A Month Of Bountiful Blessings

It's the end of November. Many things have been going on in my life. Good and bad; but I'll just put aside the bad ones, which were mentioned in some of my posts. Today I am going to highlight the blessings I get throughout the month. As I used to say, I am counting my blessings, so let it be kept like priceless treasure and fold nicely in one part of my life. They all have a special place in my heart.

My blessings at random :

1. I am very proud of my nieces achievements this year. They are in primary schools and excel well in their studies. Two of my nieces, both 12 years old, sat for their Year 6 UPSR Examination and achieved good grades in all the 5 subjects. To Nur Syaheerah and Nur Samhana, heartiest congratulations, you made your parents proud and made me proud too. Both of them got 4 straight As, in Bahasa Malaysia Paper 1, Bahasa Malaysia Paper 2, English and Mathematics and 1B each for Science. Next year, they will go to secondary school. For those outside Malaysia, I would like you to know that Mathematics and Science are taught in English. Actually, in primary school, pupils learn 11 subjects altogether but for the Year 6 UPSR, only 5 papers are assessed in their public examination. They are the core subjects only.

Other than these two, my other nieces and nephews have their fair share of doing well in school.

Nur Samhana

Nur Syaheerah

   

Izzet, 6 years old, on his 'graduation' day at his kindergarten.

Nur Farhana, among the best achievers in her school.
(She's wearing her school uniform.)

                  

2. My circle of friends grows as each day passes by. I am getting connected with bloggers friends from other parts of the world. I feel life's so wonderful being able to share so much thoughts, stories, cultures, talks and so on and all these enrich my life. Apart from that, meeting online friends always brings joy to me when I am able to catch up on some chats and jokes which always bring big smile to my face. Goofing around is fun. There's always a little child inside us even if we are grown-ups.

Bracelets from Manchester.

3. These are the gifts from my sister and brother-in-law in Manchester. They are the thoughtful couple who always think of us here. It's not only bracelets, whenever they are back here, we are always pampered with chocolates of various flavours and also perfume for everyone.

I love accessories but not too bold. The latest trend is oversize accessories but I am not into it. To me, less is more. I appreciate the bracelets and wear them for formal functions only.

Regarding my brother-in-law, we are from different cultures but he is able to cope with us whenever he is here.  Of course, he faces the communication barrier with my mom who does not speak English. That is a situation what we call as a conversation between a 'hen and a duck', a typical joke here, because they aren't birds of a feather so, language-wise neither one understands what they  talk  about. Nevertheless, my mom would talk in our dialect or Bahasa Malaysia with some sign language  and he, in English. Somehow, they click well! We are the living translators when both sides seem blur.



No, this isn't me. This is my sister in London.



4. Apart from the above gift, this week,  I got an "Influential Blogger Award" from a sweet lady, Stephaine of Philippines. As I said before, I am not in the position to say the person I am or of my character. It's up to friends and readers to "assess" me to be in what category I should be. Thanks a lot to Stephaine. I am touched because she puts her heart into making the award a reality by spending five days working on it.  Her touching posts made me cried. I admire her courage in sharing part of her life with us. What more could I say other than my 2-cents and I wish Stephaine a happy and blessed life with her beloved DK.

I am not forgetting the rest of my friends. I am extending my deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to everyone of you and especially to my bloggers' friends who have, in one way or another, made it possible for me to keep going in this blogging world. Your awards, comments and encouragements have always been a great inspiration to me. Others who help me in the technical side, for your advices and tips, for pointing out my mistakes, you are simply awesome! I need people like you around. You are just like oxygen which I need most to keep me 'breathing'  in blogging. To all my followers here and at bloggers, you all mean the whole world to me. You have filled up my days with happiness upon getting your votes, visits and comments. Don't hesitate to give me constructive comments. It will indeed be a boost to improve my style of writing and you can pin-point my typos too. I am open-minded, so don't worry. You won't get bitten for telling me so!

Cheers, everyone!

  

P.S. Bahasa means language. Bahasa Malaysia is our national language.
       English comes as the second language.

A Captivating Calmness

Calmness of vast blue
As far as the eyes can see
A priceless treasure.

Under spreading leaves

Mind distresses anxieties

Calmness enveloping.

Absolute safety
My heart yearns in this calmness
Soothed by slow tick clock.

Balqis
Great creations appreciation.
24.11.2010

*All photos were personally taken by me at Tanjung Batu Beach
 and at Tanjung Kidurong highway, Bintulu.

Letting Out The Little Beast

 Mood swings settle in...

Feel like stomping my feet

as loud as the elephant's stomp.

Feel like shouting more louder

than Tarzan's voice across the mile.

Feel like strangling....who???....till

the tongue hangs out low! Grrrrrrrrrr!

My head's on fire

My eyes sparkle red with fury

My breath warmer than boiling water

Dare to come near me

Your skin will burn, not to ashes

But just hideous like cooked lobster
Which can satisfy my anger pang.

Why?...why?? Why did it happen?

Irritation takes its toll
Frustration follows lead
Erratic thoughts on the run

Expectation running high
Emotions raging wild.

 

This is madness....pure madness

That has brought in the chaos
Causing havoc here and there

Running down everything in the way

Sparing nothing, nothing at all

All - victims of destructions.

----------------------------------------

I

Had

Let

The

Beast

Out!

And now....

A Triumph!

A Victory!

A Battle Won!

A Jubilation!

So....

Congratulations to myself!

Balqis
Emotional expressions,                  
Warm Sunday afternoon,
Something bugs me.
21.11.2010

Anecdotes - That Spice Up My Life

Certain things happen in our lives which can make us laugh. I am sharing the real situations of  how I feel life is indeed interesting and always full of surprises.

#1. Last week, I went to a boutique looking for a dress. Picked one and tried it in the fitting room. While putting it on, heard a voice calling right outside the fitting room, "Anybody home?"

Another lady was waiting her turn to try the dress of her choice.

#2. Overheard a conversation among four boys.
      
       Boy A :  When you grow up, what car do you want to drive?
       Boy B :   Alza
       Boy C :   Any Proton car will do.
       Boy A :   I want an expensive car cos my dad has lots of money.
       Boy D :   Oh well, I'd buy any car as long as I can drive it to work.

Remember when we were children, we had fancies and we did not know how much the value of money was. Thinking about it now would bring back smiles!

#3.  Talking to two-year-old Syasya is always fun. She's so bubbly. Sometimes, she gives surprising  answers!

        Syasya  :  Fiss, fiss!
        Mama   :  What is it?
        Syasya  :  (pointing to an aquarium) Fiss.
        Mama   :   Fish, baby.
        Syasya  :   Fissssss!
        Mama   :   Oh ok, you're right!

        Another situation.

        Mama  :   Where do you want to go this evening?
        Syasya :  To paygound (playground)
        Mama  :   Where else?
        Syasya :   To moi  (mall)
        Mama  :   What do you want to buy at the mall?
        Syasya :   Colate  (chocolate)
        Mama  :   What if we don't have the money?
        Syasya :   Go bank!
        Mama  :   Clever girl!

That's how a two-year-old talks. Her words are still missing some syllables.


#4.  My three nieces are models-to-be! The trio have good taste in  dressing up and keep on saying that they want to become models. So, I asked them how models pose, here they are!

9-year-old Melissa.

Models for the car make!
Nana and Rabiatul in baju kurung (traditional costume).


 #4. I always feel blessed meeting new friends who are not only friendly and nice but hilarious! Got to know some bloggers'  friends who always make my day with all their jokes. It's so much fun being at bloggers "watching" them fight with words. I am referring to a duo (you know who you are) who are so witty in replying to each other and never want to give in, not for a minute! Sometimes, I feel I am like a referee standing at one corner, having a hard time to decide who's the winner of the fight!

And, there's this young magistrate who is so hilarious. Yesterday, after a gathering, I was saying , "See you again!" to him. Lo! what was his answer, "Ok, See you again.....in court!" Hey...I am not attending any court cases but that's a magistrate's way of answering to show the position he is in!  Don't sue me for that!

Hey, what are you up to, Mr Magistrate? Wrapping up a live friend to be a mummy?
(This pic was taken during our annual dinner recently. Apart from eating, we had games.)

I guess there are many more surprises in store, just for anyone of us, as we live through.




Windows To The Heart

                                          ( 1 )

                           
                           Crystal clear brown eyes, 

                   Windows to the inner self,

                      Reflect one's beauty.

                             ( 2 )              

                            
                             See you as you are,

           Much strengths capture little heart,

                     Embrace everything.

                               
                              ( 3 )
            

                              Captivating eyes,

            Develop thousand meanings,

                        Bind mutuality.

                                          

                        From the eyesight of,

                                Balqis

                       
                      At the wee hours of Saturday

                      Little roars of thunder above

                               13NOV2010     

*Another Haiku?
I never restrict myself on letting the words flow
and expressing freely what's on my mind.

Not expecting perfection for it's an endless wait.
My weaknesses in your tender care.



Image from yahoo.

The Promised Happiness That Never Was

Sara looked far into the darkness of the night. The owl was hooting somewhere among the trees that looked grotesque and eerie.  It was so painstakingly calling out for the moon to brighten the darkness but in vain, the moon seemed to be comfortable hiding behind the dark clouds.

It would be dead silence if not for the hooting owl and crickets that intermingled and produced some kind of solemn music. Sara's mind was in turmoil. Her eyes were swollen as if she had cried tears of blood. Who would understand that big pain in her heart? Who would be able to remove the burden of the heavy stone on her shoulders? It was so unbearable, but she must carry it.

She had never regretted coming this far and facing the bitterness of life. A big lesson to be learned, if it had to be so. Sara being so naive would easily put the blame on herself though she did not deserve it. Helpless as she was, it was beyond her mean to learn what were in store for her. She was a cheerful and chirpy type of person who just loved the company of friends or just anyone. But tonight, all the cheerfulness and chirpiness had gone into the cold dark night; she felt everything had turned stone-cold. She was grief-stricken, not because of losing anyone she loved but for what was beyond her expectation. With a deep sigh of sadness, her mind wandered back to what had happened earlier......

The music from the radio was at full blast. She had wanted to switch it off  but no! she was not in any position of having the right to do so, even if it was right in her home. Aidil looked furious, his anger knew no bounds. A petty matter to Sara but everything boiled up.....and he avenged on anything he could get hold of not sparing the radio to full blast. Their son, poor innocent little boy, was the cause of it all. A little bit mischievous and accidentally, he had broken an expensive antique jar in the living room. And the blame was on Sara for not taking good care of their son. Not keeping him under her watchful eyes every minute of the hour and  not disciplining him to be a good boy.

"You brainless woman!," shouted Aidil in fury. Sara was startled. Brainless? Was I born brainless? She was thinking quickly as she felt the sharp pierce of the words into her eardrums.

She fought back and said, "How dare you say that! My parents brought me into this world with brain!"

Voices full of rage could be heard in the house. Her son was crying and Sara was holding him tight in her arms and she was in tears too which were uncontrollable tears like torrents of rain.

"I regret marrying you for you don't even know your responsibilities as a wife and mother!" shouted Aidil.

That was too much for Sara. She could not stand it any longer. She cried out, "Who in the first place wooed me? There were so many other guys who had wanted to befriend me but you!.. you were chasing after me like .......". She could not say it....she choked because the word she wanted to say was  really a bad word. She could not say it in front of her son.

"We are tied with the holy words and promises of matrimony. How could you say this to me?" cried Sara.

Aidil got up, took the car key and stormed out of the house. A loud roar of engine could be heard outside followed by the screeching sounds of tyres. Aidil sped off like a wind.

Sara broke down in tears again. She felt as if her heart was stabbed with a dagger. She felt every muscle of her body had limped and she was too fragile to get up. Her son had stopped crying. He seemed to understand the pain his mother faced and did not want to hurt her more with his cry.

This was not the first time Aidil badly treated her. So many countless times over other matters which could have been solved peacefully. A hard-headed and quick-tempered Aidil would not take it. He felt that he was right in everything.

The incident had left Sara in pain. She sighed again....She had called her mother and asked her advice.

"Come back to me, baby. If he said that, it means he doesn't want you anymore. Come back here." said her mother.

Now, she still looked into the darkness of the night and haven't decided on what to do.

**Just a wandering mind of Balqis. The story was written for the sake of writing and does not reflect me in any way or any situation.

Balqis
08.11.2010
A rainy Monday night.


Image from www.flickr.com/photos

An Engagement And A Wedding

Last weekend was a busy one for me having to attend several functions. On Saturday attended a friend's wedding and another's engagement. Coincidentally, both bearing the same names but the events were at two different places and at different times. Time for feasting again, whether it is a wedding or an engagement, many mouth-watering food are for guests. The ceremony is not complete without food like curry chicken/beef, rendang beef, fried fish in dark soy sauce, eggs cooked in sauce, mixed vegetables, fruits pickle, fruits, rice and soft drinks.

The first ceremony I attended was the wedding ceremony of my friend, Sebrina, a young and beautiful girl, who is always available to help with the technical side at work. She is our IT technician. At 10 a.m. my friends and I headed off to her house. The place was full of guests and everybody was in the merry mood. We straight away went to see Sebrina congratulating her on her big day and handed over some wedding presents. Apart from wedding presents, it is customary here to give away some amount of money which is put inside an envelope and given to the family members or representatives of the host. It is also considered as a present to the wedded couple.

Young and beautiful Sebrina at her best being groomed before meeting her husband.

 



The happy newly-wed couple dressed in traditional attires.

  
In the afternoon at 1.30 p.m., I attended another friend's engagement. As mentioned earlier, both bearing the same name though spelt differently. The lucky girl of the day was Nor Sabrina engaged to be married in November this year.

The same scenario could be seen at her house. Full of guests, young and old. The delegates from the man's side arrived with eleven beautifully decorated trays of gifts for Sabrina. In return, the girl's side gave away thirteen trays of gifts. It is a must to give gifts in odd numbers as part of the custom.

The beautifully decorated trays of gifts from the man's side ranging from expensive attires to perfume , a set of make-up, handbag and shoes.



Chocolates, fruits, cakes and man attires are some of the gifts from the girl's side.

The mother-in-law-to-be slid the engagement ring on Sabrina's slender finger.

The newly engaged, sweet Sabrina, dressed up in white.

Sabrina and a friend admired the gifts.

Here's a brief preliminaries prior to the wedding.

Majlis Pertunangan,  engagement ceremony is carried out after both sides have agreed to hold it at a certain date. When a couple in a relationship agreed to get engaged, the man will inform his parents of his intention. The parents or relatives will go over to the girl's house in what is called as merisik, literally translated enquiring whether the girl is available and does not belong to someone else. During merisik the elders of the man's delegates normally ask in a such a fine way by reciting the pantun, more like a poem or rhyme of four lines. An example of what is said is, " We are attracted by a flower blooming in your garden. It is our humble wish to pick the flower for our beetle at home." This could be the answer from the representatives of the girl's side, " Our flower isn't that attractive. But if it is your wish to pick it for your beetle, we humbly accept it as the flower does not belong to anyone else." What I write here are simple examples of how the merisik is carried out. Actually, we are rich in culture and elders usually have such a great way of conveying their intention to the girl's side.

The man's representatives will go again for the second time to the girl's house. This time, many matters are discussed prior to the engagement. For example, the dowry and once a certain amount is agreed, the next step is to hold an engagement ceremony.

On the engagement day, lots of gifts are exchanged between the man's and the girl's sides. The mother-in-law-to-be usually slides the ring into the girl's finger representing her son.

After the engagement, the next step is the wedding day. After being engaged for a few months, the couple are going to be married. The couple have to go through the Majlis Akad Nikah, an Islamic requirment and rule, which is to be observed before the couple are legally proclaimed husband and wife. It is sort of a wedding contract signed and agreed by the groom to wed the bride based on Islamic rules. Here, the ceremony is usually carried out at Jabatan Agama Islam (Islamic Religious Department) or at the girl's house.

After the akad nikah is the Majlis Bersanding, a wedding reception. Months before the reception, wedding cards are sent to friends, relatives and neighbours inviting everyone to the big day. On the wedding day itself, the couple are dressed in traditional attires and sit on the pelamin, a dais which is beautifully decorated. They are called as King and queen of the day.

What I write is not in details but the main events are mentioned here. The engagement and wedding ceremonies may vary in different parts of Malaysia.

To both Sabrinas, I wish them an everlasting love till the end of time.