Pushing Yourself

Assalamualaikum.

There are some people that push themselves too hard and some who don't push themselves enough.

Which category do you fit in?

Well obviously there are problems with both.
The one i'm going to talk about today is pushing yourself too hard (especially for students; on studying).

I know that most of us, right now are preparing for our finals.
And if you're studying, that's good.
And if you're not, that's good too (provided that you have before this).

So how much is too little and how much is TOO much?

Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to that. It's different for everybody. That my friend, you have to figure out for yourself.
Some people like their coffee bitter, some like it sweet, some like it semi-sweet and some need different percentages of creamer. And creamer is another topic altogether. Real creamer? Whole milk? Skimmed milk? Fresh milk?

Even our coffee is complexity contained in a cup.
We are definitely more than a cup.

But what is definite is that we need variation. Deep down, no one wants a life that's dedicated to doing only ONE thing. We'll go mad if that were the case.

Examinations are stress-inducing (Whoahohoa., fancy *wink*).
We look around us and we see our classmates that always have books piled to their noses and we feel intimidated; not by them, but by our own none-doings. This is normal but it should not be the case.

Yes, yes, you know all this already.
I know.
Then why am I telling you?
Because all of us, tend to ignore such advices even when we know they ring some truth.

I know this. You know this. But how often do we remember this?

Don't compare ourselves to others. People are too different to be compared.
Sure, we can have a role model but we are different and we can only 'be them' to an extent.

Let me give you an example;


Dari Aisyah r.a :

Bersabda Rasulullah s.a.w kepadaku pada suatu hari:

”Wahai Aisyah! Adakah di sisi kamu sesuatu pun (untuk dimakan )?” Aisyah berkata:” Wahai Rasulullah! Tidak ada sesuatu pun (untuk dimakan)” Baginda bersabda “(Jika begitu) maka aku berpuasa”.

(Muslim)

Okay. So, a point has been made here. Should we do the same? 
No, because we are different. 
Proof? Read on.

 Hadis riwayat Ibnu Umar ra.:

Bahwa Nabi saw. melarang puasa sambung (terus-menerus tanpa berbuka). Para sahabat bertanya: Bukankah baginda sendiri melakukan puasa wishal? Nabi saw. menjawab: Sesungguhnya aku tidak seperti kalian. Aku diberi makan dan minum. (Shahih Muslim No.1844)

I learn my lesson in two days.

The way i normally spend my days are as follows (not really that systematic. I prefer a flexible time table).

8 a.m - 6 p.m everyday, is dedicated to academics (i'll be honest, it doesn't really apply on weekends). By this, i don't really mean i STUDY for 10 hours straight. If you can do that, BRAVO. But, I, i'm sorry, can't. 

I have an average of 7 hours of classes every day. Every hour or so, i take 5-10 minute breaks. During those breaks, i don't just stare off into space. I watch a short Youtube video, read a book (leisure), write bits and pieces for my novel and what not. 

I allow myself one hour for lunch (enjoy your meal folks. Live in the moment.) and don't forget your prayers. From 8am-6pm, when I'm not in class, I revise notes or finish my homework, but every hour or so; don't forget to take short breaks. So, the 10 hours arent really 'pure' 10 hours once you minus the breaks and lunch and prayers.

 Even so, that left me EXHAUSTED at the end of the day.

If you're sleepy, sit somewhere public. That way you'll be too embarrassed to sleep.

 So, my life, academically, IS JUST THAT. In the mornings, after Subuh prayers and before classes start, I don't revise anything. Usually i read a good story book during that period.

What do I do at night? 

I don't study, at all. Should I be? Oh well.

Night time is when i focus on writing my novel. Make a good cup of chocolate milk and sit in front of the computer. This goes on from around 8-10pm. I'm one of those people that needs 8 hours of sleep, NO MATTER WHAT. 

Unless you want to deal with 'Cranky Ami' the next day. = ="

So, what changed? How did i learn my lesson? 

My parents started getting worried; you know, that i wasn't focusing enough on my studies (cause they don't see me studying - i know we've all been there.). They think i'm focusing too much on my writing career because I have been writing for exactly 35 days and my novel is already 214 pages long.

I kept saying "It's keeping me sane in all this madness."

But after, about a month, you kind of get sick of hearing the same complaints.

So, I thought "Fine. I'll stop writing and learn more than I am now." 

So, I tried; as you are already informed, FOR TWO DAYS.

People, there is such a thing as brain overload. Believe me. I've read on the net, that a Harvard student died because he was studying too much.

How did I change my schedule?

i've read somewhere that the optimum time for studying is actually 2 hours of self-studying per 1 hour of class. So, I tried that, totaled up the amount of hours i had to fulfill each day.

So, day one, I set my timer for 10 hours and 20 minutes of 'PURE' studying.

Every time i reached a break, or lunch time, or prayer time, i would stop the timer. It would mean that i had studied an actual 10 hours and 20 minutes when the timer went 00.00.00.

So, I did that. I took breaks, limiting it to 5 minutes. But i wouldn't read a story book since my parents don't approve of me reading so much as well. I would take a brisk walk as an alternative. 

 I studied while i was eating. I walked really fast to save time (because honestly, I was still hoping to squeeze in some time for writing).

Guess what? End of day one, i completed 10 hours and 20 minutes. By then, it was already 10.30+ pm. I was so sleepy, God knows. But once i rolled into bed, i couldn't really sleep. My brain was sort of still 'buzzing' with chemical equations and projectile motions. Usually I fall asleep immediately. Definitely not the case on day one.

Day two. 

I got about 6 hours of sleep the other night, which is decent. Some people only need 6 hours of sleep.

I set the timer again in the morning and proceeded with my newly developed plan. By lunch time, I felt sick. Around 2 pm, I felt like vomiting and by 6 pm, I nearly passed out. 

And I ate, thinking i needed more glucose but no it did not get better. That night, i was not productive at all. I was so tired and the worst thing was, I couldn't sleep because my head was too noisy. 

It's like those nights when you've had too much coffee. You feel high, dizzy, tired, sleepy. But you can't even bring yourself to yawn. And then you just end up tossing and turning in bed; wasting time.

Day three, which is today, I woke up and I could not study, at all. I had even less sleep the other night. I just felt so tired and out of breath. 

so, i took a nap (a 3 hour-ish nap) and then decided, "Nope, this is not working at all."

And it really wasn't. I wasn't even stressed. I was just tired. I would sway, seriously disoriented. 

Guess what i did.

I had a wonderful, peaceful lunch and went out to Giant. It's not even an interesting place but I needed new sights and a different experience of the day. I browsed almost every lane, even ones I weren't interested in. Then i went to a bookstore and browsed through some cool books. And you know what? I took my own sweet time. And you bet it felt good.

Don't confuse this with giving up, because you can't even pay me to do that. I'm just taking things as they should be, slow and steady. I don't want my life to be black and white (even if there are shades of grey). I want my life to be a freaking rainbow. Life ought to be a freaking rainbow. (Yes, I am aware the colours of that sentence are not in a rainbow-appropriate order).

So what if i don't get a 4.0 GPA? I have to start somewhere, don't I? I won't die. 

See, no one is perfect, but every one can be better. And i want to be better.

You want to study all the time, not bother about other things in life? Fine. That's your choice. I'm not judging you. But this is mine because I'm not you.

In this world, there is always going to be a person better than you and a person worse. There is always going to be a person prettier than you and a person uglier. There is always going to be a person more successful than you and more failure-ish.

It's in the definition; being better, beauty, success. These are indefinite terms and we will never be satisfied with MORE.

So, make a rule. What are your goals? What do you want in life? Balance between duty and pleasure (and duty can be a pleasure). Enrich your life. Work hard, but not too hard. It's all in the BALANCE.

The sky is the limit, but brothers and sisters, you are just human. 

Your body can only take so much abuse.

Imagination wise, sure, knock yourself out. The sky is the limit.

Tweedle-dee, Tweedle-dum,

Assalamualaikum.

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Say "I Am Not Giving Up"

Assalamualaikum and a very good day to all of you.

Hello.

It's easy to give up, isn't it?
It really is.

"Bleh, I'm not going to bother with this anymore. I'm going to fail anyway."

"Bosan aku dengan benda nih. Nak tidur lah."

"Assignment susah. Nanti tiru saja lah."

It takes no energy to let go of something you don't want. None at all.
So, if you want to give up, then gladly do so.
But only after you finish reading this post (don't give up on me, though. The post's not that long anyway).

If giving up is easier, then why am i talking you (yes, you, my virtual-reality friends) out of it?
Because it is going to suck for you later (wow, sure didn't bother to save the drama, huh?).

But its true.
By fighting (luchar!), you are freeing yourself from all the 'what-ifs' or 'i wish' or 'i-could-have's.
Nothing is more pathetic than a person saying "i am naturally smart. I just didn't feel like studying at the time." or "I could have been the highest scorer if i tried hard enough. But i didn't."
It doesn't matter whether or not you are 'naturally smart' or the like.
It doesn't matter that you could have succeeded, had you tried hard enough.
What matters is that YOU DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH.
If you like doing something but you can't seem to get a grip on it, or master it, etc; FIGHT!

Giving up is just a ridiculous ideology with no purpose.

Why would we give up?What have we to lose?

What rational reason answers to that?

None, really.

We are just being lazy.

Say "I am not giving up".
Make it a mantra.
Make it a motto. (unless, of course you are fighting for something you don't really want.)
Because you get what you earn and you deserve every bit of it!

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Kelebihan Menutup Aurat (Perempuan)

Assalamualaikum.

Hello.
I am sleepy. I really am.
*Yawns*

So, the benefits are (this is in my opinion only. You are free to contradict this if you wish).

Thank you, Allah.

1. We stop feeling self-conscious about our body shape.
When we wear clothes that cover our aurah properly, people won't know how big or small we are.
There's no reason to get all self-conscious about how we look. Being a person who has struggled with eating disorders before, i KNOW what is like to feel self-conscious. This is a way that i feel, Islam liberates us women. 
I've read newspapers and magazines; and i've seen the media bark over how celebrities look (highlighting their non-existing fat). We are taught that beauty has only one definition (skinny? large bust?).THAT IS FALSE. 
You get what i'm trying to say, right?
The key is to be healthy, not to look a specific way.
Wearing loose and draping clothes, we don't get the feeling that anyone is 'ogling' us. (OMO i can't believe i just said that = ="). 
And it is totally true for me. Islam has freed me. I feel FREE. :D

2. Prevents us from getting skin cancer.

HOHO. now you're scared.

This applies for wearing non-sheer clothes and covering our body parts.
Especially in hot countries, it is quite easy to get skin cancer.
Although it doesnt SEEM as fatal as heart cancer or lung cancer, believe me, it is.
PS: It doesnt hurt to wear sunblock either. ^_^

3. Helps to keep our body cool.
Surprised? It's true.

4. It acts as a barrier.
You know some guys that are just terribly annoying, the ones we walk by sometimes that tease uS just because we are young and single ladies (HAHA. now that sounds funny)?
Or perhaps, when we buy something, and the guy at the counter flirts with you (no, i am not being paranoid)?
Well, it helps when we cover our aurah.
It makes sense, right?
Which girl would seem more likely to get a guy to whistle out "Phewwiit" when they walk past?
-A girl that wears a knee-length skirt, with a cute ruffled blouse.
-a girl that wears a hijab which properly covers her chest area and wears a baju kurung?
(I am not at all stereotyping what PROPERLY COVERING AURAH means. These are just examples, okay?)
Some guys are just jerks and don't really care what we are wearing but at least we can be at peace that WE DID NOT CATALYSE their jerk-y behaviour. Right? 

5. A constant reminder of who we are.
We are not perfect. We have our occasional slips that we regret.
Start with something small. Let's say you start with handsocks (those can be pretty cute, no?).
Everytime you catch a glimpse of it, you remind yourself, "i am trying to be a better Muslim day by day".
Subtle; but it works wonders.

6. We are appreciated for who we are on the inside.
This is fair. Certain people are born prettier than others. In this, we have no control over whatsoever.
How we are on the inside, on the other hand, is a variable.

Ambil air wuduk je. ^_^

We can manipulate it, and be better.
(This is no excuse however to appear untidy and unpresentable - that word sounds wrong).
And in Islam, people who have a beautiful heart, ARE beautiful.
Ya Allah, indahnya Islam.
We are who we become. We are the choices we make.

7. Kulit Muka Tak Rosak.
Make-up is not good for you. And it's a waste of time.
You'll be surprised at how little people care.
Got a pimple? It doesn't prove you're an alien. Relax.
Warna kulit tak rata? It's like that for almost every person on the planet.
Eyebags? Get some sleep.

So true.

Got small eyes? So do I. Chill.

8. Kalau pakai baju labuh sampai lutut, iron seluar sekerat saja lah.
Just kidding. Ami, terserlah kemalasan dekat sini. MWAHAHAHA
(Okay just ignore this point, i couldnt help myself XDD).

Okay, Selamat Menutup Aurat!

If there's anything you wish me to help you with, just PM me on Facebook. I always have time for you guys. ^_^

Assalamualaikum.
Toddles!

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Making The Right Decisions.

 Assalamualaikum.

OMO, lama tak post apa-apa. Hehe. Jangan marah. *wink wink*

Just a quick update:

• i am currently in INTI international University, doing my A-levels. 
• I still don't have a driver's license (lame excuse to not going on the multiple trips to KLIA to say farewell. Sorry). 
• Learning Spanish. 
• Reading Spud by John Van De Ruit (which is so stupidly funny. haha).
• Enjoying the process of writing my fantasy novel (which, BTW, i don't plan on finishing anytime soon). 
• Did fairly bad in my Mathematics Mid-Term Test this morning (quote Mr Choo. "it's okay to make mistakes. Then you learn.").

Its SHOW TIME.

So recently i read a post somewhere on the internet (so typical of me to forget). It was about this guy writing about how he regretted his past decisions. 
And a month or so ago, a friend of mine asked me whether or not i regretted rejecting an offer i got to go to Whales in August (since i am now stuck in Malaysia with an annoying scholarship criteria to fulfill) which i explain here. It was one of those i-dont-want-to-talk-about-it (and never will want to talk about it) topics. Don't get me wrong, i still don't want to talk about it; but that's not going to stop me from doing so anyway. Everyone needs closure =), myself included. (So, where was i?).

Ah, yes.

Be like her.

When i explained to this friend of mine all the reasons that i made that decision, it dawned on me. And it made me accept my decision better. Before that conversation, I had spasms of regret whenever i congratulated a friend for landing a spot somewhere overseas. If you know me well, you would know that i am perfectly hopeless whenever it comes to hiding my emotions. If i'm happy, you'll be able to tell. And so it works for when i'm sad or annoyed or nervous or excited. Well the thing most people don't know about me is (oh great, i'm turning this into a let's-get-to-know-Ami-better post. Hurrah. = =) that i am actually not that bad at hiding my emotions, actually. The emotions that you see are just the ones that i don't bother to hide because they come from petty reasons (meaning, it's one of those i'm-sad-now-but-i'll-forget-about-it-in-two-seconds things. happy emotions; why bother hide them? Are you mad? haha).

only ocassionally haha

The emotions that I don't surface are the ones that inflict pain. The kind of 'memories' that just makes you close your eyes, breath heavy and swallow hard (as if the 'memory' would just magically disappear, huh?). The kind of memories you just laugh about and call it silly and joke about it just so you yourself might believe that it doesn't matter. The kind of memories you don't mention because it just makes you feel vulnerable and weak and stupid and sorry for yourself.

eg. This Whales thingy. It was the real deal and i rejected it because of my own mistake. "i could be in Whales by now." "i could be buying cheap books in Scotland." "I could be having a rich life there." "I could be developing more skills." and so on the thoughts cloud my head.
eg2. or perhaps you lost a valuable friend? It was your mistake that led you to such a position and now you aren't even talking to each other?

*it's magic, you know....*

The thing we don't realize, or what i failed to realize, is the silver lining to everything. We often forget about the bright side and only see the dark cloud. So, talk about it; talk about the benefits and consequences and it will make you feel better.

I am not going to tell you what is the right decision, what is the wrong one. That is not the question. Nobody knows what the right decision is. You just have to take your pick and work with what you have. 
Sorry to burst your bubble of Wonderland but that's how life is. 
Take your bet. Yeah, if you could go back and make that decision all over again, are you sure you won't make the same one?
So don't regret it (a waste of time). Learn from it.
And when you feel lost, rujuklah pada jalan Allah. Then, you can never go wrong. 

Hello, sunshine! Nice of you to drop by.

Just let go, okay. Let go. What's done is done and there's no changing it. Menyesal itu tak elok (except when you are repenting your sins. of course).

After you've re-thought your decision, decide once and for all, do you still support that decision? And stand by that decision. If you think it's the best for you, it is. So hang in there, the sun will shine through!!

Extra Knowledge:

Hukum Solat Semasa Azan Sedang Berkumandang.
-Based on these following links, Makruh. (correct me if i'm wrong, please. I don't want provide false information. i've got enough sins as it is).

http://qasolatjemaah.blogspot.com/

http://tanya-ustaz.27233.n3.nabble.com/solat-ketika-azan-td2911916.html

http://abuumair1.wordpress.com/soal-jawab/feqah-solat/05-012/

Urm. How to I end this? BYE.

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Manage Your Time

Assalamualaikum.

I've decided to take a much more robotic approach to blogging than i normally would so i won't end up leaving my blog unattended to for longer-than-usual periods of time.
15 minutes a day, for you and for me.
See, blogging brings more benefits for me than it does for you.
Writing skills and reminders etc

Well anyways, hari ini Ami nak cakap tentang apa agaknya?
Obviously the title gives the answer to that, so lets get started!
Ready? Set? GO!!!

So, everybody knows that managing time is crucial in our lives.
Semua yang kita lakukan setiap hari mesti melibatkan pengurusan masa sebab well, time never stops, right?
And if we want to succeed, we must know how to manage our time. Obviously lah kan?
or else, how would we get anything done?
And it keeps everything organized and organized (i said that two times on purpose).
A clutter-free person is often happier than a clutter-full (i don't even know if this word exists. oh well) person. ---> The Happiness Project propaganda is really getting to me haha

An unmanaged life leads to CLUTTER. lots of it.

Clutter isnt just physical, its also mental.

example: a messy bed is physical clutter while an undone task on your to-do list is mental clutter.
Mental clutter is often underestimated. Tapi selalunya stres datangnya daripada this type of clutter.

Di asrama (for example, TGB ^_^), how often are we stressed about our messy rooms compared to our endless list of homework? i know you know the answer =D
Unfinished homework is just another unfinished task and it adds clutter to our poor tired brains.
We just don't stop thinking about it (hence what i mean by 'brain clutter').
But when we finally finish our homework, we feel satisfied and most importantly, we stop thinking about it (bye bye clutter).

And people always complain on and on about their busy lives about how they can't seem to get anything done.
there is always 'too much to do' and 'not enough time'. Well guess what dear friends, there is always time! And hope, too!

I'm just going to tell you what i do and what i find has worked for me all these years (or baru-baru ni sahaja discover). I'm not at all telling you what you should do, but what i've done to keep myself managed.


1. As soon as given a task, get working on it.

This, i don't do EVERY single time (i get lazy, too) but i try my best.

Example (what happened in TGB): 
a teacher (additional mathematics) teaches a new topic in class and immediately assigns homework for that topic. As soon as she has finished teaching whatever needs to be taught (or she teaches enough for me to understand the rest of the topic), i do that assignment straight away, in class. i don't wait for prep. As long as the additional mathematics period isn't over, i keep doing the exercises. The thing is, i prefer to do my homework while the lesson is still fresh in my mind. That way, i don't waste time having to open up reference books and notes because i still remember the lesson. Kalau tunggu petang-petang nanti (or in some cases, the night before deadline), dah lupa apa yang diajar.

I used to not do my homework at all (sometimes i did but often too late or poorly done) when i was in JESS. In MRSM TGB, it wasn't much of a choice because we had our PNGs to haunt us kalau dapat result teruk so i did my homework then. At first i was overwhelmed sebab tak biasa buat homework (lagi-lagi kalau bergunung macam TGB haha) but then lama-lama, i figured out that when i did my homework as soon as possible (or in between lessons), it didn't seem that i had a lot of homework.

In a nutshell; Get to a task AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Don't procrastinate.

2. Write a To-Do List everyday.

This is to help you keep track of things, so you don't forget to do anything or to be somewhere.
Its pretty much self-explanatory: once you get a task or set up a meeting date, write it down. Once you've completed anything on the list, check it off.

Carry a small notebook for this purpose (or even better, an Agenda). I wouldn't recommend using large and heavy books. It would be much too troublesome to carry around (even if the cover is pretty = =).

And please, if you have a To-Do List, read it. It's not enough writing it down. If you don't read it, how do you expect to be reminded?

3. Practice a flexible time table

I've never been the kind of person that would stick to a daily 'timetable'. This, i'd manage to figure out when i was a primary school student. What i learnt was, to manage time well, you mustn't overly manage it.
What do i mean by that?

Well, when i was in standard 3, my Dad made me a time table. It had everything; from when to eat to when to play. i managed to abide it...... for 3 days.
The thing is, whenever i have a time table, i feel like my life has been planned for me. I feel bound to it, held by heavy chains. As though, i don't have a choice but to oblige. I find whenever i have a time table, my life is less managed than it would be if i didn't have one. It just seemed to me, 'another rule to be broken'.
So when i figured that out, i took a less strangling approach.

Instead of planning daily, i planned weekly. Instead of saying 'i must exercise on every Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Monday; from 5pm to 6.30 pm', i say 'Try to exercise 7 hours a week'. See what i mean? I had a relatively flexible schedule compared to my previous one. If i had more work to finish or i had a meeting on one day, i could easily put off exercising to another day. It was an easier schedule to stick to.

Of course this doesn't apply for exercising hours only. I just thought it would be an easy example. It works the same way for studying hours.


4. Multitask as much as you can.

Yeah, easy said, do a couple of things at once, to save time. The general rule is not to do 2 things that require high levels of attention.
Example; Trying to memorize historical facts while trying to finish an English essay isn't going to work (but bravo to you if you can).
Trying to recite back historical facts while jogging or eating or folding your laundry would work much better.
Why? You don't really need to think while jogging or eating or folding your laundry. It's not as if you would forget to move your legs or accidentally eat your hand (though it would be an amusing sight =D).

PS: that is probably why some people at TGB spot me 'talking to myself' if i'm walking alone. Just to clarify, i am not crazy, okay? I'm multitasking =D

5. Don't waste your time.

Do you really need to spend all that time talking on the phone with your buddy?
Is it going to kill you if you don't gossip with your friends every single second you can spare?
Would your guts fall out if you don't watch 7 hours of television everyday?
Is it necessary to spend millenniums on Facebook, stalking  (don't look the other way. i know what you're up to o.O) other people's profiles to see what their up to?


So, do we really have too little time?
Or do we waste it too easily?

The End.

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The Happiness Project

Assalamualaikum.

Hehe, Hi.

I've abandoned this blog for what feels like a whole ERA, but of course, that's not true.
I won't say i've been THAT busy lately because that would count as a lie (and we dont want that).
i mean, i could work it into my schedule if i willed it hard enough but i found myself buried in books and my writing sooo.... well. I'M BACK.

So, since i've been so caught up in my reading-frenzy lately, this is going to be about some of the lessons i learnt from a book i read (well, technically i haven't finished it yet but it is so AWESOME).

The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin.

Well, basically this book is about Gretchen, the writer who goes on this journey of hers to find happiness and she calls it her Happiness Project. its not a self-help type of book. but it certainly does help.

One of the quotes from her book that i really love is 'The opposite of happiness is unhappiness, not depression'. 
Without happiness, we'd be empty, not sad.

Just because we are not depressed or sad, doesnt mean that we are happy. Even if we are happy, doesnt mean that we cant be happier.

We are all fortunate in our own ways.
Some have a tighter family bond than others.
Some have more money than others.
Some have better friends than others.
There are lots of 'better-than-others' that we have. Sometimes we fail to recognize it and be happy about it. Sometimes we know we have to be happy about something, but we just can't.
We all need happiness in our lives. It helps everything glide smoother.

it's simple things really. the small little details really do make a difference.
Make about 2 or 3 resolutions every month and stick with them. No cheating.

I'll give an example of mine for this month so you can get started on yours (if you want to).

1. Be Ami and Accept Ami.
This is simple, easy. I'm just going to be me and i wont be afraid to be me. This isn't really a new resolution. i've had it since FOREVER but i thought it would be nice to add something to the list that i had already accomplished just to boost my spirits haha (way to go Ami = =).

Example; people get teased. Even i get teased a lot. It happens. I remember in primary school i had these weird not-suitable-for-my-age hobbies. When i was 11, i went through this I-LOVE-TO-KNIT phase.

KNIT FREAKING KNIT. It's what grannies do in movies do on their rocking chairs. nobody teased me then. When i started to wear glasses (which by the way, were HUGE), i earned the nickname 'nenek' from this annoying kid. Knitting and Gigantic Glasses, the perfect Grandmother combination. And i got real disturbed by it. I felt so un-COOL (typical Ami haha.). So i stopped knitting and wearing my glasses. The nicknames didn't stop but i thought they would go away.
I had astigmatism so that wasn't such a good idea so i started wearing my glasses again. Finally, one day, after that annoying kid called me 'nenek' again, i didn't frown or turn away or yell at him. I DECIDED THERE AND THEN THAT I LOVE MY GLASSES AND KNITTING (IT WAS TOTALLY ME)

  I asked him "Why do you call me 'nenek'?"

"Because you're glasses are so big. they make you look like a nenek."

"Really? You think so? That is sooo cool. I like them even more now." i said that with my eyes widened and almost happy as if being a granny was such an acheivement.

And guess what, he stopped calling me 'nenek' because he figured it wasnt as annoying when i responded with thanks, rather than go away. So, i accepted myself then. My traumatic-lah-sangat experience is just a teeny weeny example. There are bigger examples but you work yourself through those, okay?
I learnt that confidence was COOL. If you think it's COOL, as much as others dont, ITS STILL COOL. If you accept yourself and who you are, you'll be much happier. Even though you're quirky and weird.


2. Act the way you want to feel.
In my case, it mostly involves getting work done. It doesnt matter, babysitting the kids or writing a few hours of paperwork. Most of the time, its energy-draining work. i get frustrated a lot and it ruins my mood. i want to enjoy everything, without feeling burdened. So, act the way you want to feel.

Example; the other day, i woke up on the wrong side of the bed and i wasn't feeling that well. You have younger brothers or sisters that go around the house, bugging you all day, making you run around the house fetching drinks and then once you've fetched them, throw a tantrum because they refuse to drink that one and want a different drink? or that kind of stuff. On a bad day, normally i'd just ignore them (bad sister = =) or do as they say but secretly feel mad at them. But keeping 'act the way you want to feel' in mind, i went about the house purposely laughing and singing while i was mixing milk formula (pretending to enjoy myself) and playing games and even getting them to start a painting project with me. It kicked in right away. I only had to pretend to be happy for a few minutes and i started to really enjoy myself, seriously.

Even when i was feeling a bit bummed after the MARA results came out, i pretended that it was okay. It was the thing i had waited for for so long and then like a fly-swatter, came and squished me (the fly). But i took a few breaths and smiled (yes, like a retard in front of the computer). And i convinced myself that it was no big deal, that i could be happy anywhere, not just in Ireland. And a few moments later, i felt COMPLETELY fine (just wondering where i went wrong with MARA interview). i felt slightly guilty for letting my parents down but otherwise, i was happy. haha

So, i only listed two. Dont want to plagiarize the book. Got to pray. Maghrib people, Maghrib.
Don't forget to pray. And if you can, start a Happiness Project, buy the book. Its really good, really. ^_^

PS: today i'm happy and not sarcastic. In the next post, i'll probably be happy AND sarcastic. Wait yah!!

Assalamualaikum.

*i didn't check for errors. please point out if spotted. thank you.

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No Shortcuts.

Assalamualaikum.

Its been a while. I'm getting rusty in this writing business.

well, i was urged to write this while i was filling out my MARA application form.
Yes, I get inspiration when i'm trying to run away from completing a task.

= =" Dont pretend you haven't done it at least once. *I got my eyes on you*

This topic is simple, ABOUT EFFORT.


you know what's annoying (and i say this in a non-annoyed way)?

These:

Senanglah kau, kau dah pandai.


Tak payah baca buku, kau dah memang pandai.


Genius macam dia, tak belajar pun dapat score.


Kau belajar sikit aje, tapi result gempak. Aku rasa tak aci.


Susahnya nak buat kerja ni. Tolong buatkan :) nanti aku belajar time salin kau punya.


Malaslah.


Nantilah.

Mesti ada yang pernah cakap macam ni or pernah dengar macam ni kan? (who am i kidding, sometimes i say it = = ooppss).

In reality, are you sure brilliant people don't work harder than you? Are you so sure, you'd chop your arms off if you were wrong? AHA, see; you're not sure. 
It depends on how you define hard work. If you think hard work is all about reading books and homework, then my dears, you are wrong.

Quality is better than quantity. So true, man.

Lets think. Think think think.
which is better?

1. A student that doesnt finish all of his homework but does it himself OR a student who finishes all of his homework but copies from others?

2. A student that studies for 8 hours a day but is constantly distracted OR a student who studies 2 hours with full focus?

3. A student that pays full attention in class and takes notes but spends the rest of the evening sleeping OR a student that doesn't pay attention in class but makes notes in the evenings?

4. A student that sleeps early every night but stays focus during prep hours or a student that stays up late every night but goofs off during prep hours?

You see, there are many ways to define hard work. People have different ways of working hard.

Student A pays attention in class (understand lesson) and relaxes the rest of the day while Student B goofs off in class (doesnt understand lesson) and spends the rest of the day studying to understand the topic.

Both are working just as hard. It only appears that student B is working harder but he isnt.
Just because Student B had the same lesson as Student A, doesnt mean he was working.

Just because Student B was there, doesn't mean he was WORKING.

See, it's just a way of seeing things.
Geniuses are built not born.
Einstein did not wake up a genius. He put effort, too (although he had the unusual advantage of increase of number of certain cells in his brain....but that's not the point).

If you want EXPENSIVE STUFF, bring out the money.

there's no way that you can bring 20 cents to a salesperson and say "Oh, i want the Lamborghini."

BHAHA. seriously? a Lamborghini? BHAHAHA

Ha-ha, if you still want to hope for stuff like that to happen; there are a few options.

1. kitchen. knife. slit your throat.
2. cliff. jump.
3. stand in the middle of the road. wait.

So conclusion, nothing AWESOME comes EASY. 
oh, and the journey DOES NOT GET EASIER. ITS HARD ALL THE WAY, DUDE.

bye-bye.

oh wait. on second thought, tak baik galakkan orang bunuh diri. =D

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First Things First : Kita Sebagai Remaja

Assalamualaikum.

Rasanya dah berzaman tak update blog.
Stuck in writer's block i guess (though i'm not much of a writer).
So ni adalah topik yang nak cakap ni.

Kita Sebagai Remaja.

First things first lah ken, the present.
Maybe everybody is stuck in the 'interview' mood because so many teenagers look at their selves 10 years from now and hope for the best, yet we aren't really making a haste to do anything in the present.
I don't know, i could be wrong.
Teenagers, a lot is expected from us.
We are the so-called future generation (say that in an large echoing voice for a dramatic effect).
And here my point is.....

we are expected to do much more than just get married and give birth to a whole soccer team.
Oh yes, the expectations are big.
Nowadays, teenagers are too eager to get married lah, and apa lah. Slow down, okay.
Its not wrong, it certainly isn't. It's actually a pretty good thing, i consider (but maybe that's just me).
Quote my dad "Kak Long nih kalau zaman Abah, dah ada anak dua dah".
True, but things today don't work like they did back then.
They are a lot more complex, with women fighting for equal rights (i have no say on this) and stuff like that.

So, lets focus on the present okay.
Lets work hard NOW and not cloud our thoughts daydreaming of what is to become of us in the future.
Lets learn and learn and learn (kita ni kan masih muda, banyak lagi ilmu pengetahuan yang perlu dicari).
Jangan dilayan sangat perasaan cintan-cintun tu. is there a guarantee that they will last?

nanti bila dah 20-an (maybe) than, fikirlah kalau nak fikir sgt haha.
but now, belasan tahun nih, jarang ada yang berkahwin (although ada je).

Pendek je post nih.
My brain doesnt function too well when i have a fever.

ps: nanti bila dah sihat, tulis panjang2 ye. ^_^

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Who Do You Want To Be?

Assalamualaikum.

Identity is more than just a name.
It's a choice.
You are who you choose to be.


Just A Few Rules.

1. Don't let anybody tell you what to do. 

Jangan ambil kesempatan pula dengan rule yang ini. If ada kena-mengena dengan responsibility such as homework, then obviously you have to do it.
You have control over your life, just remember that.

2. Don't let anybody make you feel guilty.

Feeling guilty is not a bad thing, it actually proves that you are human. Just dont let people take advantage. People can actually manipulate you (not all people do, don't be a paranoid) into regretting some decisions you've made. Remember, what's done is done. You can say sorry, but don't let them make you 'pay' for it.

3. Do what you want to do.

Again, janganlah langgar peraturan. Just do what you feel like, when you feel like doing it. This way, you get to know yourself better.

4. Jadilah tegas dalam membuat keputusan.

Being yourself is easy but it is also hard when you are put down by others. Don't worry, people always talk. They can call you names. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it is true. People that call people names have issues with themselves, pity them and try to understand them. That way, you wont feel that bad.

5. Dekatkanlah diri dengan Allah SWT.

He is what matters in the end, right? Bila kita dekat dengan Allah, hati pun sangat tenang. Even when we make tough decisions in His name, decisions that hurt us, we feel kind of okay sebab kita tahu kita ambil keputusan itu kerana Allah SWT. Berzikirlah mengingati-Nya.

6. Treat others how you wish to be treated.

It is a golden rule. Identity isnt only about how we see ourselves, it is also how others see ourselves. So, just follow this simple rule and you can never go wrong.

7. Write down or say your goals or dreams out loud.

I like to talk to the mirror, but i'm weird, you don't have to do what i do. Make a list, recording, anything. Accept yourself for who you are. Don't let the voice inside your head say what you can or cannot do because you can do anything.

8. Be brave.

If you think what you are doing is right, big chance, it IS right. Just because someone is COOL, or POPULAR, or SMART says it is wrong, doesn't necessarily mean it is. They aren't in your shoes, you are.

9. Talk about it.

Tell friends that can encourage you and discuss the good and bad of yourself. Find someone you can trust, HONESTY IS KEY.

10. STAND UP FOR YOUR DIGNITY.

Don't let people treat you like you are some kind of bimbo (if you are a girl).
Let the world know that you are not just a person, you are a super person.
Talk up and dont shy away, as much as you can.
You are just as important as anybody else on the planet.
"Setiap makhluk Allah ada pimpinannya"

^_^ goodluck.

Not really colourful, but it's not a colourful day anyway.

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Kelembutan Merupakan Kekuatan

Assalamualaikum.

Blanked out trying to fill a form, then decided to blog (typical me).

Jadi, mengikut definisi Kamus Dewan, lemah lembut bererti elok perangai, halus budi pekerti, baik hati, berwajah ceria dan berlapang dada. 

Rasulullah pernah bersabda maksudnya:

Allah itu bersifat lemah lembut dan amat menyukai sifat lemah lembut dalam setiap urusan. 

(Hadis riwayat Bukhari & Muslim)

Truly, i am the kind of person that holds onto that, kelembutan dalam melakukan segala pekerjaan.
I believe in it (not saying i practice it as much as i want myself to).

Rasulullah merupakan contoh terbaik peribadi seorang yang lemah lembut, sehinggakan ada satu ketika, baginda sanggup meringkaskan bacaan dalam solat apabila mendengar bunyi bayi menangis kerana bimbang ibu bayi tersebut solat dalam kegelisahan.
Alangkah lemah lembutnya baginda.
Peribadi baginda ini banyak menarik orang untuk menganut agama Islam.

Kita boleh ambil pengajaran. ^_^

Strong o.o

Dalam berdakwah, kita seharusnya bersikap lemah lembut,
and please do take note that it is not the same as LEMBIK.
Boleh saja kalau nak bersikap lemah lembut dan tegas pada sesuatu masa.

The two don't collide with each other.

Jadi, macam mana kelembutan tersebut boleh menjadi kekuatan?
Untuk memupuk peribadi ini dalam diri, kita perlu menguatkan iman kepada Allah SWT dan banyakkan bersabar.
tips sabar di sini

Bukan mudah untuk menerima hinaan dengan hati yang senang.

Neither is it easy to keep on preaching the same thing over and over knowing that nobody is listening.

The are times when we feel the sudden urge to burst into anger, find our hearts beating faster than ever.
Though kelembutan tidak dipandang sebagai suatu kekuatan, bagi saya, Ya, itu merupakan kekuatan.
It is not about how hard we can swing our swords, but more of how can we bring ourselves to be strong, on the inside.
It is true that chaining our emotions with a sturdy chain is much harder than it is to bind the strongest living creature on Earth (though it would help).

Just thought this picture's interesting

Some people do take the 'fire away' approach,
but suddle-'ness' may be the key.
Its true that being frank and open works, no doubt,
But we can only be any more human than we are.
Humans have egos, and breaking one would be a catastrophe.
kelembutan merupakan satu cara yang memerlukan kesabaran tetapi ia juga merupakan pendekatan yang baik.

Example of my life;

I have extremely naughty siblings, all young and lively (now i sound old).
It takes a lot of work to get the house looking (at least) appropriate.
Rumah yang dah sebetul-betulnya kemas, takes minutes for them to trash (and i am not kidding about the time).
Yes, they are kids. They scream and jump about the house like monkeys.
Yelling bad words at each other, smacking each other, fighting over toys.
Gosh, they even hit me when their angry. omo =.="

I guess thats normal.

Sometimes, it just gets overwhelming.
I tried the 'slow-talk' way. True, it does take patience, though i have never been able to stick to the slow-talk long enough for the house to stay calm.
And in the end, i'd bribe them with food or scold them (=.=").
That usually works but then they keep on doing the same thing over and over.
Till one day, i tried talking to one of my sisters who had just thrown a rampage, kicking and screaming as though she had been possessed.
It took me an extremely long time (my goodness) =.=" and she finally stopped.
the next time she decided to throw one, she held back. 

It really does work, you just have to be strong enough to take in on the whole time.

Kelembutan itu sangat berhikmah.

Doing things too rash can sometimes be wrong because it triggers people to want to get even.
So they keep doing it to purposely irritate you.

Don't we all?

Apabila kita buat sesuatu dengan penuh berhikmah, lemah lembut dan melayan seseorang dengan baik,
InsyaAllah, akan mencetuskan keinsafan dan rasa malu di dalam hatinya (tanpa perlu kita menegur secara terus).
Thats the case with my siblings.
Be suddle and give them love, (obviously dalam cerita cartoon pun, love wins over hate ^_^).
Be considerate.

Plus, lemah lembut bukan sahaja untuk perempuan, lelaki pun sama (i know i keep saying this).
I have known a few guys yang lemah lembut without being lembik and all.

Two different things okay?

Jadi sama-samalah kita berdoa agar menjadi seorang yang lebih lemah-lembut. i want that too.

Tips untuk adik nakal: malam-malam, sebelum tidur, gosok kepala adik sambil membisik ayat seperti "adik nanti jadi baik ye, jangan naughty2, dengar cakap mak dengan abah"..
Stuff like that laa.
My mom taught me that.
i don't really do it that often because sometimes i laugh at myself for doing it but studies have shown that it works. You see, when you are asleep, the brain (or mind) is resting, NOT DEAD. so it can still take in some information.
Don't laugh =.=" just do it.

ps: had banana milkshake for breakfast. had to force myself to finish it.
UGH, either i am an extremely bad banana-milkshake maker or i just don't like it.
I'll stick with yogurt, thanks.

Okay, bye
Assalamualaikum.

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Aurat

Assalamualaikum.

Hari ini saya nak cakap tentang isu yang agak sensitive sikit, jadi saya mohon, everybody keep your mind open.

This is not targeted towards anybody specifically, just to those who consider themselves muslims.

Just a reminder for you and I, okay. ^_^

I’ll start off cool this time. *hihi beaming*

Link to Surah berkaitan Aurat

Well that’s said, so how does it go?

Hmmm, everybody has their approach to handling kes mengenai aurat ni.

Some, daripada tak pakai tudung, terus pakai tutup litup segala, siap berpurdah.

Orang macam nih, Alhamdulillah lah. Dia ada kekuatan nak buat macam tu.

But how about orang yang common macam kita ni? Tengok tudung labuh, purdah, taking the first step pun gerun. Ya tak?

Well, never say never. Allah sahaja yang mengetahui.

I remember telling my sister (who is my bestfriend since we are only one year apart),

“Kak Long rasa sampai bila-bila pun Kak Long takkan pakai tudung labuh yang bulat tu. Setakat pakai tudung tiga segi yang labuh ni, okay lah.”

Well, how ironic, a couple of days later

 “Mak, Kak Long nak pakai tudung labuh bulat”.

Trust me, LIFE IS IRONIC.

We don’t know how things will turn out or how our path with unravel. 

 Kita kan cuma hamba Allah. ^_^ (that is not an excuse to just redha and just let things happen)

So, to those yang rasa macam nak take a further step, but don’t know where to step, hopefully this will help you.

Muslimah sekalian (Lelaki scroll ke bawah lagi).

1.       1. Make sure that whatever parts that are already covered as it is, is covered PROPERLY.

Example 1; yang sememangnya pakai tudung, pastikan tak jarang dan labuh yang cukup syarat etc.

Example 2; kalau yang tak pakai tudung tu, pastikan baju yang pakai tak ketat. (I am not saying that I am encouraging you to feel okay about not wearing the hijab, I am just trying to make the transition less-drastic to you so you don’t feel it that much. Okay? ^_^)

2     2. Take steps as drastic as you can handle. If you can’t go from not wearing a hijab, to wearing a niqab (its isnt compulsory) in one day, don’t. Baby steps are okay, just keep it moving. Try to find the strength okay, please. =)

okay, this is WAY too colourful

3.       3. Don’t worry about not being stylish and all. There is no Hadith or such (correct if wrong) that states pakai tudung labuh bulat and jubah as menutup aurat. The focus is on the action, not how we do it. =) sama juga, kita tak wajib pakai stoking, but find a way somehow to cover your feet as they are a part of your aurah. To some people, tudung labuh yang jahit depan tu tak nampak bergaya lah, apa lah. I certainly don’t mind because I never was the kind yang suka bergaya sangat but then, some nak melaram kan? 

So macam nih, perempuan sekarang susah nak cari baju kan? Baju yang labuh melepasi paras punggung tu, ya Allah, susahnya nak cari, melainkan baju muslimah (which honestly, I’m not much of a fan of). But thank goodness, akhir2 ini, banyak pula yang jual fesyen baju yang labuh (tapi lengan pendek tu). So dears, improvise, use your imagination, ada caranya tu.

Warna-warni

Untuk bahagian tudung, dulu fesyen tudung bawal yang *swish *swish* dua hujung tudung tu pin jadi butterfly or pin ke belakang je kan? 

So there wasn’t much to do because tudung bawal yang tersedia kecil tu akan jadi lagi pendek bila buat macam tu. Apa jawapannya? SELENDANG.

Selendang Pashmina is currently in the trend kan (correct me if I’m wrong)?

When I started working in UKM, I wore the pashmina to work.

Went to bed really late trying to figure out how to wrap it around my head for it to be labuh enough. Then I came up with something.

Maybe I’ll post it on this blog with pictures and everything of how I do it so maybe (if you want) you can use that way of wearing the pashmina. ^_^

Now about trousers, hmm, if you simply cannot resist wearing tight jeans (I am not talking about skinny jeans yah. I’m talking about straight cut), please do find a way of melabuhkan lagi baju. Maybe you can wear those cute mini dresses with a cardigan or something, haha you’re the expert. ^_^

kecik2 lagi dah pandai

Stokings, I don’t know, I find them cute. Haha pakai lah yang berwarna-warni tu. Comel apa.

.       4.Ikhlaskan hati kerana Allah S.W.T. Seronok kan, Allah sayang kita. Hati pun tenang je tau.

.       5. Makeup. Tak tau nak ulas macam mana. Seriously, you are all pretty and lovely as you are. You don’t need all that makeup. Bersederhanalah ye teman-temanku. I quote a friend’s mother “A smile is the best makeup any girl can wear”. Hoho, senyum tu sedekah. Plus, free je. ^_^ Awesome kan?

Muslimin sekalian (there’s really not much to say)

Baju nih, serious smart =)

       1. Saya rasa, tak perlu nak cakap aurat tu bahagian mana because I am pretty sure you know. Guys, future leaders, tunjukkanlah contoh yang baik ye. Aurat lelaki kalau nak dibandingkan dengan aurat perempuan, sangat sedikit (namun bukan alasan untuk dipandang remeh). That’s why it’s a bit frustrating when guys choose to not cover them properly anyway. It’s not much, you can wear those seluar pendek tiga suku  and you can just walk out of your house, without a shirt on (though that would be undeniably inappropriate).

Long pants look fine on you, I mean it =). 

Skinny jeans, hmm (BIG NO), they just look awkward you see (on guys and girls).

     2. Some, not all, like to wear shirts with vulgar words (or carry a similar meaning). It’s definitely not awesome (does this sound harsh? I’m not sure. Sorry =(). By doing that, you’re sending off the wrong message. People try not to judge, but it’s a bit difficult if you are giving them the reason to judge you anyway. What would you say if you saw Ustaz Azhar Idrus walking on the streets wearing a shirt that says “%@*%$!!!”? 

      The symbols show an inappropriate meaning itself (the actual words are out of the question).

3.       3. Kain pelekat. Pakai lah elok2 ye. Ada bahayanya juga. =) I will elaborate no further than that.

The End

So my dear friends, berusahalah ye? Sama-sama lah kita jadi hamba Allah yang bersyukur dengan nikmat rupa paras indah dan cukup sifat dengan cara menutup aurat. 

Kesian dengan orang yang menilai dan bersangka buruk dengan kita. Orang yang baik tetapi tidak berpakaian sedemikian hanya memberikan ruang untuk orang memfitnah sahaja (nanti orang yang memfitnah tu dapat dosa pula).

I don’t mean to offend anybody. Kalau ada yang terasa kerana cara nasihat atau penerangan yang tidak cukup berhemah, saya mohon maaf. Saya cuma hamba yang banyak membuat kesilapan. But I certainly will not apologise when it comes to the message that I am trying to get across. 

PS: I do make mistakes. If I am wrong, you are more than welcome to correct me ^_^. I’d be cool with that, TOTALLY COOL. =)

Assalamualaikum

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