Sue

Jom Makan! Salmon Cappanelli @ eToile Bistro, Equatorial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. (February 2012)

Assalamualaikum Readers,

Today I was scheduled to serve a function / night make-up on a client at Equatorial Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL. Since she was still at Bukit Bintang to do some last minute shopping, it was just perfect for me to have my late lunch. My family and I we always eat at Nipah Coffeehouse since I was a kid because the buffet are delicious and my father really likes the warm hospitality of the staff here, thus I intended to order some local delicacy there.

However I was greeted with a closed for public Nipah since it was the location for a 2 year old birthday party there. I saw this tall, beautiful woman smiled warmly at me and walked towards me. I quickly approached the Manager and asked for the venue for me to dine since Nipah was closed for me. The Manager brought me to the upper level and informed me that Nipah held a private event for Johan Raja Lawak's son's birthday party. Oh so the woman who approached me was his wife Ozlynn Wati! I really like to watch them on the cheesy yet fun Jejaka J series on Astro Prima. Both of them are real whackos. =D Then I was starstruck to see Johan walking towards Nipah with his retro looking Jeans and Shirt with Big Afro hair. Oh I really hope he will win this upcoming Anugerah Bintang Paling Popular because he is so funny and entertaining. =)

Oh yes, so coming back to my grumbling tummy, the Manager led me to a bistro which he said sells Western especially Italian food.

Welcome to eToile Bistro. Please do not add a T at the end of the name. =D

Cosy decor with sunlight coming through. Yes I just ordered iced water to quench my thirst and definitely to save. =D

They specialized on Pizzas.

Obviously selling mostly Italian dishes.



Most of the dishes in the menu cost RM 20 to 30 above and I was getting hungrier by the minute looking at the selection of Pasta such as Meatballs with Spaghetti,  Spaghetti Formaggio, Shrimp Scampi and Clams and Cappellini even Spaghetti Seafood Tom Yam to name a few.


I made my order (most of the staff are Filipinos, very warm and friendly) and yes I was literally famished by then. Was expecting for the best obviously since the name and the description was so good.


And here came my order. 

Salmon Cappellini. RM 35
Sauteed fresh salmon with spinach, olive oil and herbs.

The colours, the aroma, really made me happy already.

I tell you, this dish came hot from the wok and MASHA ALLAH IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELISH! The chunks of salmon covering the Angel Hair spaghetti were so fresh, tender, juicy and generous.  And of course we know salmon is rich with Omega 3 Fatty Acids which is good for the heart. The tomatoes and spinach were drenched with healthy and yummy olive oil (all 3 ingredients are awesome for beautiful skin and youthfulness). Sprinkled with Cheese and caramelized onions. It was a brilliant dish! Compliments to the Chef! I don't think it's hard to cook this but anyway I was glad I was the only customer inside (most were outside) so I could look as ugly as possible enjoying my meal. =D


So yes people, seriously, this is an order you will not regret.
So yes, inclusive of Government Tax and Service Charge, total damage was about RM 40 but I was happy because I loveeeeee what I ate. =)

Ah yes, since it is a bistro, you may order lovely (insha Allah great tasting) cakes here too.

I was attracted with a variety of Cheese Sticks offered.

The bread and doughnuts look good too.




After leaving some minimal tip, I left eToile Bistro with a satisfied grin, now to satisfy my customer with awesome make-up service insha Allah. =)


Thanks for reading! =)

XOXO,
Sue

Day 2 - Jom Jimba! Giant Slides for Kids @ Adventureland, Batu Feringghi, Pulau Pinang (November 2011)

Assalamualaikum,

Today is the day for the little kids (and the not so little ones too) in the family to really have a blast enjoying themselves. They were brought to Adventure Zone which apparently the kids have played there for many times especially during family gatherings.

Naima with her alter ego Dora. =D Love her flip flops with socks! =D

Deena & Dora.

Deena & Ariq. Oh the sweet smile on Ariq~ Don't be deceived. =D

Packed with parents and their little ones.

Ok my photos showing the slides don't do justice on the height of the slides. They are massive and like really high.

Suspended bridge.

Only Nelly dared the highest slide. That one is the most steep. Most people became too scared at every attempt and she always had this "Apa ada hal." expression on her face.

Deena, once a kid. Always a kid. =D

Minah ni memang drama lebih.

Watching over the kids especially Ammar who was too daring to try everything tak padan dengan kecik.

And there he goes! =D

Deena & Aira my cousin, they kept trying to gather the courage to have a go on the red one, but always failed. I guess the older you are (supposedly taller) the fear for heights increases because they kept defensively said it looked way scarier from up there. Ohkay~ =D

Ummi & Deena

Oh yes actually there was a beach festival with numerous activities but I just checked out the nearest canopy. Hotel Buffet Decor by hotel chefs.

Oh Ammar & Alliyah how sweet? =)


So parents, I really think this is a place you should bring your kids to play if you visit Batu Feringgi. It is located in between Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Golden Sands Resort.  Adjacent to the Par 3 Executive Golf Course and tennis courts. So if the adults want to do their activities this place is safe for you to leave your children insha Allah because this UK based Adventure Zone have professional supervision.

For further info here is their website.

And below is a snapshot of the calm Batu Feringgi beach I took from on our way back to the city.

Thanks for reading! =)

XOXO,
Sue 

1st Attempt.

Salam people,

Hey I just saw 2 more followers just followed my blog. It really embarrassed me every time, because I rarely update my blog (only update when I am in the mood) but there are still kind people out there who have the pity on me to make my blog look a little more popular haha. As Kak Senduk says it "Sedeyhhhhhhhhh~" Hehe. He/She is my MOST FAVOURITE BLOGGER EVER!! Super awesome blog thanks to TonTon for introducing the wonderful world of Kak Senduk to me and the rest of my girl friends.

www.meriahuoll.blogspot.com

Enter only if YOU DARE! =D

I don't have anything specific to update, just kind of tired (ok that's a lie, more like lazy) from reading the Bar Council Ethics & Professional Standards Course reference which is 304 pages thin. I do enjoy reading it, honestly, but reading it for an exam (specifically tomorrow, 14th July 2011) can be quite daunting. However when I went to the replacement 1st session lecture today (I was a latecomer by 2 minutes last month at the first one so had to replace the session I missed) I briefly spoke to another pupil whom had taken the exam and he said it was easy, nothing academic nor substantive, purely practical but make sure I have gone through my reference and Legal Profession Act 1976 (LPA). It's either he's brilliant or lucky, but I have to do my reading definitely.

Ok this is not a book in Russian. I just snapped the photo of my Bar Council Ethics & Professional Standard Course textbook using Chobeeb's Photo Booth and obviously it gives the mirror image.

A common scene from the Ethics Lecture.

So yes, got to get back to studying. Why did I use first attempt? Because it's a very common scenario for pupils to fail this 3 hours written examination and it's common for pupils to repeat. I just hope I don't have to repeat or else I have to go to the same lecture from 8am-5pm again. So I pray that I will pass on my first attempt.

Ah yes, I was googling images for first attempt to inject some excitement to this entry, and all I was presented were these images which are apparently from a Tamil film namely

Siddu Plus Two First Attempt.

Urmmm..I totally have no idea what the title means, but whatever it is, the hero seems like a very lucky guy. LOL.

I'mmmmm Sidduuuuuuuu and I'mmmm a Babe Magnettttttt!!!!!

Ok people, yup yup, enough break here. YES ALL THE BEST TO MALAYSIA WHO'S GOING TO BE AGAINST ARSENAL for a friendly match tonight. Here's the list of players from Arsenal for tonight:

Wojciech Szczesny
Vito Mannone
Sebastien Squillaci
Johan Djourou
Kieran Gibbs
Carl Jenkinson
Laurent Koscielny
Andrey Arshavin
Marouane Chamakh
Ryo Miyaichi
Armand Traore
Thomas Vermaelen
Bacary Sagna
Theo Walcott
Alex Song
Jack Wilshere
Tomas Rosicky
Denilson
Aaron Ramsey
Emmanuel Frimpong
Samir Nasri
Carlos Vela
Robin van Persie

Ahaha actually I don't care much about their players, I am rooting for Malaysia always and I hope if we win this match, it will make our team to be more fierce for the Olympics & World Cup qualifications. We have beaten Taiwan & Indonesia, insha Allah HARIMAU MALAYA MAKE US PROUD!

Ok ok ok study study..hopefully I pass people. And I hope the Grand Luncheon (an attempt for us to familiarize with dining etiquette) right after the exam at Royal Selangor Club, Dataran Merdeka will be ohhhhsemmm~ I chose the Chicken Meal. Ok ok bubbyyee!!

By the way, ABAYA SURAYA is having a contest which offers prizes worth almost RM 3,500 so please log on to www.abayasuraya.blogspot.com for you to enter. =)

500 Days of Summer inspired me to update my blog! FINALLY!

Salam lovelies!

*sigh* ok that's a happy sigh. I was postponing, delaying and ultimately procrastinating to update The REAL CurHat Sue due to work commitments, Abaya Suraya blog updates commitments, or just due to mere laziness. Bad Suraya bad.

When was the last time I update this personal blog of mine? Well I fret to even have a peek at the last date tee hee. Nevertheless I miss updating it. I annoy people by updating my FB status updates frequently and I treat it like a mini-blog. Luckily for others that I do not own a Twitter account =D

So many great, wonderful things happened in my life alhamdulillah. Be it career-wise, love-life, family and social. Been to many places, witnessed so many things but not updated on my blog. Basically the last time I updated about my traveling was to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Well basically after that I visited Bali in April 2010 (Indonesia), Melbourne & Geelong twice in July & November 2010 (Australia), Pattaya in December 2010 (Thailand) and the latest to Padang (Indonesia) on this April of 2011. And of course not to forget roaming up and down of Peninsula Malaysia! And oh yes I am now a chambering student and I finally own an iPhone 4 named Latipah as well as my highly desired MacBook Air named Chobeeb. I'm using it now and I just thank my lucky stars for getting it at a bargain price of RM 3000 only (2 times installment from Abang Sham hehe). Hope I could everything in retrospect in the future.

Inche Chobeeb

Oh yes for all the random events in my life, photos snapped but time is my foe. So no updates on my blog. Sadly. However oh yes how this wonderful movie of 500 Days of Summer inspired me? Well, firstly I may say that it's the #1 movie for me for the 1st half 0f 2011. I watched it on TV, Star Movies quite recently. It's out of this world!!!

Ok here's the centrepiece:

Tom is an architect by training, a romantic by nature and a “perfectly adequate” greeting-card writer by trade (“Today you’re a man. Mazel tov on your Bar Mitzvah!”). He meets Summer—the sexy, quirky dream girl who doesn’t believe in love—when she takes a job in his office. This is Day 1 of their 500 days together, and if the set up sounds predictable, veteran music-video director Marc Webb does much to turn this tale on its head. For starters, Webb tells the story out of llinear sequence, with Summer dumping Tom over pancakes in the first ten minutes. The rest of the film reveals how they got to that point, and its aftermath, each segment beginning with the number of the day the couple is on—a delicious clue as to whether what follows will involve awkward courtship, playful flirtation, shower sex or the breaking of common household objects. With a soundtrack that includes the Smiths, Belle and Sebastian and current punks Black Lips, there’s a lot to love here: crisp dialogue, drunken karaoke, a bar fight, ironic voiceover, a split-screen fantasy sequence and a dance number set to Hall and Oates that’s nothing short of glorious. Leads Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel sizzle onscreen, with fine support from Geoffrey Arend and Matthew Gray Gubler as Tom’s well-intentioned, inept-at-love friends and Chloe Moretz as his wise-beyond-her-years sister. 500 Days of Summer is a slickly made anti-romantic comedy that happens to have plenty of romance and lots of comedy.

—Benjamin Friedland, West Coast Premiere.

Some of the pretty images from the movie:

So yes! It's crazy, it's wild but all draped in the fashion & persona of the 1950s/1960s which was to die for!! And best of all, as highlighted in the centrepiece above, the delivery of this movie was it just skips to the future and flashes back to the past in no particular order, but wonderfully, the viewers GET IT! =D

Get the preppy 500 Days of Summer look.

So yes, to make things short, I am going to just update my blog in no particular order of the dates or events. It could be current or very backdated, updated after the latest event. Well I may not be the director of 500 Days of Summer, but I am the director of my blog, and if you still bother to read my blog, then I thank you. And I hope you love it, just the way I love that fantastic, fantastic, fantastic movie. *standing ovation* =)

A cheeky image which is so relevant to the movie hehe.

Just sharing, the leather and Swarovski crystals bangle my sayang gave me, which I wear everyday without fail. Lost it, found it back, love it to bits and pieces. I can have a 500 days of you anytime. *blush* =)

Have a great day readers! =)